"Even for the world's best rugby player it is not all glamour. As he sniffed the damp air on a blustery, cheerless Sunday night in north London, Antoine Dupont must privately have been wondering if this was some sort of fiendish Anglo-Saxon conspiracy. Any similarity with the classic cathedrals and comforting familiarity of the Stade de France in next month's Six Nations was conspicuously lacking."
"For a defiant Saracens, though, this chilly, sodden evening delivered the most beautiful of outcomes and a result that transforms the mood of their previous flagging season. They fully deserved this rousing victory, two first-half tries from Rotimi Segun and a barnstorming display from man of the match Tom Willis laying the foundations for the hosts' best performance of the season which has sharply improved their Champions Cup knockout qualification prospects."
"Saracens had spoken about regaining some self respect after a sobering defeat in Leicester that prompted a collective honesty session and a blunt message from the director of rugby Mark McCall to do our talking on the field. They more than delivered on that pledge, although their presence in the last 16 is not yet assured and depends on what happens away at the unbeaten Glasgow Warriors next Sunday."
Saracens defeated Toulouse on a cold, wet night in north London, overturning a flagging run and boosting Champions Cup knockout prospects. Two first-half tries from Rotimi Segun and a barnstorming display from Tom Willis set the platform for the hosts' best performance of the season. The win followed a sobering Leicester defeat and a collective honesty session, with director of rugby Mark McCall urging players to do their talking on the field. Qualification for the last 16 remains dependent on the upcoming trip to unbeaten Glasgow Warriors. Toulouse had sought victory to improve their own knockout hopes.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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