Preview: Euro Cup, Clermont v Sarries

 

 

The 46-6 triumph booked McCall's men a place in last seasons' Millennium Stadium finale against Toulon. They set new semifinal records for the most points scored by a team [46], the largest winning margin [40] and the most tries scored [6]. Surely lightning cannot strike twice between the pool one rivals, who each scored a victory over each other in the early rounds.

 

Saracens have their defensive leader, Brad Barritt, back in the side after a knee injury kept him out of action for a month. England playmaker Owen Farrell crossed for one of Saracens' six tries last year and is set to make an impact off the bench after he was sidelined for three months in the last meeting between the pair.

 

Clermont Head Coach Franck Azema is sweating on the fitness of halfback duo Morgan Parra and Camille Lopez, who both limped out of France's Six Nations campaign. Back row brute Fritz Lee and prop Thomas Domingo face a race against time for Saturday's crunch test, but Azema revealed the chances of them featuring are slim.

 

The prize for the pair of European heavyweights is a place in the Twickenham final against reigning champions Toulon or Leinster, who meet at Marseille's Stade Velodrome on Sunday.

 

Saracens Director of Rugby McCall is expecting a titanic clash.

 

"Our experience says that in games as big as this, you need your warriors. We're going to try and make life very difficult for them and put them under pressure in certain areas," McCall said. 

 

"As a club, we admire Clermont as much as anybody because they keep coming back for more. 

 

"We always say we want to give ourselves a chance in every competition, and they do that year in year out and respond to set-backs extremely well.

 

"There is a different dynamic this year to the Vern Cotter team. Azema has added something a little bit different in attack and they are much more robust in defence, they are a very good team."

 

Clermont back row Julien Bonnaire said: "It's now or never. I would like the colours of Clermont to hang from the trophy this season and win it with my friends. 

 

"The more we advance in a career the less opportunities there are. Against Northampton [35-7], it was my last European quarterfinal in Clermont. This will definitely be my last semifinal, moreover in Saint-Etienne. 

 

"I want to give everything to have no regrets in the end."

 

2015: Clermont won 18-6, Allianz Park

2014: Saracens won 30-23, Stade Marcel-Michelin

2014: Saracens won 46-6, Stade Marcel-Michelin

 

Prediction: It is by no means easy to cross the English Channel to take on a French club, especially at a packed Stade Geoffrory-Guichard full of hostile French fans, however Saracens disposed of a star-studded Parisian outfit just two weeks ago in France. Saracens are welcoming back the return of two key players[Brad Barrett and Owen Farrell], but will that be enough to see off the ever-determined Clermont who have come so close but yet so far, reaching the previous four semifinals in the European Cup. Clermont are hot at the moment having won their last six games in a row in the tournament, and made easy work of Northampton in the quarterfinals. They also won six on the bounce last season before losing to Saracens in the semifinal. Will history repeat itself? No… Clermont by 3.

 

 

 

 

Date: Saturday, April 18

Venue: Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne

Kick-off: 16.15 (14.15 GMT)

Referee: George Clancy(Ireland)

Assistant referees: Leighton Hodges(Wales),  Dudley Phillips(Ireland)

TMO: Simon McDowell(Ireland)