Steely Saracens leave Charlie Hodgson thinking of home

"But we won't be going there just to pick up a bonus point, we are going there to win and make sure we are in full control.

"Having a home quarterfinal, with the crowd behind you, is very important. It was almost knock-out rugby against Biarritz as we knew they would be in control of the pool if they beat us.

"In the past Saracens might have ended up losing that game by two or three points but over the last 12 months or so everyone at the club has worked a lot on their composure and doing the right things at the right time."

And if there was one man happier than Hodgson at Saracens' likely progression then it would be England's caretaker coach Stuart Lancaster, who last week selected six of the club's players for the Six Nations.

There are even strong suggestions that Hodgson, Brad Barritt and Farrell could replicate their 10-12-13 combination against Scotland at Murrayfield on February 4 - and Hodgson would like nothing more.

"That combination is working, and it comes from playing games together," explained the 31-year-old.

"If you throw three different people in together for one game and they don't really know how each other plays then you might come across a few problems. The fact we have played a few games together now has allowed us to develop that understanding. It's not up to me though, it's down to Stuart and the other coaches."

And this tussle with Biarritz demonstrated the value of a cohesive team ethic in top-class rugby.

Saracens struggled to break down a side who made a mockery of their woeful domestic form with a disciplined display, relying on collective ethics rather than individual dynamism to make the difference.