Bonjour!

St Etienne is the location of the first ever Champions Cup semi-final and Clermont and Saracens will play each other at the penultimate stage for the second year in-a-row.

The English side stuffed Clermont by 40 at Twickenham last year but the French side look poised to right that wrong today.

I’ll be keeping you company here while The42′s Murray Kinsella will provide colour and post-match reaction from the ground.

The French put on a pretty good spread for the press!

Here are the teams for today. Clermont start as seven-point favourites and with a backline like, that it isn’t hard to see why.

Clermont: 15 Nick Abendanon, 14 Noa Nakaitaci, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Naipolioni Nalaga, 10 Brock James, 9 Ludovic Radoslavjevic, 8 Damien Chouly (c), 7 Julien Bardy, 6 Julien Bonnaire, 5 Sébastien Vahaamahina, 4 Jamie Cudmore, 3 Davit Zirakashvili, 2 Benjamin Kayser, 1 Vincent Debaty.
Replacements: 16 John Ulugia, 17 Raphael Chaume, 18 Clément Ric, 19 Julien Pierre, 20 Alexandre Lapandry, 21 Morgan Parra, 22 Camille Lopez, 23 Aurélien Rougerie.

Saracens: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Brad Barritt (c), 11 Chris Wyles, 10 Charlie Hodgson, 9 Richard Wigglesworth, 8 Billy Vunipola, 7 Jacques Burger, 6 Maro Itoje, 5 Jim Hamilton, 4 George Kruis, 3 Petrus du Plessis, 2 Jamie George, 1 Mako Vunipola.
Replacements: 16 Schalk Brits, 17 Rhys Gill, 18 James Johnston, 19 Kelly Brown, 20 Jackson Wray, 21 Neil de Kock, 22 Owen Farrell, 23 David Strettle.

The atmosphere around the ground looks amazing. Clermont fans are so passionate and the swathe of yellow around the ground is always great to see.

Clermont and Sarries had contrasting fortunes in the quarter-finals.

Northampton are top of the Aviva Premiership but were annihilated in a devastating first half display from Clermont.

And Saracens benefited from a bit of Racing Metro headlessness to progress. After Racing sealed off the ruck illegally, Marcelo Bosch and his bionic leg kicked the Londoners into the semi-final.

BT Sport pundit and former England second row Martin Bayfield really is a giant. He even makes Ben Kay look small!

Will this finally be Clermont’s year in Europe?

In the last five seasons they have made a quarter-final, a final and two semi-finals.

The decider in Dublin was their big chance but they let a 15-6 second half lead slip to lose to Toulon.

Things are building in nicely in France it seems…

Gibbes won a lot of knockout games during his time with Leinster – can he bring that nous to Clermont?

There are a lot of new additions to the team who haven’t experienced the failures of the previous years.

Fritz Lee, Sébastien Vahaamahina, Camille Lopez, Nick Abendanon, Noa Nakaitaci and Jonathan Davies won’t have the same baggage as some of the former Clermont players.

The form of Chris Ashton is a big reason that Saracens have progressed to this stage. Thw wing has been ignored by England boss Stuart Lancaster but if he continues to perform at such a high level is has to be in what a chance of playing at the World Cup.

Brian O’Driscoll says Saracens should put a few high balls on Brock James when he drops deep and smash him. He thinks it could rattle him a bit. James is such an important figure for Clermont but he is prone to shakiness on big occasions.

The teams are coming onto the pitch now. Are we ready??

We are off here!

Billy Vunipola makes a thunderous carry into the Clermont half but the support is slow and Clermont hooker Benjamin Kayser wins a turnover penalty. Clermont have a lineout just outside the Saracens 22.

Abendanon makes a dart on the left wing and Clermont are building the phases 10m from the line.

But Brock James opts for a snap drop goal… it doesn’t end well. 22 dropout for Sarries.

Wesley Fofana gets his hands on the ball for the first time on halfway but is cut down by a strong double tackle from the Saracens centre partnership of Brad Barritt and Marcelo Bosch.

