North Londoners return to league action on Saturday with double dream still in tact

Jamie George says Saracens are looking to go the rest of the season unbeaten as they bid for a Gallagher Premiership-Heineken Champions Cup double.

The north Londoners return to action in the league on Saturday when they host Newcastle Falcons, a week on from beating Glasgow Warriors in the European quarter-finals.

If all goes well for Sarries, they have just nine games to go this term as they bid to achieve a repeat of the double they claimed in 2016.

George insists the Allianz Park outfit have no intention of losing again this term and also issued an ominous warning to their rivals.

Speaking after the win over Glasgow, he said: “At the beginning of the season, we were all fully aware of what we wanted to achieve. I honestly think we are quite a long way off where we need to be, which is disappointing, but also exciting at the same time.

“We want to guarantee ourselves a home semi-final in the Premiership as well, so our aim, without doubt, is to go unbeaten for the rest of the season.

“To achieve what we want to achieve, that is what we’ll need to do. We have to be tough on ourselves and make sure we are right up there with our standards in order to do that.

“To be the only unbeaten team left in the Champions Cup is a statement of intent and we want to make sure we continue that through the next two games.”

Saracens are due to face Munster in the European semi-finals at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena on April 20.

Before that comes Premiership matches at home to Newcastle this weekend and at Bristol Bears the following Saturday.

The north Londoners are likely to be boosted by the return of Owen Farrell against Falcons after the England international was a late withdrawal last weekend owing to the birth of his first child.

The 27-year-old has not featured for Sarries since the victory at Lyon in the group stages of the Champions Cup on January 13 owing to his commitments with England in this season’s Guinness Six Nations.

With the climax of the season fast approaching, Farrell’s return to club action is a timely one with the Allianz Park side chasing glory on multiple fronts.

And the fly-half is sure to join George in wanting Saracens to go the rest of the term unbeaten.