The Men in Black will take a strong team to the Rec tomorrow afternoon when they play their final Premiership match this season at Bath.

The home side are in the mix for a play-off spot and cannot afford a slip-up against Saracens. For the visitors, it is the final hurdle before their pivotal European Challenge Cup semi-final at Northampton next Friday.

Saracens will have to end their barren run away from Vicarage Road if they are to finish with a league win. Their last away success in the Premiership came in October at Bristol and they have since suffered eight consecutive defeats on their travels.

England captain Steve Borthwick, who missed out on a place in the Lions tour to South Africa on Tuesday, will return for Sarries after missing Sunday’s game against Leicester Tigers with a knock.

He should be joined in the side by Ben Skirving, against his new club, and Samoan prop Cencus Johnston. Wing Noah Cato is also in line to make his first start since injuring his hamstring at Harlequins last month.

Head coach Richard Graham is refusing to look ahead to their European tie because he insists his squad have a job to do at Bath.

Graham said: "It's a big game for us. There are a lot of permutations about where teams can finish. Bath need to win to finish in the top-four and we want to win to get into the top-seven. The pressure is on them because they need the result to get into the semi-finals.

"The aim is to go there and get the win and having the likes of Steve and Cencus back will be fantastic for us."

The Australian took temporary charge of the side in the middle of March but did not have enough games to guide the Men in Black into play-off contention. Graham is disappointed at their failure to break into the elite but is still optimistic they can end the season with a Heineken Cup spot.

He said: “"You are always disappointed because everyone wants to be in the top-four but for the last two or three weeks we have known it wasn't going to be possible.

"Since then, the focus has switched to concentrating on securing a place in the top-seven.

"We're in a good position at the moment for the Heineken Cup. We're in the semi-finals [of the Challenge Cup] so we're obviously confident that that's a good route for us.”