Racing name Champions Cup final team, 3 changes from win over Saracens
Racing 92 have made three changes to their Champions Cup final team from the side that eliminated holders Saracens in the last month's semi-final in Paris.
The French club, who have spent this week preparing in Corsica for the European showpiece, have gone for Louis Dupichot in place of Teddy Thomas, skipper Henry Chavancy comes in for Olivier Klemenczak, Bernard Le Roux starts at second row instead of Donnacha Ryan.
Recently Kurtley Beale, who missed the semi-final due to suspension for a Top 14 red card, has been chosen on the bench with the demoted Klemenczak and Ryan. Thomas slips out of the matchday 23 altogether.
For Racing, being able to pick such a strong Champions Cup side will have been a relief as nine players contracted Covid in the week following the win over Saracens. That resulted in their Top 14 match at La Rochelle getting postponed.
When Racing did return to play in last weekend's league meeting with Toulouse, they selected just three of the starting XV from the Saracens game, instead whisking the likes of Finn Russell away early to Corsica to prepare early for the European final.
Saturday will be the club's third showpiece appearance following defeat to Saracens in 2016 and to Leinster two years later.
They will take on an Exeter side showing two changes from their Premiership semi-final win over Bath, Jack Nowell and Ian Whitten getting called in to start.
RACING: 15. Simon Zebo, 14. Louis Dupichot, 13. Virimi Vakatawa, 12. Henry Chavancy (c), 11. Juan Imhoff, 10. Finn Russell, 9. Teddy Iribaren, 1. Eddy Ben Arous, 2. Camille Chat, 3. Georges Henri Colombe, 4. Bernard Le Roux, 5. Dominic Bird, 6. Wenceslas Lauret, 7. Fabien Sanconnie, 8. Antonie Claassen. Replacements: 16. Teddy Baubigny, 17. Hassane Kolingar, 18. Ali Oz, 19. Donnacha Ryan, 20. Boris Palu, 21. Maxime Machenaud, 22. Olivier Klemenczak, 23. Kurtley Beale,
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I like Andy’s critical approach to all hot issues especially when it comes to the rugby big “bosses”. However, sorry Andy, I don’t support your “we shouldn’t be questioning the integrity of Karl Dickson or any other official”. May I ask why? They do have a lot of responsibility, but they are people like us with all their sins and weaknesses. We have to respect their decision during the games, but why they became untouchable afterwards and people cannot even criticize them and the ones, who does express their concerns, got punished for publicly analyzing their mistakes and asking questions. If they believe they did right, there shouldn’t be a problem for any of the refs to answer these “questions” publicly. I don’t really remember such cases. However, I do remember how Craig Joubert shown his running skills in 2015 or Pascal Gauzere shined in Cardiff in 2021. I do believe that Rassie, as anybody else, had a full right to share his vision of Nic Berry’s performance the same year. I do not support the hate in any form especially in public one, but creating the cast of untouchable refs and rugby bosses is not for me. As for Karl, he had all means to question his appointment for the game and since I don’t now whether he did it, blaming just RFU wouldn’t be quite correct at this moment. I love the game of rugby and almost every time I watch it I don’t support any team, I just wanna see the good game and fair referring. Sorry, Karl. last Saturday you got my Craig Joubert”s award of the round. It is up to Karl to prove that I am wrong, not to Andy or RFU’s corporate bla-bla-bla. Something like that…
Go to commentswell remember the blues had a guy called jed rowlands for a season. remember scott took his coaching team with him give him time
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