EPCR Champions Cup Final - ASM Clermont Auvergne vs Saracens

Match Details
Date - Saturday 13th May 2017
Time - 17:00 BST
Location - BT Murrayield Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland
TV - Sky Sports / BT Sport / beIN Sports / FR2


Officials
Referee - Nigel Owens (Wales)
Touch Judge 1 - George Clancy (Ireland)
Touch Judge 2 - Ian Davies (Wales)
TMO - Jonathan Mason (Wales)
Citing Commissioner - Stefano Marrama (Italy)




Recent European Form:

23/4/17 ASM Clermont 27 - 22 Leinster
2/4/17 ASM Clermont 29 - 9 Toulon
21/1/17 ASM Clermont 48 - 26 Chiefs



Tournament Record:

Played 99
Wins 62
Losses 36
Draws 1
Average Pts Per Game 27
Biggest Win 82 - 0
Heaviest Defeat 6 - 46
Champions 0

Team:

15. Scott Spedding; 14. David Strettle, 13. Aurélien Rougerie, 12. Remi Lamerat, 11. Nick Abendanon; 10. Camille Lopez, 9. Morgan Parra; 1. Raphael Chaume, 2. Benjamin Kayser, 3. Davit Zirakashvili, 4. Arthur Iturria, 5. Sébastien Vahaamahina, 6. Damien Chouly, 7. Peceli Yato, 8. Fritz Lee

16. John Ulugia, 17. Etienne Falgoux, 18. Aaron Jarvis, 19. Paul Jedrasiak, 20. Alexandre Lapandry, 21. Ludovic Radosavljevic , 22. Pato Fernandez, 23. Damian Penaud






Recent European Form:

22/4/17 Munster 10 - 26 Saracens
2/4/17 Saracens 38 - 13 Glasgow
21/1/17 Saracens 10 - 3 Toulon


Tournament Record


Played 81
Wins 56
Losses 24
Draws 1
Average Pts Per Game 27
Biggest Win 71 - 7
Heaviest Defeat 13 - 43
Champions 1


Team:

15. Alex Goode; 14. Chris Ashton, 13. Marcelo Bosch, 12. Brad Barritt, 11. Chris Wyles; 10. Owen Farrell, 9. Richard Wigglesworth; 1. Mako Vunipola, 2. Jamie George, 3. Vincent Koch, 4. Maro Itoje, 5. George Kruis, 6. Michael Rhodes, 7. Jackson Wray, 8. Billy Vunipola

16. Schalk Brits, 17. Titi Lamositele, 18. Petrus du Plessis, 19. Jim Hamilton, 20. Schalk Burger, 21. Ben Spencer, 22. Alex Lozowski, 23. Duncan Taylor

Both sides a bit dads army in the backs. Farrell is by far the youngest starter on either side.

Not a massive expert on the French but I can see more obvious star quality through the Saracens 23 which could be the tipping point.

Absolutely nothing against Saracens, but I'd love to see ASM win the thing at last.

I'll be at the game tomorrow, wearing yellow, strictly as a neutral!

I'm torn on this one.

I'll be at the game and I can't decide who I want to win. Clermont from the underdog (if that even applies here) point of view is an option, or Sarries because of Taylor and Hamilton.

Clermont have always been my french team. Always supported them and wanted them to do well.

Had Bath been up here I would have been torn. However despite the Scottish contingent of Taylor, Hamilton, Maitland and the legendary (recently retired) Kelly Brown, I want to see ASM win this one.

Hope Kelly does well in his coaching role at Sarries, a future Scottish coach in the making hopefully.

