To the victors the spoils. So as the shortlists are announced for the end-of-season awards it's no surprise we find Chris Ashton, Schalk Brits and Jacques Burger on one list, and Mark McCall on another. And rightly so. Saracens may have achieved something truly seismic in rugby terms.

For once the boot is on the other foot. Over here we've all bathed in the reflected glory of the Heineken Cup semi-final demolition of Clermont Auvergne. In terms of sustained brutality with accuracy, there has been nothing like it at club level, or nothing I can remember. Over there in the Top 14, they will be questioning where it leaves French league rugby now that being big and good may not be enough.

Just as the Ligue Nationale de Rugby rolls out its mouth-watering changes for next season, which include €100,000 for each player supplied to the national squad on top of the €10m salary cap, it's the turn of the Top 14 to question why the English seem to have things right. The scales may not have tipped totally against grabbing the biggest and best that money can buy – it's a good place to start – but increasingly there will be scrutiny of those aspects we do better – fitness, player welfare, rehab, coaching, sports medicine. The things that tend to come with lower priorities in the Top 14.

If McCall and Saracens learned from the "men-versus-boys" beating by Clermont two seasons ago, then French clubs will increasingly look at how English sides prepare, especially if Saracens go one further in next month's final against Toulon.

Fine thoughts and English rugby has been a good place to be this week. But what comes next if you're the team in line to meet a side which has just demolished one of the most consistent units in European rugby while needing to win to avoid relegation? The answer: an increasingly refined form of gallows humour.

In fact you don't change a thing, if only because you are not even sure what side you will be facing. Not until later on Friday will we at Worcester see how many of Saturday's side from Twickenham are retained in the team to meet us at the Allianz in north London.

So far it's been a guessing game. You know whatever side McCall chooses will be good, but how good or how tired is another matter. You sense guys are going to be rested before the start of the play-offs. The question is will it be this week against us or next week, the final Saturday of the season, against Leicester?

Saracens are already assured of home advantage in the semi-final, but will they want to nail down that top spot? I'm old school enough to think that matters (and possibly should be better rewarded), but I'm not going to tie myself in knots guessing. We are where we are and our position is mirrored up and down the table.

It's now the nature of the play-offs and the revamped European competitions that everyone up and down the table, everyone bar possibly London Irish and Gloucester have something to play for. Northampton go to Bath on Friday looking to set a home semi-final in concrete, but knowing they desperately need Dylan Hartley back for the play-offs, while Bath without Matt Garvey – possibly for the season – can't bank on their huge pack seeing them through.

Likewise Sale, safely back at the top tier in Europe next season, are going to have to do without Dan Braid, the inspiration behind a year which has surprised some, but shouldn't have. More surprising were the difficulties of last season. They were a Heineken Cup side the year before and are merely back at the same level.

Next year will be interesting: Nathan Hines alongside Michael Paterson is a mouth-watering second-row prospect. More immediately, Saturday at Salford against Leicester and Sunday with Harlequins at Exeter should nail down not just the play-offs but who takes the direct route into Europe and the Champions Cup.

The indirect route is more up in the air, especially over the Channel. We now know that the play-off will be over two legs, but who takes part is less certain. Wasps, in seventh spot, 12 points behind Sale but four ahead of Exeter, are favourites over here, but the Top 14 can go three ways.

Stade Français are currently seventh, five points clear of Bordeaux-Bègles and level on points with Toulouse, but the Parisians end their regular season at Toulon on Saturday while Bordeaux are home to relegated Biarritz and Toulouse have Grenoble.