It is not often a team can ship 10 tries, concede more than 70 points and strike a defiant tone in the aftermath, but this was no ordinary contest. Saracens’ director of rugby, Mark McCall, was evidently irked by the criticism he received for resting five England players, the suggestion being that he had disrespected the competition. Though there was an inevitability to Toulon cantering to victory once they had gathered themselves, an understrength Saracens side gave their hosts a sizeable scare.
It is impossible to tell if Maro Itoje, Jamie George, Ben Earl, Tom Willis and Elliot Daly would have made enough of a difference, but the suspicion is – not least because Saracens are not the first English club to be on the wrong side of a hiding against French opposition this season – they would still be bowing out in the last 16. Maybe the final margin would not have been 30 points, but when French sides get on a roll the evidence shows us that English teams find them nigh-on impossible to stop.
