Saracens need men-in-black magic to upset champions La Rochelle

S aracens have had some spectacular away days in Europe over the years. At this same quarter-final stage three years ago, before the salary cap saga interrupted them, they memorably took down Leinster in Dublin and their first Champions Cup title success was sealed in France in 2016 when seven Owen Farrell penalties in a rain-drenched contest took them past Racing 92 in Lyon.

So much for the consoling crutch of history. Life grows steadily harder for England’s representatives with every extra euro that flows into the coffers of France’s leading clubs and Sunday’s eagerly awaited meeting with the reigning European champions, La Rochelle, will demonstrate precisely where the balance of power between the Premiership and the Top 14 lies. Let’s just say a Saracens win would rank right up there alongside the greatest knockout victories in their trophy-hoisting heyday.

Admittedly, a valiant Gloucester side came within a whisker of silencing the Stade Marcel-Deflandre last Saturday, but anyone who envisages La Rochelle being similarly lacking in turbo thrust for a second successive week does not know their head coach, Ronan O’Gara, very well. If an intense home response is not forthcoming on the Atlantic coast, the competitive O’Gara will be seriously disappointed.

It makes for a simple-enough scenario: can the remaining members of the all-conquering Saracens squad that grasped three European titles in four years summon up that old men-in-black magic and sprinkle some of it over their less seasoned teammates?

Last year, in the Challenge Cup semi-finals, confronted with a similar assignment in Toulon they were blasted aside 25-16. It was less a case of Sarries’ key men having faded than their strength in depth not being quite