“We were driving to Gloucester on the bus and they had the movie ‘Mike Bassett: England Manager’ on,” he says. “It’s typical English humour and there was an interview with this really stupid coach. All he did was agree with the interviewer: ‘Yeah, really good, really good. Yeah, really poor, really poor’. I said: ‘That’s me! That’s my next interview. I’m going to show passive resistance’.

“There’s another brilliant scene where a player called Ramirez scores three goals against them and someone from the English team says: ‘Three cheers for Ramirez’. So, when the interviewer said to me that Sireli Bobo was really good I said: ‘Sireli Bobo, really good. Three cheers for Sireli Bobo’.

“My mother actually thought I’d been smoking something or that the stress had gotten to me. No not at all, it’s just a game. Edward [Griffiths] was holding his head in the background. It was a bit of fun.

“With all of the stress and all of the pressure that goes into rugby, spending so much time with nice people is just a privilege. That’s what we keep saying to each other.”

Tied into this premium on relationships was tactical clarity. It was an innovative move to empower Vickers and lean on kicking strategy. Because of that, Saracens mentees are suited to intensity of Test matches. 

Last October, Sanderson described the general outlook as “probables-over-possibles”. This remains a steadfast legacy of Venter that is discernible in the methods of his former colleagues.

Although Gustard’s tenure at Harlequins ended abruptly, he left behind a crucial sense of pragmatism. Over the 2017-18 season, before he arrived, the club averaged 19.2 kicks from hand per game. Only Gloucester kicked less, and Harlequins finished 10th.

Gradually, habits changed. Last season, on the way to winning the title, Harlequins averaged 28.8 kicks per game. Only Leicester (29.6) kicked more. Speaking of Tigers, there has been a distinct flavour to a revival overseen by Borthwick.

Richard Wigglesworth, a Saracen for the club’s trophy-laden decade between 2010 and 2020, has been a significant figure. Just do not suggest that it is easy to implement a territory-first approach. Again, attitude and relationships matter.

“There’s a catch,” Venter insists. “They are not good because of the way they are playing. They are good because of how they are doing it. I’ve thought a lot about the Leicester thing. They work unbelievably hard.

“A plan is a plan and anyone can have a plan, although in fairness it is a statistically-proven plan. That helps, playing sensible rugby. They kick the ball a lot but watch them get up off the floor. Watch them work for each other. Watch them chase kicks. Watch them work back. Wiggy and Steve understand that. I love watching Leicester. They do so many things right. They celebrate the little things, which is what we did at Saracens.”

Saracens learned that they needed steel and intelligence to be supplemented by clinical attack, as France are demonstrating at the moment. Venter likens playing philosophies to a pendulum.

“You’re always chasing this Holy Grail in the middle where you have an amazing work ethic and environment, you play the odds but you know you take the opportunities when they come,” he says.

“It’s then that you have performances when you look at each other and go ‘Wow, boys. We were on fire today’.”

Naturally, as protégés have forged their own paths, new rivalries have developed. Sanderson evidently hated losing to Borthwick at Welford Road earlier this season. On Friday evening, he faces McCall and Saracens in what amounts to a must-win for Sale.

Venter will not be drawn on his pick to take over from Jones, only stating that England’s incumbent head coach would be defying history by hoping to achieve anything at the 2023 World Cup with an inexperienced squad.

Venter does touch upon the importance of the RFU assembling a team of complementary personalities. At this stage, it would be a surprise if there is not at least one former Saracen on England’s next coaching ticket.

“I’m not great at the creative way,” Venter concedes. “But I know it’s my weakness, so you must get somebody who is brilliant, like Joe Shaw and Kevin Sorrell at Saracens.

“Mark [McCall] is like me. We were the Cabernet [Sauvignon]; the strong, hard-working side to the wine. The other boys were the Merlot. You need that blend.”