SEVEN OWEN FARRELL penalties swung a rain-soaked Champions Cup final Saracens’ way as the club claimed their first Champions Cup.
The dominant English club edged themselves ahead of Racing Metro early on and, while they didn’t manage to shake Ronan O’Gara’s club off until late on, the Paris side were unable to master the conditions with star out-half Dan Carter struggling with injury.
James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Torrential rain during the first period meant that try-scoring chances were few and very far between. Indeed, the closest either side came to an invaluable five-pointer was by kicking beyond defenders and hoping chasers could touch down behind the try-line. But the slippery surface ensured the ball remained elusive.
Racing Metro dominated the handling error count and when Carter was at fault for the very first of the game, it was clear this Champions Cup final was not about to be one of the classics.
Highlight of this half was Paulie's in depth analysis of the ball boys and how critical a dry towel is!!!!
Owen Farrell’s precise goal-kicking was the stand-out skill of the first half, he bisected the posts four times to give his club a 12 – 6 lead at the interval.
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Maxime Machenaud missed a chance to open the scoring before he was called ashore with concussion, Johannes Goosen kicked the Parisian club level with a monster penalty from his own half and then had a more straightforward one to pull his side back within a kick after Farrell’s third of the day.
James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Carter was clearly carrying an injury into the final and so he was not tasked with goal-kicking even after Machenaud left the field. The All Black great’s discomfort grew as the game wore on. The World Cup winner moved around the park with a limp, but was given two minutes of the second half to run it off before the Racing coaching box decided to send Remi Tales on in his place.
James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Farrell struck his fifth penalty in the 50th minute and so the England out-half and his club appeared to be in their ideal position; needing to control rather than conjure to underline their nine-point lead. However, they were unable to turn the screw and instead it was Racing Metro who had the look of momentum about them with a Goosen penalty helping them into the final quarter.
Errors were never far away for the French club in Lyon though, and Saracens’ dogged defence ensured metres never came easily.
Farrell put the result beyond doubt with a 76th-minute penalty and when he struck again in the 78th, the soaked Saracens fans in Lyon could content themselves with a series of landmarks.
The first club not named Toulon or Leinster to win since 2010, the first English club to win since 2007, the first club to win the competition without losing a game along the way and, most importantly, the first time Saracens took the crown of European champions after knocking hard at the door in three semi-finals and one final in the space of eight years.
Scorers
Racing Club 92
Penalties: M Machenaud (0/1), J Goosen (3/3)
Saracens
Penalties: O Farrell (7/7)
Racing Club 92
15. Brice Dulin
14. Joe Rokocoko
13. Johannes Goosen
12. Alexandre Dumoulin (Henry Chavancy ’56)
11. Juan Imhoff
10. Dan Carter (Remi Tales ’42)
9. Maxime Machenaud (Mike Phillips ’20)
1. Eddy Ben Arous (Khatchik Vartanov ’75)
2. Dimitri Szarzewski (Virgile Lacombe ’65)
3. Ben Tameifuna (Luc Ducalcon ’67)
4. Luke Charteris
5. Francois van der Merwe (Virgile Lacombe ’65)
6. Wenceslas Lauret
7. Bernard Le Roux (Antonie Claassen ’76)
8. Chris Masoe
Saracens
15. Alex Goode
14. Chris Ashton
13. Duncan Taylor (Marcelo Bosch ’76)
12. Brad Barritt
11. Chris Wyles
10. Owen Farrell (Charlie Hodgson ’79)
9. Richard Wigglesworth (Ben Spencer ’79)
1. Mako Vunipola (Richard Barrington ’76)
2. Schalk Brits (Jamie George ’51)
3. Petrus du Plessis (Juan Figallo ’67)
4. Maro Itoje (Jim Hamilton ’79)
5. George Kruis
6. Michael Rhodes (Jackson Wray ’54)
7. Will Fraser
8. Billy Vunipola
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Saracens claim first European Cup victory as flawless Farrell kicking sees off Racing
Racing Club 92: 9
Saracens: 21
SEVEN OWEN FARRELL penalties swung a rain-soaked Champions Cup final Saracens’ way as the club claimed their first Champions Cup.
