The tone struck by Alex Sanderson and Mark McCall after heavy Investec Champions Cup defeats might have caught some by surprise. “I couldn’t be prouder of the group,” Sale boss Sanderson emphasised after his side were beaten by 23 points at Toulouse. “There is a lot to like, a lot to learn and a lot to be proud of,” Saracens counterpart McCall stressed after a rampant Toulon surged to a 72-42 thrashing.
Yet there was a certain validity to each man’s remarks. No one had given either side a hope of competing with the French giants – for both to be leading at the half-time hooter represented a real achievement. While they could not survive the second-half surge that always felt likely to come, these were creditable showings in which Saracens particularly threatened something spectacular.
