Mark McCall has said that Saracens rugby union are going places with their recent successes. “We have a brilliant squad of players and a brilliant guiding system above them,” McCall said after the thrilling 22-18 victory at Twickenham.

“We hope today is the start of something, not the end of something.

“We’re a club that’s growing and had we conceded a try in the last minute we would still have been going places.”

Sarries very nearly did lose to Tigers in agonising circumstances for a second consecutive season.

But an awesome rearguard display saw them weather a ferocious Tigers fightback, and repel a 32-phase injury-time assault on their line.