Hard work saw Sarries home says Brown

Dimitri Yachvili's converted score midway through the second half threatened to derail Sarries' chances of topping the pool but the English Champions stayed strong to secure a crucial win that ensures their destiny remains in their own hands.

"The mental toughness and work ethic was certainly the key," Brown told this website after Sarries had returned from a training camp in South Africa to take care of European business.

"The game featured a lot of kicking and I felt it was just a case of staying strong, keeping our shape and working incredibly hard. We did that pretty well and got the win.

"We know exactly what our shape and our structures are both in attack and defence. We have 100 per cent belief that if we stick to these and work incredibly hard then the result will take care of itself.

"The trip to Cape Town last week was a fantastic trip and we enjoyed some time off but it certainly wasn't a holiday. We went there to train very hard and to enjoy ourselves. We put the work in and that showed out on the field out on today."

Sarries are now five points clear of both Biarritz and the Ospreys at the top of Pool 5 and know a losing bonus point against Benetton Treviso next week will guarantee a safe passage into the last eight.

But just doing enough to make it through isn't on the agenda for a Sarries side chasing a home quarter-final and a chance to match their last-four showing from 2008.

Today's victory is just the first part in a two-week process and Brown is expecting another intense encounter at the Stadio di Monigo next Sunday afternoon.

"We're very, very happy with the win but we know we've still got a job to do in Treviso next week. They've had one win and one draw at home in the Heineken Cup this year so it's going to be an incredibly tough test," added Brown.

"We played Treviso here first and managed to score four tries but it will be very, very different over there. The Italian teams at home are always tough and the crowd will get behind them.

"But we're in pole position and we wanted the outcome of the pool to be in our hands.

"It's now up to us to impose our game on them and get the right result that will put us through and secure a home quarter-final."