Clermont Auvergne v Saracens, 18 April

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ASM Clermont Auvergne v Saracens
Saturday 18 April 2015
KO 16:15
Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint Etienne

Referee: George Clancy

Live on beIN / BT Sport

Form:

ASM Clermont Auvergne
4/4/15 - ASM Clermont 37 - 5 Saints
25/1/15 - ASM Clermont 18 - 6 Saracens
17/1/15 - Sharks 13 - 22 ASM Clermont

Saracens
5/4/15 - Racing Metro 11 - 12 Saracens
25/1/15 - ASM Clermont 18 - 6 Saracens
17/1/15 - Saracens 33 - 10 Munster

Teams:

ASM Clermont Auvergne
Nick Abendanon; Noa Nakaitaci, Jonathan Davies, Wesley Fofana, Naipolioni Nalaga, Brock James, Ludovic Radoslavjevic; Vincent Debaty, Benjamin Kayser, Davit Zirakashvili, Jamie Cudmore, Sebastien Vahaamahina, Julien Bonnaire, Julien Bardy, Damien Chouly (capt).

Replacements: John Ulugia, Raphael Chaume, Clement Ric, Julien Pierre, Alexandre Lapandry, Morgan Parra, Camille Lopez, Aurélien Rougerie.

Saracens
Alex Goode; Chris Ashton, Marcelo Bosch, Brad Barritt (capt), Chris Wyles; Charlie Hodgson, Richard Wigglesworth; Mako Vunipola, Jamie George, Petrus Du Plessis, George Kruis, Jim Hamilton, Maro Itoje, Jacques Burger, Billy Vunipola.

Replacements: Schalk Brits, Rhys Gill, James Johnston, Kelly Brown, Jackson Wray, Neil de Kock, Owen Farrell, David Strettle

teams out :





Nick Abendanon 15 Alex Goode

Noa Nakaitaci 14 Chris Ashton

Jonathan Davies 13 Marcelo Bosch

Wesley Fofana 12 Brad Barritt (capt)

Naipolioni Nalaga 11 Chris Wyles

Brock James 10 Charlie Hodgson

Ludo. Radoslavjevic 9 Richard Wigglesworth


Vincent Debaty 1 Mako Vunipola

Benjamin Kayser 2 Jamie George

Davit Zirakashvili 3 Petrus du Plessis

Jamie Cudmore 4 George Kruis

S. Vahaamahina 5 Jim Hamilton

Julien Bonnaire 6 Maro Itoje

Julien Bardy 7 Jacques Burger

D. Chouly (capt) 8 Billy Vunipola




Replacements

John Ulugia 16 Schalk Brits

Raphael Chaume 17 Rhys Gill

Clément Ric 18 James Johnston

Julien Pierre 19 Kelly Brown

Alexandre Lapandry 20 Jackson Wray

Morgan Parra 21 Neil de Kock

Camille Lopez 22 Owen Farrell

Aurélien Rougerie 23 David Strettle

15. Nick Abendanon; 14. Noa Nakaitaci, 13. Jonathan Davies, 12. Wesley Fofana, 11. Naipolioni Nalaga; 10. Brock James, 9. Ludovic Radoslavjevic ; 1. Vincent Debaty, 2. Benjamin Kayser, 3. Davit Zirakashvili, 4. Jamie Cudmore, 5. Sébastien Vahaamahina, 6. Julien Bonnaire, 7. Julien Bardy, 8. Damien Chouly (c)

16. John Ulugia, 17. Raphael Chaume, 18. Clément Ric, 19. Julien Pierre, 20. Alexandre Lapandry, 21. Morgan Parra, 22. Camille Lopez, 23. Aurélien Rougerie


Parra fit enough to make the bench

I can see this game has really caught the imagination of 606

Clermont win, end of discussion

Well, we only really have one regularly posting Saracens fan tbf.

As a neutral just hoping to see Clermont put on a similar show to the quarter.

Brilliant fans

Very poor from the TMO, Ashton allowed to make a try-saving tackle with a shoulder charge.

Ashton very lucky there.

Really poor decision.

Forward pass from Abendanon also missed. Very poor from the TMO all round, to miss both offences!

How is that not a penalty try and YC for Ashton?

Because it's an Irish ref and they never favour the French.

So far- only a single drop goal on the scoreboard after 23 minutes.

Oh and god this french tv coverage is dire.

Clancy penalises - correctly - two crooked lineout throws from each side, and then seems to ignore them happening again.

Pot Hale wrote:Because it's an Irish ref and they never favour the French.

So far- only a single drop goal on the scoreboard after 23 minutes.

Making amends for it though, what was Ashton penalised for there?

And Clermont might get an equalising 3-pointer after Saracens caught not rolling away in their 22.

And James decides to keep everyone's nerves on end by bouncing it over off the right upright.

