Sarries poised to deliver

New season optimism has never been in short supply at Saracens but that has usually evaporated before the leaves have fallen off the trees and it's been more a case of same old story than a bright new dawn.

However, there is genuine belief that the latest new dawn may finally prove more productive than the previous ones. Even Lawrence Dallaglio, the captain of Saracens' fierce rivals, expects the Men in Black to challenge the duopoly London Wasps and Leicester Tigers have enjoyed on the domestic league title over the last decade.

For the first time in years Saracens have built from the bottom up and binned the quick-fix mentality that has betrayed them for so long.

The foundations were initially laid by Rod Kafer but it took the elevation of Steve Diamond and Mike Ford at Christmas to ensure the whole was finally greater than the sum of its individual parts.

Their promotion coincided with a dramatic up-turn in form that brought 12 wins from their last 17 games, culminating in qualification for the Heineken Cup for the first time in four seasons.

Diamond, the straight-talking Mancunian, may lack the glitz and glamour of his illustrious predecessors but it has cost owner Nigel Wray the thick end of £12 million to discover that there appears to be no correlation between great players and great coaches.

Diamond and his trusty lieutenant Ford, the coach who has earned rave reviews during his time with Ireland and the Lions, have a firm grasp of the dynamics of the game in this country and have given the side a more English flavour.

Perhaps, more pertinently, they have created a team with a heartbeat.

Saracens have also recruited more judiciously that in the past and the revolving door appears to have been left behind in the move from Bramley Road to Hatfield.

A minimal amount of transfer activity has seen Andy Farrell, Alan Dickens, Shane Byrne, Emmanuel Amapakabo, Tom Ryder, Billy O'Driscoll and Nnambi Obi all arrive at Vicarage Road to fortify a squad that has a nice blend of youth and experience, foreign stars and English talent.

The catalyst though will surely be Farrell. Once he clambers off the treatment table and finds his feets in the 15-man game he could provide Sarries with the X factor. Thomas Castaignede, who knows a thing or too about back play, is licking his lips at the prospect of playing alongside the rugby league great.

"It think it's better to have this guy in your team rather than against you," said the Frenchman. "He has fitted in like he's been here for five years and has lot of experience. I think we should judge him after ten games but I think he will be a threat to all of the defences.

"He is the kind of guy who doesn't speak to much but shows what he can do in training and on the pitch.

"He reminds me of Yannick Jauzion or Damien Traille. He is very strong, can go through defences and can make the difference in difficult situations."

Farrell's match-turning qualities will be a welcome addition as there is a danger that teams may wise up to the limited game-plan that underpinned their sparkling end to the season.

Their watertight defence, rock solid set-peice and bristling pack of forwards ensured plan A made them a formidable proposition, but there is a pressing need to formulate a plan B and develop the attacking aspect of their game if they are to turn their revival into something tangible.

"We've worked heavily in pre-season on our execution and we think we can move forward in attack," revealed Ford.

"It's going to be very, very simple and, ultimately, we just want to give the responsibility to our key decision makers."

You sense that if you offered Diamond and Ford fourth or even third place at the start of the season then they would bite your hand of as it would represent an improvement on last season. But with champions Wasps under new management and Leicester shorn of their retired kingpins, Martin Johnson and Neil Back, now could be the time to strike.

Read more on Sarries' hopes for the season in this week's Watford Observer. In an eight-page colour preview: Mike Ford and Steve Diamond outline their long-term plans, Alex Sanderson explains why he is lucky to be back playing at all after eight months of injury hell, Taine Randell and Thomas Castaignede on the Heineken Cup challenge, the fans' views of the upcoming season and a complete guide to every Premiership club.