Recap: Saracens vs Ospreys LIVE | Heineken Champions Cup
Follow all the action on the RugbyPass live blog from the Heineken Champions Cup match between Saracens and Ospreys at Allianz Park.
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).
Saracens parade three of England’s World Cup finalists, including debutant Elliot Daly, as they attempt to lift the gloom generated by the salary cap scandal by igniting their Champions Cup defence.
Daly, a high-profile summer signing from Wasps, will make his first appearance for the double winners after being picked at full-back and there are also returns for prop Mako Vunipola and second row George Kruis.
A fourth member of Eddie Jones’ squad is on the bench in Jamie George, while club captain Brad Barritt returns after six weeks out because of concussion.
(Continue reading below...)
Saracens made an inauspicious start to their quest for a fourth European crown by falling 30-10 at Racing 92 and must topple the Ospreys at Allianz Park to avoid the early demise of their title aspirations.
The double winners are reeling after being docked 35 points and fined £5.36million for breaching salary cap regulations, plunging them into a desperate battle for Gallagher Premiership survival.
Director of rugby Mark McCall is entering uncharted waters as he balances crisis on the domestic front with the need to stage a meaningful challenge in Europe. “This squad have been tested over the 10 years that I have been here and had some good challenges along the way,” McCall said.
“This, in a funny kind of way, is a new and very different challenge. It’s easy to get our approach wrong and go into games with anxiety and become desperate. That’s not when we operate at our best. The job of our staff and senior players is to make sure that we are free to go and play our best rugby, not be counting points on the table and that kind of thing.
“It’s a big job to do and it’s not a straightforward one. It’s not easy. It’s new territory for us. In Europe, there’s always a chance to come up with a strategy that gives you a chance. Certainly winning your home games is a very good way of doing that and giving yourself a chance, and after four rounds seeing where you are at.
“We can’t play our players all the time, we can’t play our international players every week, but we do want to do well in the competition. Obviously, we didn’t get off to a great start at the weekend, so big rotation is going to be the order of the day.”
The Ospreys have made a dismal start to the Guinness PRO14 but field Wales internationals Alun Wyn Jones, George North and Justin Tipuric at Allianz Park.
WATCH: Going Pro, the RugbyPass documentary on Saracens Women’s rugby team as they defend their Premiership title
Latest Comments
Skelton may be brought back for the Wallabies so that would be the only reason that may hinder Wilson. Easily the form, most skilful and game IQ of any Oz 8. Valentini’s best and favourite position is 6, but lineouts may be an issue with Skelton, Valentini and Wilson. Will be interesting what Schmidt goes for but for me Wilson should be picked on form. Schmidt rewards work rate, skill and consistency. All that glitters every so often won’t be in contention. Greely is one of those players that has a knack of making the right decision. A coach is going to love him because he knows week in week out he’s going to get the job done. The second try Greely wasn’t the guy who made the initial break it was Flook, Greely was at the bottom of the ruck when Flook was off along the sideline. Greely got up and made the effort to catch up with play but also read the play nicely and hit the pass from Campbell at pace and then held the pass beautifully to Ryan.
Go to commentsSharks deserved to be far further back by the last quarter. Their tackling was awful, their set pieces were disappointing, their defensive organization was poor (especially on the Kok side of the D line), they kept making unnecessary errors, and they never looked like cracking the Clermont defense during those first 60m. Masuku kept them in touch, with some help from the Clermont generosity on penalty opportunities. Agree with the writer of this article. It was belligerence, and ability to raise their pressure game just enough, that turned the last quarter into a Bok-style shutout. Clermont have a reputation of not playing the full 80m, and there was a bit of that for sure. But, quite often when the intensity of a team drops off in the last quarter credit is due to the opponent for tiring them out. At 60m, with the Kok try, you thought that just maybe the game was on. At 70m, with the Mapimpi contribution, one felt that Clermont were fading, while facing a team that would maintain the pressure game through the final whistle. Good win in the end, but the Sharks are still playing way below their potential. And with their resources, and a coach that has had enough time to figure things out, they are running out of excuses.
Go to comments