1
Recap: Lyon vs Northampton Saints | Heineken Champions Cup
By RugbyPass
Watch every game of the Heineken Champions Cup LIVE on RugbyPass in 52 countries. Click here to see if subscriptions are available in your location
Follow all the action on the RugbyPass live blog from the Heineken Champions Cup match between Lyon and Northampton Saints at Matmut Stadium.
Keep up to date with the latest score, stats and join the conversation from anywhere in the world in our Live Match Centre (click here).
Northampton are chasing progression by finishing as one of the three best runners-up but they must prevail at Lyon to achieve this.
Director of rugby Chris Boyd has restored Tom Wood, Alex Waller and Dan Biggar to his starting XV among ten changes as he reverts to the best possible side that will help Saints' hope of advancing.
(Continue reading below...)
Jim Hamilton discusses all the news of the week in the latest episode of Don't Mess With Jim
However, Boyd knows events in other games will also shape the quarter-final line-up. "We can't control what will happen elsewhere but at the end of the day we have got to do one better than Gloucester do at Toulouse," he said.
"It might be that a bonus point will get us there, it might be that four points does it or even five points might not get us there.
"What we can control is our outcome and performance, and we go there with the best team for what we think is the right way to play against Lyon at home."
LYON: 15. Toby Arnold; 14. Xavier Mignot, 13. Josua Tuisova, 12. Charlie Ngatai (capt), 11. Noa Nakaitaci; 10. Jonathan Wisniewski, 9. Sam Hidalgo-Clyne; 1. Xavier Chiocci, 2. Badri Alkhazashvili, 3. Francisco Gomez Kodela, 4. Virgile Bruni, 5. Hendrik Roodt, 6. Dylan Cretin, 7. Patrick Sobela, 8. Liam Gill. Reps: 16. Jeremie Maurouard, 17. Vivien Devisme, 18. Kevin Yameogo, 19. Etienne Oosthuizen, 20. Felix Lambey, 21. Jonathan Pélissié, 22. Ethan Dumortier, 23. Jean-Marcellin Buttin.
NORTHAMPTON: 15. George Furbank; 14. Ahsee Tuala, 13. Fraser Dingwall, 12. Andy Symons, 11. Ollie Sleightholme; 10. Dan Biggar, 9. Cobus Reinach; 1. Alex Waller (capt), 2. Mikey Haywood, 3. Owen Franks, 4. Alex Moon, 5. Courtney Lawes, 6. Tom Wood, 7. Lewis Ludlam, 8. Teimana Harrison. Reps: 16. James Fish, 17. Francois van Wyk, 18. Ehren Painter, 19. Api Ratuniyarawa, 20. Alex Coles, 21. Henry Taylor, 22. Rory Hutchinson, 23. Harry Mallinder.
WATCH: RugbyPass have made something truly special with the Barbarians rugby team
Trending on RugbyPass
2
Jake White: Ireland, Australia and Wales have the same problem
3
David Campese names his Springbok world player of the year winner
4
Let's be real about these All Blacks
5
Latest Comments
i think Argentina v France could be a good game too, depending on which Argentina turns up. The most difficult to call is Scotland Australia.
Go to commentsSmith is playing a different game with the rest of the backs struggling to understand. That's the problem with so called playmakers, if nobody gets what they're doing then it often just leads to a turnover. It gets worse when Borthwick changes one of them, which is why they don't score points at the end. Sometimes having a brilliant playmaker can be problematic if a team cannot be built around them. Once again Borthwick seems lacking in either coaching or selection. I can't help but think it's the latter coupled with pressure to select the big name players.
Lastly, his forward replacements are poor and exposed either lack of depth or selection pressure. Cole hemorrhages scrum penalties whenever he comes on, opponents take advantage of the England scrum and close out the game. Is that the best England can offer?
Go to comments