Saracens head for Worcester after Euro glory
Saracens' George Kruis and Maro Itoje celebrates winning the Heineken Champions Cup (pic: Richard Sellers/PA) - Credit: PA Wire/PA Images
North Londoners won third Heineken Champions Cup title with victory over Leinster last weekend
Saracens head for Worcester Warriors on Saturday for their final game of the regular Gallagher Premiership season, but will be without many of their Heineken Champions Cup winners.
The north Londoners clinched a third European crown last weekend, beating Irish side Leinster 20-10 in Newcastle.
Sarries spent the following days celebrating their win, with fullback Alex Goode embarking on a three-day bender while wearing his kit from the final, boots and all.
The Allianz Park outfit now return to domestic action having already secured home advantage in the upcoming play-off semi-finals.
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With some big matches still to come, Mark McCall will use his squad wisely for the trip to Worcester.
The Northern Irishman also used his squad well during their successful European campaign with Saracens fielding over 40 players in this season's tournament.
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And speaking after that final triumph, lock George Kruis believes every one of those players contributed to their Heineken Champions Cup success.
He told the club website: "There is a lot of love between this squad. We're in a great place right now.
"The teams are doing well; the second and first teams are succeeding, and all of the lads have put in a great shift and worked hard for this.
"It probably sounds a bit clichéd, but this really is a squad effort and beyond - the love the non-playing 23 showed in the build-up to the Heineken Champions Cup final was unbelievable."
A key moment in the win over Leinster came in the 47th minute as Saracens wing Liam Williams produced a try-saving tackle, before turning the ball over for his team.
At the time, the score was 10-10 and a try early in the second for the Irish side may have set them on their way to a win. Instead, Sarries were able to build on Williams' timely intervention and Kruis knows how important it was.
"Winning the turnover just after half-time was big. We had a real mental boost before half-time and then right after it when we managed to win that turnover," added the England international.
"When Maro (Itoje) went to the sin bin, we knew we had to make that moment for us too and the response from all of the lads was fantastic."