The English club made a great start, winning a penalty inside Farrell’s kicking range, and the England international made no mistake, putting Saracens three points ahead in the first five minutes.

Munster then started to apply some pressure on Saracens, who were penalised for going off their feet at the breakdown. Munster fly-half Tyler Bleyendaal – who started in place of the injured Joey Carbery – tied the scores with a confident kick.

Farrell added six more points to the Saracens tally with penalties in the 17th and 26th minutes, before Bleyendaal returned the favour with one of his own.

Munster scrum-half Conor Murray nailed a penalty from just inside the Saracens half to level the scores, but with the last kick of the first period, Farrell slotted over after a deliberate knock-on from the Irish province just outside their own 22.

Saracens dominated the second period and deservedly grabbed the first try on 43 minutes, when they worked the ball through their hands on the left side and flanker Mike Rhodes found a gap in the Munster line to dot the ball down.

Farrell kicked a further two penalties to put the English side 16 points ahead, but Munster did launch a mini revival with 20 minutes to play.

Murray poached the ball at a Saracens scrum inside their own 22, allowing the visitors to spread wide and find wing Darren Sweetnam, who beat the last defender and dived over in the corner.

However, soon afterwards Saracens sealed their spot in the showpiece final. Following several powerful phases from the English side’s forwards, play eventually reached Billy Vunipola, who powered his way over the try line.

Tries from flanker Mike Rhodes and No.8 Billy Vunipola, plus 22 points from the boot of fly-half Owen Farrell, were enough to seal victory for Saracens against a dogged Munster side in last season’s Heineken Champions Cup semi-final in Coventry.