"Judging by the Saracens side starting their Champions Cup campaign against Clermont Auvergne on Saturday, a show of strength is the aim. Owen Farrell, Elliot Daly, Tom Willis and Nick Isiekwe are some of the distinguished names who will line up in north London aiming to put a small, symbolic dent in the notion that French clubs are poised to dominate the competition again."
"Even without the rested England captain, Maro Itoje, and back-row Ben Earl both recently returned from a successful autumn campaign the quality of the lineup indicates the depth required for a deep tournament run. Noah Caluori, the 19-year-old who shot to prominence in October and was rewarded with a call-up by Steve Borthwick, makes his European debut: the presence of the 6ft 4in wing, allied to Farrell's kicking prowess, will be causing some stress among Clermont's coaching team."
"Plenty of water has flowed under the bridge since Mark McCall's side last lifted the trophy in 2019, when they beat Leinster in the final, and Caluori had yet to enter his teens. Exeter triumphed the following year but since then French clubs and the Dublin-based province have dominated, at least based on final appearances if not silverware in Leinster's case."
Saracens start their Champions Cup campaign against Clermont Auvergne with an experienced, high-quality lineup featuring Owen Farrell, Elliot Daly, Tom Willis and Nick Isiekwe. Maro Itoje and Ben Earl are rested after autumn internationals, yet squad depth remains evident. Nineteen-year-old Noah Caluori makes his European debut, combining his 6ft 4in wing presence with Farrell’s kicking. Saracens last won the trophy in 2019 and have since faced French clubs and Leinster in finals. The club endured a 2020 salary-cap scandal and Championship demotion. Player availability risks include international duty, injuries and mandated rest, illustrated by Jamie George’s hamstring recovery.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]