Actually a lot of young players, forwards and backs in the ASM 23. Iturria (22), Jedrasiak (23), Penaud (20), Falgoux (24). If they are still in the game at the death then I think those youngsters might make the difference between winning and losing.
Interesting move at the end of the Leinster match saw both centres subbed and the replacement 10, Fernandez, playing at 12. He has a great boot and real pace. Penaud, came on at 13,  whilst he is raw defensively ,he has been scoring tries for fun over the last couple of months, running great lines off Lopez and slipping through the smallest of gaps.
A lot will come down to how Nige referees the scrum. If ASM get the edge and Mako has a hard day at the office he wont be as prominent in the loose. Also Clermont's lineout should be the best they have come up against this season (if Kayser's darts are good).
Hope its a cracker and that the yellow machine can do the business.

sensisball wrote:Actually a lot of young players, forwards and backs in the ASM 23. Iturria (22), Jedrasiak (23), Penaud (20), Falgoux (24). If they are still in the game at the death then I think those youngsters might make the difference between winning and losing.

Whilst older in general, I feel the Sarries bench has a lot more quality than the Clermont one.

Not sure I agree re the bench: I would probably take Brits and Taylor from Sarries but both props and Jedrasiak from ASM bench. I would also go with Rado as a much more experienced 9 than Spencer.
Lapandry is playing really well this season at 7: quick in the loose and good at the breakdown and lineout. I haven't seen anything of Burger, is he is still as quick as he was? Sarries will have more power in the back row but ASM will have more pace. Should be a fascinating match up.

Ozzy3213 wrote:Absolutely nothing against Saracens, but I'd love to see ASM win the thing at last.

This. Plus their supporters are something else.

Best of luck Sarries and their fans, hope you win this

Clermont are a good team but I think the only side in Europe capable of countering Sarries is Leinster. Should still be a good game though.

Sky 1 are showing it live, you don't need Sky sports.

Pretty decent crowd at Murrayfield, looks pretty full. They had 24,000 last night for the challenge cup as well.

Cracking start from Sarries, thought Ashton would make it.

Yep thought he was in there - Abendanon did well to get across in time ...

And now he is in ...

Say what you like about Ashton but he is a scoring machine. Well done to the lad

Yep he can be a bit of a plonker at times but I think he gets a bit more stick than he deserves ...

I wouldn't be too sad to see Ashton crack a rib in his silly little swan dives.

Wigglesworth is also highly under-rated in my opinion.

Yep his box kicking is excellent and a key part of Sarries play

Good job Farrell - that's Halfpenny starting at 15 for the Lions now.

Sarries are simply too good, what a fantastic team. This could get messy for Clermont.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:Good job Farrell - that's Halfpenny starting at 15 for the Lions now.

Not sure I follow?

He missed 2 kicks!

Bit harsh maybe - one from the touchline hit the post and one from distance just short ... not sure if wind is a factor too

Heaf wrote:

Rory_Gallagher wrote:Good job Farrell - that's Halfpenny starting at 15 for the Lions now.

Not sure I follow?

Missing his kicks.

Of course I was being entirely serious with my comment.

of course

Game on now.

That was a very well worked try. It's amazing, the Sarries have looked impenetrable but Clermont have managed to punch a few holes, while the Saracens just have no weaknesses in their game. Both teams are so far ahead of the rest.

Very much enjoying this final. Both teams going hell for leather

Hmm...I would have to see the replay of that penalty.

Looked the wrong way to me ... Para clearly messing around on the wrong side

Heaf wrote:Looked the wrong way to me ... Para clearly messing around on the wrong side

That's what I thought.

Yep - easy 3 points for Sarries lost by Nigel getting it wrong ...

The theory that billy vunipola is only about brute force carrying is being severely tested again. Shame the lions can't have 2 8s.

Thought that Wyles was guilty of a little blocking there.

You could be right he certainly seemed to be running laterally

And that was a clear penalty to Clermont...a Sarries player preventing the support arriving at the ruck.

Nigel getting a few wrong both ways so far ...

Not having his best game is Nigel, some very odd decisions.

Sarries clearly the better team but Clermont are not out of this. Great final.

Not sure about that last one either looked like the ball was knocked out of his hands by a player off his feet ....

But yes great game so far ...

wow - some try there

What a try!

Superb try.

I agree that should have been a YC there, very lucky for Clermont.

Sorry Nige there had to be a yellow there

Incredible that Owens didn't award the YC.