Saracens >>

So, ultimately, Sarries fell short of winning their first European trophy to an outstanding Toulon team. In recent years Saracens have fallen to French teams when they, metaphorically, have been ‘beaten up’. Frequently they have been unable to cope with the physicality and power of the opposition and left wondering how they can compete. ...

Saturday 17th May is my birthday. Mr DG gave me a gorgeous emerald ring and a lovely bouquet, the sun shone upon the righteous, could Sarries give me a birthday present to remember?...

Not so long ago, Saracens supporters would be breathing a big sigh of relief come mid May that we had avoided relegation yet again. Who can forget the cheers down at the Old Vic when we achieved that try bonus point against Sale on the final day of the season to ensure our survival for another year. ...

There was always going to be a touch of “After the Lord Mayor’s show” about the game today. Saint’s failure to beat Bath on Friday meant we had secured top-spot whatever and Worcester’s Premiership lifeline was a mathematical miracle thread which was never likely to happen. ...

Even 24 hours after the event, I can still barely comprehend what took place at Twickenham yesterday. I’ve written quite a few match reports over the last three years but I don’t think I’ve ever been so stuck for where to start!...

One of the best away trips we ever did was to Clermont Ferrand. Clermont is a beautiful, old, walled city with narrow cobbled streets that open out into gorgeous hidden little squares, churches and fountains. Above it looms the Puy du Dome, one of 80 sleeping volcanos in the area and the Massif Central. ...

So no reporter this week. Instead a report based on Tweets from both sides and hopefully pulled together into a passable report from Kingston Park. Wish I was there but Easter Sunday meant it was never going to be an option. ...

There’s nowhere quite like Stansted Airport at 6.30am on a Saturday morning. (Well actually there is, Gatwick, Luton, Heathrow…but you know what I mean). Of course we’d forgotten this was the first day of the Easter holidays so security was teaming with parents and kids, none of whom seemed to know what a liquid was (mind, they have a point – I don’t think lipstick is a liquid). ...

Belfast is a wonderful place, the people so friendly and genuinely interested in rugby. Arriving just after lunchtime, I met up with my group at a pub to watch the last bit of the Munster match. Bus to the ground early on and stood outside supping a few beers in the build-up to the match. ...

This weekend’s trip to Belfast completes my own personal odyssey of the Irish Provinces. It started a couple of years ago with a very jolly weekend in Dublin. I managed to leave my handbag on the airport bus and discovered what lovely chaps the Irish are. They went back to the bus depot, retrieved the handbag and gave us a free ride back to the hotel!...

Driving home from Adams Park, I tried to work out why I had not enjoyed the afternoon as much as an away win would justify. It little helped that arriving on the A404 and having to cross the M40 junction took me through what seems to be turning into South’s worst permanent traffic bottleneck....

I have always had mixed views about playing at Wembley (I still think it cost us the Toulouse game) but standing beneath the Bobby Moore statue in the sunshine watching almost 84,000 happy people swarming along Olympic Way, it seemed a good place to be. ...

I’ve been looking forward to this one for weeks, and given England’s stirring Six Nations showing and the international contingent on both sides, this should be even more intriguing, with a world record club rugby crowd in prospect too in Saracens’ eleventh visit to the National Stadium. ...

There had been much debate before this game as to the sort of team we would put out. On the one hand there is the theory that “this is a development competition and these are the players that have got us here” and on the other hand “we need to win a semi final so lets put out a decent team”. ...

Saracens took a massive step towards securing a top two spot as two fine first half tries from Chris Wyles and David Strettle ended the hosts seven match winning run and indeed their unbeaten home record. ...

For some of the 8,000 or so supporters, including a welcome visitation from some of the always enthusiastic, always knowledgeable Chiefs, the weather seemed ominously similar to the conditions at Allianz Park a fortnight ago, when Sarries faced London Irish. ...

It might not have been a classic, but Charlie Hodgson's five goals ensured a crucial win at a difficult place to come to, in every sense of the phrase. Sarries showed character to respond from 10-3 down at half time, with twelve unanswered points in a second half they dominated, thus temporarily regaining leadership of the Premiership table....

  Before this game the Falcons and Sarries rugbynetwork boards spent some time debating whether Sarries had dissed Falcons by putting on a game against South African visitors Sharks to take place the day before.   However, in truth, for this game Sarries put out pretty much exactly the side they would have done regardless of the Sharks distraction.  The proof of disrespect would...

An in someway-strange interlude in the middle of a busy season saw Saracens taking on the might of the Sharks from Durban. It’s 3 weeks from the start of the Super XV season when the Sharks open against their compatriots the Blue Bulls. So preseason for them but the end of a 9-week stretch of Premiership and Heinekin Cup matches for Sarries....

From my vantage point opposite the players’ tunnel, it seemed an omen that the visiting Connacht supporters were unable to organise unfurling their emerald green giant banner in time to welcome their team onto the pitch....