Dai Young hailed Wasps' conclusion to the regular Aviva Premiership season by securing first place as a "major achievement".

The Coventry-based club defeated Saracens 35-15 at the Ricoh Arena to set up a home semi-final against Leicester in a fortnight, pipping second-placed Exeter on matches won.

Elliot Daly's 71st-minute try proved decisive by securing the bonus-point victory needed to hold off the Chiefs, who will host reigning champions Saracens at Sandy Park.

"I'm delighted to finish top - really thrilled. That win will do us a world of good," director of rugby Young said.

"Finishing top of the table is a major achievement and we're happy with that. We were the better team but they could have won. Saracens take some shifting, you have to beat them three or four times.

"We left a few points out there to be honest. We were a bit edgy and you could see we're not quite used to the big occasions.

"But the more you play them the more comfortable you get. We won the gainline battle, but were a little bit edgy and nervous.

"I'm sure Leicester will want to upset the party, but we are looking forward to another massive occasion."

Young's son Thomas ran in a hat-trick of tries to earn the man of the match award and his father hopes the performance will guarantee his selection by Wales for their June Tests against Samoa and Tonga.

"Thomas is not a bad player. I think his mother would be pretty pleased!" Young said.

"With the Welsh squad picked on Tuesday I hope he gets his opportunity in the summer. I thought he played really well in attack and defence.

"I don't know where he got his pace from, the milkman stopped delivering years ago!"

Wasps are facing a possible front row injury crisis after prop Jake Cooper-Woolley and hooker Tommy Taylor finished with respective foot and ankle injuries.

Saracens took a weakened side to Coventry, missing five British and Irish Lions, knowing Clermont await in the Champions Cup final seven days later.

And director of rugby Mark McCall defended his decision to rest senior players.

"Whether people do or don't agree with the team we picked, we felt it was the right thing," McCall said.

"We take the Premiership very seriously but we had some choices to make. The other semi-finalists all get to rest their players next weekend.

"We feel we've done the right thing because there were some players who we really felt needed to rest.

"One or two were carrying small injuries who would have played had this been the semi-final, but we thought it was a gamble playing them.

"The Champions Cup is a really important competition, a massive competition, so to be in the final again is brilliant.

"Wasps definitely deserved to win the game. Our effort was good but we made a lot of mistakes and they're not the type of team you want to make handling errors against.

"We were hanging on for a bit but the effort meant we were always in the fight. With 20 minutes to go it was an interesting game but we kept making mistakes."