Township trip puts a spring in Saracens' step

It has been a week to remember for Saracens in South Africa as they gear up for Sunday's crucial Heineken Cup clash with Biarritz at Vicarage Road.

Six of the first-team squad were called into England's Elite Player Squad on Wednesday and interim national coach Stuart Lancaster says he wants to replicate the culture and team ethic that powered Sarries to their first Premiership title.

But, just 24 hours earlier, the players had officially opened the Saracens Field of Dreams - a project at the Kayamandi Township near Stellenbosch which they have contributed to each week for the past three years.

The squad trained and played in Cape Town but none will forget walking and singing through the streets of the Township on the way to officially opening the artificial football pitch.

Saracens had planned to play Sunday's pool game at Cape Town stadium but, after buying the plane tickets, politics meant the fixture was switched back to Watford.

The project opening was a special moment for Brendan Venter, the club's former director of rugby who has returned to the Cape Town area to continue his GP practice.

Venter remains a key figure at Sarries, holding the position of technical director, and has also been given control of the Baby Boks - South Africa's Under-20 team. That commitment does not impinge on his Sarries duties, which this week included overseeing training in Stellenbosch.

The England call-ups, which could see Owen Farrell (right) forming a midfield partnership with club-mates Brad Barritt and Charlie Hodgson for the Six Nations clash with Scotland next month, can finally end the talk that Venter and the club's backers - Sarries are 50 per cent owned by a South African concern - have created a London Springboks.

Venter said: "Our guys want to play for their country and we have done everything we can to make them better players. I have spoken to Andy Farrell [Saracens head coach and England backs coach] about Stuart Lancaster and he is a really good guy. Creating a culture is dependent on having the right people. All the management have to believe in the same things and I am sure Stuart, Andy and Graham Rowntree will work well together.

"This week in Cape Town has been fantastic and for those guys who have given £20 a month for the last three years in support of our project, it was a special moment to see Nigel Wray, our chairman, open the artificial pitch. We were singing songs walking along with the local people to the new pitch and, for me, what has been so important is seeing our guys having a wonderful week building great memories."

Sarries were expected to fly back today for the match with Biarritz, whose scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili has warned the pool leaders the battle for automatic quarter-final qualification is not over. "Sunday's match against Saracens will be a decider as it will determine our future in the Cup," he said. "A massive challenge awaits us."

Harlequins can move a step nearer a last-eight place at the Stoop tomorrow night with a second win over Gloucester in the Cup this season. Chris Robshaw, who is the favourite to captain England against Scotland on February 4, needs his men to bounce back from their recent League defeat at Northampton and this match is the perfect opportunity for Nick Easter, discarded by England this week, to prove he is still a major force.

London Irish centre Steven Shingler faces Cardiff at Reading tomorrow after he was told he cannot play for Scotland.Shingler was named in Andy Robinson's squad for the Six Nations last week, with the coach believing the uncapped 20-year-old was available for selection through his Dumfries-born mother even though he had played for Wales Under-20s. The IRB have now said that is enough to make him qualified only for Wales.

London Wasps will be looking for a bonus-point win in the Amlin Challenge Cup at Rovigo, although they are now without wing Christian Wade for three months following his groin injury.