FARRELL FIT FOR BATTLE
Champions Cup quarter-final, tomorrow, kick off 3.30pm
OWEN FARRELL has won his race to be fit for Saracens’ Champions Cup quarter-final against Leinster in Dublin tomorrow.
The fly-half missed last weekend’s 24-11 win over Harlequins after injuring his thigh with England.
Double champs Sarries gave him until yesterday’s deadline for naming their team to prove his fitness and he came through.
Lock George Kruis also returns after back trouble and captain Brad Barritt starts five days after having a titanium plate put in his fractured cheek.
Leinster, where a rejuvenated Stuart Lancaster is head coach, have recalled Ireland’s big guns including fly-half Johnny Sexton and full-back Rob Kearney.
The Irish outfit qualified as No.1 seeds whilst Saracens crept through in eighth spot after losing twice to Clermont in their pool including one 46-14 walloping at home. But veteran flanker Schalk Burger reckons that pasting is in the past and Sarries will rise to the occasion at the Aviva Stadium.
Burger, 34, said: “We had that thunderbolt moment when we lost at home to Clermont.
“If we look back that was probably a turning point. If you do the same things for such a long time and get good results it is easy to become complacent.
“Leinster are an exceptional side, playing great football and have dominated Europe this season with ease. We are the type of team that embraces these sort of challenges.”
In other Champions Cup games Chris Ashton is at fullback for Toulon for their trip to Munster today, and Clermont host Racing 92 in an all-French tie tomorrow. In the Challenge Cup, Gloucester head to Connacht and Richard Cockerill’s Edinburgh take on Cardiff.
Champions Cup action: Munster v Toulon, 3.15pm, Sky Sports; Clermont v Racing 92, tomorrow, 1pm, Sky Sports; Leinster vSaracens, tomorrow, 3.30pm, BT Sport
Challenge Cup today: Connacht v Gloucester, 1pm, BT Sport; Edinburgh v Cardiff Blues, 5.45pm, Sky Sports