The first scrum of the game sees Saracens awarded a penalty. Hodgson will kick for touch.

But he misses badly and Saracens will have a lineout on the 10m line instead of the 22. Very sloppy because Sarries will have to be very clinical today.

Clermont won a turnover in their own half and it looked they might cut loose for a score just like in the Northampton game but Jonathan Davies drops the ball with three men outside him. Lucky break for Saracens and very poor from the Welsh international.

Brock James is finding his range a bit better now. He pins Saracens back in their own 22 with a clever cross-kick.

Richard Wigglesworth puts Nakaitaci under pressure with a box kick and Clermont’s ill-advised attempt to counter from their own line ends with Saracens getting a lineout just outside the 22.

But George’s throw is crooked and Clermont have a scrum.

In other news, the first 12 minutes of this game have been pretty terrible.

Clermont 0-3 Saracens

The visitors go through some strong phases on the outskirts of the Clermont 22 before Hodgson drops a sublime goal from about 30m out.

Saracens almost poach a lineout just inside the Clermont half but Jacques Burger knocks on at the tail.

Wow! Clermont’s scrum drives Saracens back about 15m and wins a penalty. Massive show of strength by ASM. A lovely touch-finder from James gives the home side a 10m lineout.

Could be try for Clermont in the corner from Nalaga here and we are going to the TMO.

The TMO says Nalaga knocked it on but it looked like Ashton forced him into touch with a no-arm tackle. The TMO didn’t even mention it. Very lucky for the visitors.

The potential try was set-up by a lovely spin by Fofana in contact to take play within 5m of the line in the build-up. He looks so much more assured in his ASM jersey than he does in blue.

Fair to say that TMO call is causing a bit of controversy.

A quarter of the game gone and Saracens still lead. Mark McCall will be chuffed because Northampton were finished by this stage in the quarter finals.

Here is that Ashton tackle. So blatant. Should have been seven points and Ashton in the bin.

Clermont are looking to make up for that decision as they drive into the Saracens 22. The visitors are penalised for not rolling away and James will have a straightforward kick to level the game.

Clermont 3-3 Saracens

Only Brock James! The ball hits one post… then another… before falling over.

Billy Vunipola fields a pass around his head on halfway and is hit by the freight train of Julien Bardy. Massive tackle.

Julien Pierre, who has temporarily replaced Jamie Cudmore, is pinged for not rolling away. Hodgson will go for the posts from about 50m out to the left of the posts. Tough kick.

Hodgson pushes his kick just wide.

Saracens have a lineout just inside their own half after a box-kick from scrum-half Ludovic Radoslavjevic finds touch.

Sarries blindside Maro Itoje claims a high ball well in his own half before setting off on 10m burst that sees him bulldoze Bardy to the ground. There has been some powerful carrying from the Saracens pack so far.

Have people enjoyed this game? Not quite what you expect from a European semi-final, is it?

Billy Vunipola does what no forward should ever do – he chips! –  but Vahaamahina fumbles and Saracens have a scrum in the Clermont 22.

Hodgson has another chance from the tee. It is a little closer than the kick he missed a few minutes ago.

Clermont 3-6 Saracens

Good kick from Hodgson and the visitors are back in the lead.

Clermont cough up a lineout on halfway and Saracens have a scrum. Very sloppy half from ASM. They were denied a try by a bad call but they haven’t been accurate besides that. Too many handling errors at the moment. The Saracens pack, meanwhile, have been very good thus far.

This tweet is very accurate!

Clermont are penalised for wheeling the scrum and Hodgson has a chance to extend Saracens’ lead with the last kick of the half. It is JUST inside the Clermont half to the left of the posts.

HT Clermont 3-6 Saracens

Another wide for Hodgson but Saracens still lead narrowly after a pretty forgettable half of European rugby. Let’s pray for a try in the second half!

Saracens are a very accomplished sides but their knockout games don’t often make for riveting viewing. As for Clermont, they need a big second 40 to avoid yet another tame exit.

BOD and Dallaglio saying it should have been a penalty try. Craig Doyle mentions that it would of been a shame had it been given after Saracens’ big effort.

