Strength in depth will play a key part in Saracens' European challenge this season according to director of rugby Brendan Venter.
Sarries were absent from Europe's greatest club competition in each of the last two seasons but will be looking to repeat their 2008 Heineken Cup semi-final showing this time around.
Venter's men face a tough task to emulate that achievement, however, having been drawn alongside former winners Leinster, French champions Clermont Auvernge and current Top 14 leaders Racing Metro in a true Group of Death.
But the ex-Springbok centre who previously coached London Irish, believes the Saracens squad he presides over now is a better one than when he took charge prior to last season.
"We've definitely got a better squad this year," said Venter.
"We've got a much more settled squad and a better prepared team. We're a better prepared outfit than we were last year.
"Our biggest strength is that we've got a lot of depth now. We've got a lot of players who can play for Saracens now on rotation and on form, which is fantastic.
"We had a philosophy last year that a squad wins a championship, not a team. I think that's the case even more so now."
Having been written off by wide sections of the media following a series of high-profile changes at the club in 2009, Saracens came within three minutes of winning a first-ever English League title last season.
Only a late Dan Hipkiss try prevented Sarries from toppling Leicester at Twickenham in May as Venter's men showed just how far they had come in 12 months.
Success brings expectation and Sarries are now being tipped to match those achievements at home and in Europe this term.
But while such expectations may bring added pressure to some clubs, Venter insists that won't be the case at Vicarage Road for one simple reason: Sarries themselves have always set their own targets as high as possible.
"Our expectations have been unbelievably high from day one, so it doesn't really bother us what other people think," added Venter.
"From day one, our objective was to win every game we played. That will be exactly the same objective this season. The squad sets high standards for itself."
The 16th Heineken Cup season kicks off in less than two weeks time, with Venter taking his charges to Clermont in Round 1, before hosting 2009 European Champions Leinster a week later.
That clash with the Dubliners will take place at Wembley Stadium - a move that Venter and club captain Steve Borthwick have both welcomed.
"It's a massive credit to the club as a whole and to our CEO Edward Griffiths who thinks of these things," continued Venter.
"Players like playing there. Players are entertainers and they like being on the big stage.
"There's nothing bigger than Wembley when we play Leinster."
"The way the club is going, we need to give great credit to the off-the-field side," said Borthwick.
"We've got an excellent CEO and the crowds at Wembley last season were excellent. I know they'll be bigger again this year.
"It's a great place to play rugby. It's a fantastic stadium and, as a player, it's a great privilege to play there."