This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/apr/26/saracens-clermont-auvergne-heineken-cup-semi-final-report
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Saracens swamp Clermont to reach first – and last – Heineken Cup final | Saracens swamp Clermont to reach first – and last – Heineken Cup final |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Never mind the acres of empty seating, Saracens turned up. What was expected to be a close contest turned into the Heineken Cup's biggest semi-final blowout in its 19th and final year. No team had reached the 40-point mark at this stage before and – if two early refereeing decisions helped the Premiership leaders gain momentum in the first half – they were immeasurably superior to a Clermont team who are as passive on the road as they are supreme at home. | |
| Clermont had beaten Saracens 22-3 at Vicarage Road in the 2012 quarter-final, an even more chastening experience for the English club than last year's defeat by Toulon at this stage here. Most teams who have been successful in Europe have been so after years of pain, but the pace of Sarries' evolution this year has been such that it will take something to deny them a league and cup double. | Clermont had beaten Saracens 22-3 at Vicarage Road in the 2012 quarter-final, an even more chastening experience for the English club than last year's defeat by Toulon at this stage here. Most teams who have been successful in Europe have been so after years of pain, but the pace of Sarries' evolution this year has been such that it will take something to deny them a league and cup double. |
| They have relied in years past on Owen Farrell, and his right boot in particular. The outside-half played, not being able to take kicks at goal because of the foot injury he had suffered against Northampton this month. He was limping after five minutes as a consequence of a long raking kick and, from then on, Alex Goode was used to hoof the ball out of hand as well as off the tee. | They have relied in years past on Owen Farrell, and his right boot in particular. The outside-half played, not being able to take kicks at goal because of the foot injury he had suffered against Northampton this month. He was limping after five minutes as a consequence of a long raking kick and, from then on, Alex Goode was used to hoof the ball out of hand as well as off the tee. |
| Farrell still played an integral part in a remarkable opening half that shattered the stereotype of semi-finals being tense encounters. Saracens kicked deep from the start, not only minimising the risk of Sitiveni Sivivatu and Napolioni Nalaga running the ball back, but ensuring that return kicks struggled to make it to the halfway line, giving them a platform from which to attack. | Farrell still played an integral part in a remarkable opening half that shattered the stereotype of semi-finals being tense encounters. Saracens kicked deep from the start, not only minimising the risk of Sitiveni Sivivatu and Napolioni Nalaga running the ball back, but ensuring that return kicks struggled to make it to the halfway line, giving them a platform from which to attack. |
| It was how they scored their first try, eight minutes into a game that, until then, had been cluttered with unforced errors. Goode's kick to within a few metres of the Clermont line resulted in Saracens regaining the ball just inside their own half. Despite a feature of their game being an aggressiveness in defence, led by the flanker Jacques Burger, that felled ball-carriers before they got into their stride and without time to offload, they attacked with alacrity when opportunity beckoned, especially down the narrow side. | It was how they scored their first try, eight minutes into a game that, until then, had been cluttered with unforced errors. Goode's kick to within a few metres of the Clermont line resulted in Saracens regaining the ball just inside their own half. Despite a feature of their game being an aggressiveness in defence, led by the flanker Jacques Burger, that felled ball-carriers before they got into their stride and without time to offload, they attacked with alacrity when opportunity beckoned, especially down the narrow side. |
| Clermont seemed to have prepared for different opponents. When Goode, Schalk Brits and Brad Barritt combined down the left, the defensive alignment was erratic, some players shooting out of the line, others hanging up, and when Chris Ashton, looking nothing like the player haunted by self-doubt earlier in the season, received an inside pass, having roamed from his opposite wing, he had a clear run to the line. It was a try of ruthless simplicity. | Clermont seemed to have prepared for different opponents. When Goode, Schalk Brits and Brad Barritt combined down the left, the defensive alignment was erratic, some players shooting out of the line, others hanging up, and when Chris Ashton, looking nothing like the player haunted by self-doubt earlier in the season, received an inside pass, having roamed from his opposite wing, he had a clear run to the line. It was a try of ruthless simplicity. |
| Clermont tried to play slowly and deliberately, using their big wings Sivivatu and Nalaga to force their way over the gain line, but they found Burger, Brits, Kelly Brown and Mako Vunipola in their way and on the rare occasions they found width, Farrell and Barritt formed an iron curtain. | Clermont tried to play slowly and deliberately, using their big wings Sivivatu and Nalaga to force their way over the gain line, but they found Burger, Brits, Kelly Brown and Mako Vunipola in their way and on the rare occasions they found width, Farrell and Barritt formed an iron curtain. |
