Racing dreams ready to become reality

 

An unbeaten pool campaign in the European Champions Cup earned the Parisians the number 1 seeding and a home draw against Saracens at Stade Yves du Manoir on Easter Sunday. It promises to be an extraordinary day for the club, and the biggest indicator yet of whether they have come far enough yet to match the biggest and the best.

 

Racing Metro's 32-8 round six demolition of English champions Northampton Saints was a sight to behold and sent out a warning to the rest of the teams remaining in the tournament that Racing really mean business this season.

 

Currently fourth in the Top14, they had an away win in Bayonne last weekend to ease them into the first European knock-out game in their history.

 

"The performance at Northampton Saints was the best since the re organisation of the club. I have been here for the past seven years and we haven't had a game like that before – we've taken a lot of confidence from that performance," said Van der Merwe, who played in five of the six pool games.

 

"Saracens are a good team with a lot of experience. They have also been in the play-offs in Europe in the last two seasons so, in that sense, they are one up on us

 

"They have a well drilled pack of forwards and their new pitch has also turned them into a more expansive team. They drive a lot of line-outs and Charlie Hodgson certainly knows how to vary their game.

 

"They will want us to do something in the game, show our hand and perhaps expose ourselves. That's what happens in knock-out rugby, when teams play a little bit more conservatively and defensively."

 

With players like Johnny Sexton, Jamie Roberts, Casey Laulala, Benjamin Lapeyre, Juan Imhoff and Marc Andreu to call on behind the scrum, there won't be many thoughts of keeping it tight from a coaching team led by former European Cup winner Laurent Travers and runner up Laurent Labit.

 

So, are they just a carbon copy of the reigning French and European champions, Toulon, buying up the best players money can afford, or are they different? Dan Carter is due to replace Sexton next year and other big names are heading to the French capital next season.

 

"Toulon is a very different business model, but we certainly want to copy them in terms of the team that have put together and the titles won. We want to win titles and to do so as soon as possible," added Van der Merwe.

 

"I've been here for seven years and I've done that by keeping my head down and working hard. I was quite young when I first arrived in Paris and I grew with the club – I love it here.

 

"This group of players is certainly on a par with the team that reached the semifinals of the Top 14 in 2010 after we had come back up from Pro D2. After that we had to re-build the team and we've been through a few coaches as well.

 

"We have a new coaching team this season and they are bit like 'Ying and Yang' – one is a bit more aggressive than the other, but they work well together and know each other's strengths and weaknesses. Their philosophy is predominantly French, but they are involving the players more and more.

 

"Our rugby is based around our pack like so many French teams. Then it is down to the scrumhalf and flyhalf to give us good field positions and playing what is in front of us."

 

The squad went to Bayonne and spent four days there on a mini training camp ahead of last weekend's Top 14 fixture and the European quarterfinal. That gave them to the chance to re-integrate all the players who had been away on Six Nations duty.

 

They will have a full side available this weekend for what promises to be one of the biggest games in the club's history.

 

Source: @epcrugby