Despite reaching the quarter-finals of the European Champions Cup, Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall felt his side underperformed in Sunday's 18-6 loss to Clermont Auvergne.

Sarries still reached the last eight by virtue of finishing as one of the three best runners-up in the pool stages, enough to set up a quarter-final tie with Racing Metro, to be played on the weekend of April 3-5.

Speaking to the club website, McCall said: "The game got away from us when Dave Strettle got sent to the sin bin. It is disappointing because we really felt we had a chance to win, but we underperformed.

With Strettle in the sin bin, Vincent Depaty crossed for the Top 14 side's second try, taking the game away from the Men in Black for good, before Morgan Parra kicked a late penalty for Clermont.

McCall added: "The first-half was pretty even and overall we were better without the ball than we were with it. We defended OK, but the game swung on the two yellow cards – they made the most of the extra-man while Strettle was off, while we didn’t while they were down to 14."

Camille Lopez had kicked the French outfit into an early lead before converting a Nick Abendanon try to put the home side 10-0.

A pair of penalties from replacement fly-half Charlie Hodgson reduced the arrears for Saracens whilst Clermont's Sebastien Vahaamahina was in the sin bin, but Clermont showed their class to seal the win and top spot in Pool 1.

However McCall was pleased to advance to the last eight: "Given how tough the Pool was we are delighted to be in the quarter-finals. We had to go to Ulster, who were unbeaten, in last year’s quarter-final and then had to play Clermont [who were] in the semis, so we will look forward to going to Racing."