Saracens’ Richard Wigglesworth insists it is pointless setting targets ahead of the season as it never goes to plan, stating his belief the Premiership is stronger than ever this year.

The 31-year-old will return to the fold for his club this weekend when Saracens travel to Sale Sharks, having been part of the England sides which beat Samoa and Australia over the last two weekends.

In his absence, Mark McCall’s side have suffered back-to-back defeats against Northampton Saints and Exeter Chiefs, and Wigglesworth is adamant outlining goals at the beginning of the season is a redundant exercise.

He explained: “We never set them (targets) out because we try to win every game – that never happens either. I just think it’s a pointless exercise setting a goal to win the Premiership because there are 11 other clubs saying the same thing at the start of the season.

“It is going to be really tight this year. We want to be at the right end of the league. We know how tough this league is week-to-week; if you are slightly off then you do not get the win and we have been really consistent for the last couple of years.

“There has definitely been a shift in quality this year; it has gone up a notch again and we will hopefully raise our game and end up near the top of the table.”

Sarries were beaten 24-20 in controversial circumstances by Northampton in the Premiership final at Twickenham last season – just a week after missing out against Toulon in the Heineken Cup final in Cardiff.

However Wigglesworth says he and his Sarries teammates have long since put the double disappointment of the 2013/14 campaign behind them.

“It was obviously really tough but that is sport and that is why you watch, because that is the drama you get and we came out on the wrong end of it,” said the Lancastrian. “We just need to put ourselves in a position that you can win things.

“The lads have been great and really worked hard this season. It has not been something that we have talked about a great deal; we put it to bed in the first week of pre-season.

“It is amazing; you can just get on with it. It is easy to get on with it at our club because you are treated so well and surrounded by good players and coaches, so you want to repay that faith they have in you by leaving everything out on the field.”

He added: “You get that with good players because your career is never ever going to go the way that you want it to go the whole time and the same with any club – the way it is now where you have got, five, six or seven clubs who can win the league, you are never going to get a period where everything goes your way.”

Returning to the current campaign, Wigglesworth was effusive in his praise for Saracens and England teammate George Kruis, who made his debut for the Red Rose in their opening Autumn International defeat against New Zealand.

Asked about the 24-year-old’s impact for club and country, Wigglesworth said: “I think he has been great and fitted into the squad really well because he gets his head down and works really hard – it is an easy way to earn respect from the coaches and other players.

“He is a quality player and I think his England call his come at the right time because he has played consistently well for a couple of years now and physically he is really good and ready. I think that has showed in his impact when he has got out on the field and he has not looked out of place by any means.”

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