Billy Vunipola was booed by a section of the Leinster supporters when his name was read out before the match but several applauded him off when he left the field six minutes from the end as Saracens’ matchwinner. Vunipola was last month warned by club and country after backing the Australia full-back Israel Folau, but he has put the controversy behind him to help Saracens complete the first leg of a European and Premiership double.
“It is about the team, not me and what I stand for,” said the England No 8, who injured his left shoulder scoring the try but is expected to be fit for the play-off semi-final next week. “When we are down we try and look after each other. We showed our character and depth today. It is very humbling and I am truly grateful that we have a group of players who love playing for each other. We worked on the move for my try. I wouldn’t have hurt my shoulder if I had not gone for it. It is a bit sore but I am being soft.”
Mark McCall paid tribute to his No 8: “It has been a complicated five or six weeks for Billy, and for the squad as well,” said the Saracens director of rugby. “What we needed from him was to do his talking on the field, not off it. He has been very good and his teammates have supported him.”
It was Saracens’ third European Cup triumph, all having come under McCall. Asked to rank the latest success, against the holders who a year ago were being hailed as the best team in Europe, he said: “It is hard to say. The first one was magical and this one feels good because we were up against a high-class team and were 10-0 down.
“It was not a great position to be in and we lost Maro [Itoje] to the sin-bin and had to replace our two props. To score a try just before half-time was massive and we played brilliantly in the second half. The players took control at half-time. We were not miles off but needed a bit more in defence and attack.”
After the match Alex Goode was named the European player of the year. “I have been at Saracens for my whole career and every match I play is a privilege,” he said. “We love this competition and to go through it unbeaten is outstanding. Leinster are quality, a team of internationals. We knew it would be a brutal game and it was.”
The Saracens captain, Brad Barritt, said: “We have spoken in the last few weeks about being a tough team. Leinster are an unbelievable team with few weaknesses. We wanted to throw the kitchen sink at them and not hold back. We soaked up pressure and responded.”
Leinster’s head coach Leo Cullen paid tribute to Saracens. “Everyone will talk about the periods either side of half-time but there were so m any different moments in the game. We created lots of opportunities and you have to nail them. It is very difficult chasing a game against Saracens because they are so aggressive in the middle of the field and put the squeeze on teams. They strangled us in the final 20 minutes. It was tough out there.”