The dominant English club edged themselves ahead of Racing Metro early on and, while they didn’t manage to shake Ronan O’Gara’s club off until late on, the Paris side were unable to master the conditions with star out-half Dan Carter struggling with injury.
Torrential rain during the first period meant that try-scoring chances were few and very far between. Indeed, the closest either side came to an invaluable five-pointer was by kicking beyond defenders and hoping chasers could touch down behind the try-line. But the slippery surface ensured the ball remained elusive.
Racing Metro dominated the handling error count and when Carter was at fault for the very first of the game, it was clear this Champions Cup final was not about to be one of the classics.
Owen Farrell’s precise goal-kicking was the stand-out skill of the first half, he bisected the posts four times to give his club a 12 – 6 lead at the interval.
Maxime Machenaud missed a chance to open the scoring before he was called ashore with concussion, Johannes Goosen kicked the Parisian club level with a monster penalty from his own half and then had a more straightforward one to pull his side back within a kick after Farrell’s third of the day.
Carter was clearly carrying an injury into the final and so he was not tasked with goal-kicking even after Machenaud left the field. The All Black great’s discomfort grew as the game wore on. The World Cup winner moved around the park with a limp, but was given two minutes of the second half to run it off before the Racing coaching box decided to send Remi Tales on in his place.
Farrell struck his fifth penalty in the 50th minute and so the England out-half and his club appeared to be in their ideal position; needing to control rather than conjure to underline their nine-point lead. However, they were unable to turn the screw and instead it was Racing Metro who had the look of momentum about them with a Goosen penalty helping them into the final quarter.
Errors were never far away for the French club in Lyon though, and Saracens’ dogged defence ensured metres never came easily.
Farrell put the result beyond doubt with a 76th-minute penalty and when he struck again in the 78th, the soaked Saracens fans in Lyon could content themselves with a series of landmarks.
The first club not named Toulon or Leinster to win since 2010, the first English club to win since 2007, the first club to win the competition without losing a game along the way and, most importantly, the first time Saracens took the crown of European champions after knocking hard at the door in three semi-finals and one final in the space of eight years.
Scorers
Racing Club 92
Penalties: M Machenaud (0/1), J Goosen (3/3)
Saracens
Penalties: O Farrell (7/7)
Racing Club 92
15. Brice Dulin
14. Joe Rokocoko
13. Johannes Goosen
12. Alexandre Dumoulin (Henry Chavancy ’56)
11. Juan Imhoff
10. Dan Carter (Remi Tales ’42)
9. Maxime Machenaud (Mike Phillips ’20)
1. Eddy Ben Arous (Khatchik Vartanov ’75)
2. Dimitri Szarzewski (Virgile Lacombe ’65)
3. Ben Tameifuna (Luc Ducalcon ’67)
4. Luke Charteris
5. Francois van der Merwe (Virgile Lacombe ’65)
6. Wenceslas Lauret
7. Bernard Le Roux (Antonie Claassen ’76)
8. Chris Masoe
Saracens
15. Alex Goode
14. Chris Ashton
13. Duncan Taylor (Marcelo Bosch ’76)
12. Brad Barritt
11. Chris Wyles
10. Owen Farrell (Charlie Hodgson ’79)
9. Richard Wigglesworth (Ben Spencer ’79)
1. Mako Vunipola (Richard Barrington ’76)
2. Schalk Brits (Jamie George ’51)
3. Petrus du Plessis (Juan Figallo ’67)
4. Maro Itoje (Jim Hamilton ’79)
5. George Kruis
6. Michael Rhodes (Jackson Wray ’54)
7. Will Fraser
8. Billy Vunipola
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Champions Cup racing club 92 Racing Metro Saracens