Alex Lozowski would love to see Saracens claim a fourth Heineken Champions Cup title next May but says they must familiarise themselves again with playing top European clubs to do that.

The current Gallagher Premiership Rugby pacesetters overcame Edinburgh Rugby, who are currently lying sixth in United Rugby Championship, 30-26 in their Heineken Champions Cup return at StoneX Stadium on Sunday.

Player of the match Elliot Daly, Ben Earl, Alex Lewington and Tom Woolstencroft all touched down while captain Owen Farrell kicked 10 points.

The last time Sarries played in the Champions Cup in January 2020 they defeated Paris-based Racing 92 by a 27-24 margin and Sunday’s result was a timely reminder to Lozowski and his colleagues of how high the standard of rugby union’s top-tier European club competition has always been.

“We’ve forgotten how the level is up with the European Heineken Champions Cup and now we remember it," said the 29-year-old centre.

"Edinburgh came in physically and tried to match us there. They probably did do that for a lot of the game especially with their catch tackles and trying to hold us up and slow our ball down.

“Edinburgh’s team is full of Scotland international players. They’re a quality outfit and obviously well coached as well. It is a step up from the Gallagher Premiership and that’s what you expect from this level.

"But we're just happy and grateful to manage to find a way to win when not on our best."

Saracens had not played a fully competitive fixture since beating Northampton Saints 45-39 in a Gallagher Premiership clash on November 13 but Lozowski refused to use the month of inactivity as an excuse for their below-par performance. 

“Maybe it showed a little, but we’re not going to use that as an excuse, the fact the team haven’t played together for a few weeks.

"There are no excuses for where we were slightly off it. There was no real flow to the game and we probably didn’t go after it in a way that we should've done given how stop-start it was.

"These kind of games are the best ones to look at yourself quite clearly through a bit of a microscope and really figure out where we need to improve. We’ll endeavour to do that knowing next week is even more important."

Lozowski, whose father Rob played 263 first-team games for Wasps in the 1980s when the club was based in Sudbury, described Saturday's trip to Lyon as a real test.

The French Top 14 league outfit opened their Heineken Champions Cup account by going down 42-36 at South Africa-based Vodacom Bulls.

"It’s good that we can go back to training and figure out where we need to improve," said Lozowski.

"We've got another big and great game against Lyon who are doing well in the Top 14 and that’s going to be a real test that we need to step up to.”

Sarries claimed their most recent Heineken Champions Cup title in 2019, beating Leinster 20-10 at Newcastle United’s St James’ Park ground as part of their second Premiership-European double.

But they were then relegated to the Championship after a large points deduction due to salary cap breaches and Lozowski is keen to get his hands on the big prize again.

“It’s something I suppose for ten years that the club have been building towards winning,” he added.

“Having lost semi-finals and finals along the way then to win it a few times since then it’s something that we’re mad about. 

“We want to win again, but we need to get better if we’re going to do that this season.”