EPCR Champions Cup Final - ASM Clermont Auvergne vs Saracens

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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

I thought the scouting campfire sing-song in the changing room afterwards was stunning.

Congratulations Saracens, well deserved. They are a great team and worthy winners.
Congratulations also to Owen Farrell who makes a top class first recipient of the Anthony Foley Memorial Cup of Player of the Tournament.

Nice touch ERCC.

Sarries are indeed a dominant rugby team but no wonder no one else likes them.

The whole Clermont team did a wee lap round the stadium and applauded their fans (who were a credit to thier club). Only Duncan Taylor went round and applauded the fans from sarries.

tigertattie wrote:Sarries are indeed a dominant rugby team but no wonder  no one else likes them.

The whole Clermont team did a wee lap round the stadium and applauded their fans (who were a credit to thier club). Only Duncan Taylor went round and applauded the fans from sarries.

Sarries did several laps of honour and took the trophy to the fans from what I saw on TV!

The one man and his dog

Was at the game and I must say saracens fully deserved the victory. Roll on next year in bilbao.

Aye, looking forward to Bilbao.

Thoughts from the stand, great game. Full credit to Clermont for digging in and makeing it a tough match for Sarries. The atmosphere at Murrayfield was amazing, I don't know if it came across on the Telly, but the place was buzzing from start to finish despite not being full.

The travelling Clermont support were amazing. As were the Sarries fans they were a great banter throughout.

A shout out to the Irish fans that travelled too, in the hope that it was going to be a munster or leinster final, you guys were great too.

From the stands I though Nigel had a good game with the whistle, hard when he needed to be and fair when he needed to be. Nice to see him marching the Sarries back for dissent.

All round in had a very good day.

Also at 36, Aurelian Rougerie has still got it.

Heaf wrote:Nigel getting a few wrong both ways so far ...

World's Best Ref though.

RiscaGame wrote:

Heaf wrote:Nigel getting a few wrong both ways so far ...

World's Best Ref though.

Probably, but not his best day at the office yesterday.

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:Also at 36, Aurelian Rougerie has still got it.

His skill levels and physicality is there still but his pace has dropped away. He got caught in defence a couple of time where he couldn't recover on the outside. One of my favourite players and he looks like he could have another year in him.

Speaking of defensive errors, Farrell getting sat down to create the two on one for Clermont to score in the second half. What was he thinking going high on a unit like Yato? Not often you see him get sat down.

Somewhat delayed comment, but congratulations to Sarries. What a fabulous performance under pressure. Whilst I feel for Clermont losing another final, i just can't help but admire Sarries' ability to step up another gear when needed.

Exciting game but actually quite frustating. Saracens had to work incredibly hard for their points and left quite a few on the field.

Not as clinical as usual in turning opportunities into points but keeping the pressure on Clermont almost the entire game was pleasing.

Clermont I thought showed a lot of fight and did well to be only 1 point down with 10 to go.

Clermont are certainly a club easier to like than Saracens and I say that as a Saracens fan.


Got to say though I don't like some of the attitude of some of the Saracens player like Billy and Ashton who have - a "us against the world" mentality. You aren't going to be liked if you act like that!

I completely understand why Saracens aren't liked. I'd like the club to work more on their relationship with the fans. Not just focus on the team.

Saracens focus on the team first and foremost makes them a successful club on the field but still lots of improvement needed - especially in regards to the fans.

I've been to Wasps vs Saracens and Saracens vs Clermont in the last 2 weeks. I have to say the Saracens team don't command the same loyalty.

I have to admire the way Wasps have managed to create a new loyal fanbase which is larger than their old one.

Sarries Players and Coaches do not set goals, they make memories!

RDW_Scotland wrote:

tigertattie wrote:Sarries are indeed a dominant rugby team but no wonder  no one else likes them.

The whole Clermont team did a wee lap round the stadium and applauded their fans (who were a credit to thier club). Only Duncan Taylor went round and applauded the fans from sarries.

Sarries did several laps of honour and took the trophy to the fans from what I saw on TV!

TV can be deceiving.

The trophy and 95% of the Sarries team did not move away from the West stand where the trophy was presented. That stand is where all the club support staff sit (physios, injured players, etc) I think that's where the players families were also. The trophy moved near the corner of the west and north stand, but it never got passed that corner nor did it get to the east or south stands which were full of supporters.

The Clermont team walked all the way round the stadium applauding their fans, but the Sarries team didn't.

Too busy making memories I expect.

beshocked wrote:
I have to admire the way Wasps have managed to create a new loyal fanbase which is larger than their old one.

Moving to Cov and beating Leicester was an absoluite stroke of genius. Run down nothing area where people have literaly no reason to live, suddenly bought to life by pandering to the jealousy over their glamorous local rivals. Its a small provincial town with small provincial attitudes, ideally suited to fairweather fans motivated by bitterness and hatred toward more succesful neighbours.
One day they will wake up and realise they still live in Coventry and support an undignified team who cheated in the play off finals. Untill then we just have to tolerate and pity them.

Gooseberry wrote:

beshocked wrote:
I have to admire the way Wasps have managed to create a new loyal fanbase which is larger than their old one.

Moving to Cov and beating Leicester was an absoluite stroke of genius. Run down nothing area where people have literaly no reason to live, suddenly bought to life by pandering to the jealousy over their glamorous local rivals. Its a small provincial town with small provincial attitudes, ideally suited to fairweather fans motivated by bitterness and hatred toward more succesful neighbours.
One day they will wake up and realise they still live in Coventry and support an undignified team who cheated in the play off finals. Untill then we just have to tolerate and pity them.

That and Wasps give away free tickets like confetti at a wedding. Not just to local rugby clubs and primary schools ether. Someone I used to work with went after her husband got some through his football club.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

That and Wasps give away free tickets like confetti at a wedding. Not just to local rugby clubs and primary schools ether. Someone I used to work with went after her husband got some through his football club.

Borrowing marketing tactics from Sarries - I've been to Allianz 4 times, paid for a ticket once. And the twice I've seen them at Wembley tickets have been under £20

No mention from Ashton about the Saracens fans.

Just shows the contempt, the players have for the fans.

Very rarely do you see Saracens players mentioning the fans in a positive light.

tigertattie I do think there is a disconnect between the fans and the players. It's a barrier which the club has failed to break down.

I think it stops Saracens from being a great club, though Saracens have a great team.

Where were all the Sarries fans celebrating on the streets of Burnt Oak?