| Burger played as if all his nerve endings had been numbed, making him immune to pain. He made 28 tackles during his 69 minutes on the field, invariably the first line of defence around the fringes. His face tells the story of hundreds of such performances and if his disregard for his own safety has been a feature of Saracens in recent years, the Premiership leaders are now as menacing with the ball as they are without it. | Burger played as if all his nerve endings had been numbed, making him immune to pain. He made 28 tackles during his 69 minutes on the field, invariably the first line of defence around the fringes. His face tells the story of hundreds of such performances and if his disregard for his own safety has been a feature of Saracens in recent years, the Premiership leaders are now as menacing with the ball as they are without it. |
| Clermont were unhappy with two decisions that tilted the match towards Saracens. The first, after Morgan Parra had replied to Ashton's first try with a 45-metre penalty, came after 13 minutes, when last year's beaten finalists won a ruck near their own line. The attempted clearance of Lee Byrne, who was off the pace all afternoon, was charged down by Mako Vunipola and as it started its descent deep behind the French club's goalline Brock James and Marcelo Bosch tried to catch the ball. | Clermont were unhappy with two decisions that tilted the match towards Saracens. The first, after Morgan Parra had replied to Ashton's first try with a 45-metre penalty, came after 13 minutes, when last year's beaten finalists won a ruck near their own line. The attempted clearance of Lee Byrne, who was off the pace all afternoon, was charged down by Mako Vunipola and as it started its descent deep behind the French club's goalline Brock James and Marcelo Bosch tried to catch the ball. |
| They got in each other's way and James then flicked it dead with his left hand. The referee, Nigel Owens, referred the incident to the TV match official, Gareth Simmonds, and watched replays on the big screen. He alone decided that the act was not only worth a yellow card because of its calculation, but merited a penalty try because Saracens would probably have scored had the ball been allowed to bounce. The first decision had the spirit of the law on its side, but the second required a few leaps of faith. James was far closer than any other player to the ball and would have been so had it bounced, while the next player along, with Bosch on the ground, also had a white jersey: Thomas Domingo. | They got in each other's way and James then flicked it dead with his left hand. The referee, Nigel Owens, referred the incident to the TV match official, Gareth Simmonds, and watched replays on the big screen. He alone decided that the act was not only worth a yellow card because of its calculation, but merited a penalty try because Saracens would probably have scored had the ball been allowed to bounce. The first decision had the spirit of the law on its side, but the second required a few leaps of faith. James was far closer than any other player to the ball and would have been so had it bounced, while the next player along, with Bosch on the ground, also had a white jersey: Thomas Domingo. |
| Sarries were 14-3 ahead, but Clermont, a man down, enjoyed their best period of the match. Parra kicked his second penalty after Burger infringed at a ruck and then came a second contentious decision. Benson Stanley, who was otherwise a poor replacement for the injured Aurelien Rougerie, crossed the line after a period of pressure, but Owens referred the score upstairs because he suspected Farrell had been blocked off the ball by Damien Chouly. The try was ruled out, yet – six months before, in the same spot on the field – Farrell had been allowed a try against Australia that had been sent to the television match official for adjudication after Dylan Hartley's suspected block on Stephen Moore. The decision then was that it made no difference: the same could have applied this time, but such are the vagaries of sport. | Sarries were 14-3 ahead, but Clermont, a man down, enjoyed their best period of the match. Parra kicked his second penalty after Burger infringed at a ruck and then came a second contentious decision. Benson Stanley, who was otherwise a poor replacement for the injured Aurelien Rougerie, crossed the line after a period of pressure, but Owens referred the score upstairs because he suspected Farrell had been blocked off the ball by Damien Chouly. The try was ruled out, yet – six months before, in the same spot on the field – Farrell had been allowed a try against Australia that had been sent to the television match official for adjudication after Dylan Hartley's suspected block on Stephen Moore. The decision then was that it made no difference: the same could have applied this time, but such are the vagaries of sport. |
| The second blow left Clermont bereft of stuffing. Their only joy had been up front, but they kept losing the ball in contact and, after Brits forced a turnover, Farrell scored another try that was referred upstairs and Goode added a penalty to make the interval score 24-6. | The second blow left Clermont bereft of stuffing. Their only joy had been up front, but they kept losing the ball in contact and, after Brits forced a turnover, Farrell scored another try that was referred upstairs and Goode added a penalty to make the interval score 24-6. |
| There was to be no comeback by Clermont, who conceded three more tries after the break after a long-range Bosch penalty. Ashton got the first, setting a tournament record of 11 in a season, created the next for Chris Wyles, after yet another turnover, and was used as a decoy by Tim Streather in the final minute to leave Clermont down and routed. | There was to be no comeback by Clermont, who conceded three more tries after the break after a long-range Bosch penalty. Ashton got the first, setting a tournament record of 11 in a season, created the next for Chris Wyles, after yet another turnover, and was used as a decoy by Tim Streather in the final minute to leave Clermont down and routed. |