Both teams harbour hopes of securing a place in the knockout stage of the EPCR Challenge Cup but currently sit at opposite ends of Pool C, with Irish leading the way having played three games and Saracens bottom after two.

Today’s match at StoneX Stadium is therefore set up to be cracker, with Saracens aiming to keep their qualification hopes alive and Irish knowing this is their last chance to put points on the board.

Irish have avoided defeat in two domestic meetings with Saracens this season, but Kidney is acutely aware of the threat the three-time European champions pose.

“Comfortable isn’t a word I’d use going into a game with Saracens, we’ve probably poked the bear,” he told the club’s website.

“They were winning 34-8 with 20 minutes to go and we managed to get a draw in the league, and the Premiership Rugby Cup match is a different type of competition, depending on who plays.

“They’re due to have a couple of their internationals this weekend and now that we upset them a while back, we expect a full-blown contest this time as well and it’s a challenge we are looking forward to.

“Saracens have one point but two games remaining, and they will know with their European experience if they do a job on us, they know the points needed when they go to [CA] Brive.

“That’s why we will need to front up well on Sunday, as our position is not guaranteed, and they could leapfrog us by the end of it.

“This may be my sudoku side, but this is why we love playing in Europe as every match has an effect on the other- it’s all to play for.”

London Irish director of rugby Declan Kidney believes his side’s encounter with Saracens in the EPCR Challenge Cup today is the perfect example of the intrigue European competition provides.