European Champions Cup semi-final preview: Saracens recall Owen Farrell for Wasps clash with Leicester unchanged
Saracens take on Wasps and Leicester Tigers meet Racing 92 in this weekend's European Champions Cup semi-finals
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Your support makes all the difference.Saracens vs Wasps (European Champions Cup)
Premiership rivals Wasps and Saracens meet in what is set up to be a fiery European Champions Cup semi-final at Reading’s Madejski Stadium on Saturday, where at least one English side will be guaranteed a place in next month’s final at the Grand Stade de Lyon.
Saracens will go into the match as slight favourites with director of rugby Mark McCall able to name a side that shows five changes from last weekend’s 22-12 victory over Harlequins at Wembley Stadium. In fact, the Sarries side that will run out in Reading will have just three changes from the one that suffered semi-final defeat last season to Clermont Auvergne.
The returning quintet sees four English players and a Scot come into the starting XV, with half-back duo Richard Wigglesworth and Owen Farrell getting the nod ahead of Neil De Kock and Charlie Hodgson. Maro Itoje returns to partner George Kruis at lock with both named on the EPCR European Player of the Year shortlist, while Will Fraser starts in the back-row with Jim Hamilton and Jackson Wray dropping out of the pack.
Scotland international Duncan Taylor takes the 13 shirt off Marcelo Bosch, with the Argentine dropping to the replacements’ bench where he is joined by Hamilton, Wray, De Kock and Hodgson.
Sarries are bidding to reach their second European Champions Cup final in the space of three seasons, having lost to Toulon in the 2013/14 showcase match in Cardiff.
For Wasps, the prospect of reaching a first European final since their 2006/07 appearance will have fans reminiscing of their former glory days in the tournament, having lifted the Heineken Cup that year as well as in 2003/04. Having scored a try in the 2007 semi-final win over Northampton Saints, James Haskell will lead Wasps as the only player remaining from that match nine years ago, with director of rugby Dai Young keeping changes to a minimum in a bid to get the better of Saracens.
There’s a reshuffle in the backline to accommodate the return of Siale Piutau, with Rob Miller dropping out of the starting XV, Carles Piutau moving to full-back and Elliot Daly switching to outside centre, while Jimmy Gopperth returns at fly-half in place of Ruaridh Jackson.
In the pack, Australia veteran George Smith starts at openside flanker, with Thomas Young dropping to the bench.
Leicester Tigers vs Racing 92 (European Champions Cup)
137 miles north on Sunday, Leicester Tigers will have the unenviable task of trying to stop Dan Carter’s Racing 92 side at the City Ground, home of Nottingham Forest. Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill has the luxury of naming an unchanged side from last weekend’s pivotal 30-24 defeat of rivals Northampton, meaning Manu Tuilagi runs out at 12 again and the destructive wings of Telusa Veainu and Vereniki Goneva will flank the England international.
They face a Racing side who suffered a 14-3 defeat by Toulouse last Sunday, however, the team that runs out on Sunday afternoon will show an incredible 14 changes as head coaches Laurent Labit and Laurent Travers recall their big guns following a week’s rest.
The only player to be retained from the defeat by Toulouse is hooker Virgile Lacombe as Dimitri Szarzewski is ruled out with injury.
Harlequins vs Grenoble (European Challenge Cup)
Harlequins make five changes for their Challenge Cup semi-final against Grenoble at Twickenham Stoop as England prop Joe Marler returns from suspension, having served a two-game ban for his “Gypsy boy” comments directed at Wales prop Samson Lee in the Six Nations victory last month.
Marler’s joined in the pack with Adam Jones, James Horwill and Luke Wallace, while in the back line George Lowe replaces Joe Marchant at outside centre. Jack Clifford, who has also been named on the EPCR European Player of the Year shortlist, has to make do with a place among the replacements.
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