RASSIE ERASMUS WAS blunt in his assessment of Munster’s defeat to Saracens.
“The guys tried really hard but the reality is, at this stage, Saracens are 15, 20 points better than us,” he told BT Sport after the Champions Cup semi-final.
Second-half tries from Mako Vunipola and Chris Wyles were decisive as the defending champions ran out 26-10 winners at the Aviva Stadium, CJ Stander’s try proving to be little consolation for Munster by the time it arrived late on.
“They’re a complete outfit,” Erasmus said.
I don’t think we were great. We tried really hard but I think the pressure got to us.
“At 6-3, I think we were in it and then we had a few opportunities. If we’d scored there, the guys might have got some hope or belief but I think then at the end of the day, Saracens just squeezed the belief out of us.”
Sarries will now bid to make it back-to-back European crowns on 13 May when they will face either Clermont Auvergne or Leinster in the Edinburgh final.
“I think the hard reality (is) that we’re 15, 20 points below the standard of Saracens,” Erasmus said as he reflected on the lessons of the European campaign.
“It gives you hope that if you’re third or fourth in Europe, there are 16 teams below you, but we’ve got a way to go now until we get to Saracens.
“Hopefully in a year’s time, we will be closer.”
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