Clermont are out for the second half. Can they turn things around?

We are off in the second half!

Clermont force a scrum in the Saracens 22 and have a chance to launch an early attack.

TRY! Clermont 8-6 Saracens

The Clermont scrum was in disarray but Chouly picks up excellently and rumbles to within 10m of the Saracens line. Then Brock James dabs a little dink behind the defence and Fofana finishes it off excellently.

Clermont 10-6 Saracens

James nails the tricky conversion and Clermont fans are shouting once again!

Hodgson pins Clermont back inside their 22 with a sharp tactical kick.

There was a brief chance for Abendanon to counter from inside his own half but he opts to kick… poor choice. It goes out on the full and Saracens have a lineout 20m out.

Saracens are pushing the pace a little now. Hodgson shapes to take a drop goal but spins it outside to Brad Barritt, who pops the ball inside to Chris Ashton. They continue to make ground until Alex Goode runs offside from a Hodgson grubber. Penalty Clermont and they clear to halfway.

Also, Schalk Brits is on for Jamie George.

Vincent Debaty shrugs off tacklers as he rampages into the Saracens 22 but a few phases later, Sarries blindside Itoje wins a turnover penalty.

The first bit of kick tennis develops and it finally ends with Wigglesworth putting the ball into touch on the Clermont 10m line. Morgan Parra has also been introduced at scrum-half for the French side.

Parra shows his rust, box-kicking badly out on the full. Saracens have a lineout about 30m from the Clermont line.

Clermont win a high ball just outside the Saracens 22 but are penalised for offside moments later. Despite the Clermont try, the game hasn’t really picked up at all.

Marcelo Bosch and Richard Wigglesworth link beautifully in midfield and the scrum-half almost puts Burger away in the corner but Fofana dives across the defensive line and snaffles the ball in mid-air. Great defending by the centre.

Also, Owen Farrell has replaced Charlie Hodgson.

Clermont get a good maul going but it goes to ground outside the 22. Brock James then launches a bomb on top of Alex Goode but the fullback claims excellently.

Risky stuff from Clermont! Nalaga tries to counter from his own line but fumbles in contact. Luckily for the Fijian, Burger can’t scoop the ball up for an easy try. Still, a scrum to Saracens 5m from the line.

Free kick to Saracens. They take another scrum.

Penalty to Saracens now. Farrell will go for the posts near the right wing.

Clermont 10-9 Sarcens

Farrell’s effort looked to drift wide but the touch judges raise the flags.

Clermont have a lineout halfway between the Saracens 22 and the 10m line. Can they close it out?

Julien Bonnaire and Jonathan Davies both make big carries as Clermont go hunting for the decisive score. But a few rucks later Billy Vunipola forces yet ANOTHER Saracens turnover. Their breakdown work has been very good.

Also, Neil de Kock is on for Richard Wigglesworth.

A big Alex Goode clearance forces Clermont back towards their own 22. They have a defensive lineout 30m from their line.

Sébastien Vahaamahina wins a big penalty just outside the Saracens 22 and James will have a chance to increase Clermont’s lead to four.

Clermont 13-9 Saracens

The visitors need a try now after James nails the kick.

Clermont exit their 22 well as James smacks a booming clearance into the Saracens half.

Five minutes to go now and Clermont are in possession just inside their half.

George Kruis gets smashed by a Jamie Cudmore swinging arm on halfway and Clermont have a scrum on halfway with three to go.

Saracens put the ball through the hands out to Ashton on the right wing but the pass was forward and Clermont have a scrum with a minute left.

Penalty Clermont! James will go for the corner. They will just need to claim the lineout and that should be that.

FT Clermont 13-9 Saracens

Clermont are through to their second ever European Cup final after avenging last year’s defeat to their English rivals.

It was a very poor game and despite a lovely try from Wesley Fofana, fans will be disappointed.

That is all from our liveblog this evening. Thanks for joining me and check the site in the next few minutes for Murray Kinsella’s report from St. Etienne.