Devout Christian Itoje units no stall in superstition or ritual, however admitted he at all times prays earlier than every rugby match.

So at Twickenham on Saturday, as Saracens gear as much as tackle Sale for the Premiership crown, Itoje will do as at all times – give due to God, to centre himself earlier than the massive kick-off.

“Maybe two, three hours before kick-off, I will pray,” mentioned Itoje. “I pray before every game. It is a similar prayer every time, there’s slight variations of the same kind of thing.

“I don’t have any rituals, I don’t have any superstitions. I try to keep as superstition and ritual-free as possible, because I don’t like the mental control that can perhaps have over you.

“For me there’s always a balance that I need to find, between being super eager and super energetic and being calm and rational and making good decisions.

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“So I always try to find a balance between where I can be really aggressive but then also be calm.”

Itoje has featured in 4 of Saracens’ 5 Premiership triumphs. The Men In Black will step into their ninth remaining on Saturday, and can bid to erase the reminiscence of final 12 months’s 15-12 loss to Leicester on the final hurdle.

Saracens could be within the grip of a brand new iteration, post-salary cap relegation and full restoration, however Mark McCall’s males nonetheless know what's required to win on the most important events. Sale are of their first Premiership remaining since 2006 in contrast, however Itoje insisted the extra composed crew on the day will take the spoils.

“We’ve had a lot of experience in these big games and these scenarios, but they have a bit of experience from their side as well,” mentioned Itoje. “But it’s about who takes the game, about who puts themselves on the front foot. It’s about who stands up and is counted on the day.

“We do have experience, but the challenge is to make that experience count. And that’s what we’re going to have to try and do.”

The 28-year-old Itoje first loved Premiership success in 2015. The Lions powerhouse is each bit as pumped up this week as he was eight years in the past.

“You just want to go that one more step,” mentioned Itoje. “I’m incredibly excited, incredibly pumped, I just can’t wait to get out there and for us to do our stuff.

“Last year we fell short, while 2015 was obviously my first Premiership final experience. As I came into training on Monday and we started talking about the gameplan, I felt a little bounce in my step that I haven’t felt for quite a while. We’re incredibly excited.”