Saracens hope for some home comforts

– Reigning European club kings Saracens will hope home advantage holds good when they welcome Glasgow to north London for a Champions Cup quarterfinal this weekend.

In the past three seasons all but two of the 12 quarterfinals have gone the way of the home side, with only Saracens themselves providing the exceptions.

Saracens, also the current English champions, are bidding for a “double double”.

Last week, Owen Farrell (left), Maro Itoje, Billy and Mako Vunipola and Jamie George back in the side after they all helped England win the Six Nations, Saracens thrashed Bath 53-10.

But Glasgow produced one of the all-time great European shocks in hammering Leicester 43-0 at the former European champions’ home ground in the pool phase.

Glasgow are also less likely to be worried by the artificial surface at Saracens’ Allianz Park ground given they too play their home games on a ‘plastic’ pitch.

“They have got a lot of threats, they are exciting and have backs that can punish you,” said England centre Farrell of Glasgow.

The Scottish side will, however, be without Tim Swinson after the lock’s red card for a swinging arm tackle in a Celtic League match against Connacht was upheld.

Even before Swinson’s ban, Glasgow coach Gregor Townsend was well aware of just how tough it would be to defeat Saracens.

“We know how good they are because they haven’t lost a game in Europe for two years,” Townsend told The Guardian. – AFP