3-3 and 27 mins gone.

tight so far. ashton should have had a yellow, but abendanon's pass looked clearly forward so shouldnt have been relevant.

clermont do look much more dangerous. if sarries can still be in at around 60 minutes maybe they have a chance.

I'm afraid Ashton showing why he can't be recalled for England yet. Top going forwards, but his defence just isn't up to scratch yet.

Hodgson now has a chance to regain the lead with a penalty kick, but it goes left and wide.

quinsforever wrote:tight so far. ashton should have had a yellow, but abendanon's pass looked clearly forward so shouldnt have been relevant.

Incorrect. If deemed forward Clermont could not have been awarded a PT, but Ashton could still have been carded for foul play.

Alex Goode absolutely clatters his opposing jumper, Abendanon, for a high ball and knocks the ball forward. But Saracens regain and kick it forward. Clermont reclaim and decides to box-kick it. Saracens wisely decide to run and make metres with the ball in hand. Eventually they're bundled into touch.

Clermont looking quite disjointed, and nothing like the team that dismantled Northampton.

What are the odds on another score before the HT whistle in 4.5 mins?

And as I type, Saracens have another penalty just inside the Clermont half out on the left.

Clermont clearly a nervous bunch, Abendenon really could have done better with the try opportunity. Saracens look likely to win to me.

And Hodgson nails it - just. It sneaks over the bar, and Saracens should take a 3 point lead in at half-time.

6-3 and 2 minutes to play

Sarries doing really well to make this a scrappy game.

And shocking scrum penalty. Mako has been boring in before every scrum.

itoje looking like the real deal. great to see him really kicking on from winning u20 rwc

Saracens win another penalty from Clancy at scrum time.

Hodgson steps up and....it's wide.

And there's 40 minutes gone from our lives.

Fairly drab match from both sides. Based on the performance in the first half, neither side a compelling finalist.

Well the highlight for me so far has been the bottle of rioja I opened at kick off

i do think clermont will tire quicky in the 2nd half. great gameplan of sarries to keep the ball infield and keep turning around the forwards. even goode managed a couple of great mazy runs towards the end of the first half, so clermont must be tiring already!

LondonTiger wrote:Sarries doing really well to make this a scrappy game.

And shocking scrum penalty. Mako has been boring in before every scrum.

Not too sure he can do much given the angle the tight heads taking.

TMO getting slated for missing that no-arms tackle. Richard Cockerill has retweeted a vine, while Flatman thinks the TMO must have been otherwise occupied trying to enjoy a ham roll.

Have the f1 on in the background and this game on the iPad, couldn't bring myself to just watch the game

quelle surprise, tigers fans wanting an english side to lose...classy.

No 7&1/2 wrote:

LondonTiger wrote:Sarries doing really well to make this a scrappy game.

And shocking scrum penalty. Mako has been boring in before every scrum.

Not too sure he can do much given the angle the tight heads taking.

Mako is, other than very first scrum where he correctly won the penalty, going in first to try and twist the CA guy. When the clermont TH manages to stay straight he then drives straight through Mako.

quinsforever wrote:quelle surprise, tigers fans wanting an english side to lose...classy.

Actually i want Sarries to win, so go shove your head up your oversized arse.

quinsforever wrote:quelle surprise, tigers fans wanting an english side to lose...classy.

Generalising...... Classy

why do you assume everyone is always talking about you? fairly egotistical

As the only two tigers fans posting, who else woudl you be talking about?

So, one part of me wants the rugby to improve in the second half. However wanting to see an English side progress staying scrappy is better.

quinsforever wrote:why do you assume everyone is always talking about you? fairly egotistical

Because I'm 1 of 2 tigers fans posing in here, who else would you be talking about?

In fact don't answer that as we'll all be treated to some cowpat, let's just talk about the game

LondonTiger wrote:

No 7&1/2 wrote:

LondonTiger wrote:Sarries doing really well to make this a scrappy game.

And shocking scrum penalty. Mako has been boring in before every scrum.

Not too sure he can do much given the angle the tight heads taking.

Mako is, other than very first scrum where he correctly won the penalty, going in first to try and twist the CA guy. When the clermont TH manages to stay straight he then drives straight through Mako.

Clermont at fault for me.

7.5, we will have to agree to disagree.

Did we just get a replay of the changing room lol

And Clermont win an attacking scrum in the Sarries 22 from the kick-off. Burger knocks on the ball from the scrum half's hands. Another scrum.

Wow - Saracens get the push on in the scrum but Clermont No 8 takes and powers forward.   Clermont attack and Brock James does a lovely chip over the uprising Sarries line and Fofana takes cleanly and dives over the line.

Lovely little try. James converts and it's 10-6. Game has woken up.

chouly created that try by knocking over wigglesworth, hodgson and ashton before being brought down, so there were no sarries catchers coming across for the chip kick. beautifully executed by james.

Nice back foot try

Arse.

Good play, but lazy by Sarries back row to not cover.

Lovely simple try