Ref Owens makes it tougher for Cup heroes
SARACENS wrote their name large among the great teams of European Cup rugby last night by winning the crown for the second year in succession against a Clermont side that strove mightily to take it from them.
However, what Saracens will not have banked on is not only having to beat Clermont, but also having to wrench themselves clear in the face of refereeing decisions that started to stack the odds against them.
The biggest travesty came when 14 minutes from the end of this pulsating contest, with the game on a knife-edge at 18-17, the reigning champions were denied what should have been a clear penalty try.
With Clermont on the ropes, Farrell, Schalk Burger and Chris Wyles outmanoeuvred a depleted defence with only Camille Lopez left to beat. However, as Wyles made what would have been a scoring pass to Chris Ashton a few meters out with the line open, the Clermont fly-half stuck out one hand in a clear attempt to prevent the try.
Referee Nigel Owens, celebrating his 100th European Cup match, will not have made many worse decisions than deciding to exonerate Lopez on the grounds that he made an attempt to catch the ball. If it was, it was retrospective, because his intention first and foremost was to stop a gilt-edged score.
Instead of a yellow-card Lopez was given a complete reprieve and a knock-on was given. When Billy Vunipola was forced into touch from the resulting 5m scrum tight to the touchline Saracens went away emptyhanded.
That Saracens refused to be de-railed was testament to their deep reservoir of resolve and character, especially as Clermont had been fortunate to escape at least one sin-bin when they killed the ball in front of their own posts twice, either side of Nick Abendanon’s end-to-end try.
Instead, they went on the offensive again, with Schalk Brits doing his second full-back counterattack from deep routine, and Marcelo Bosch threading through a grubber which had the French side scrambling for their lives.
Cometh the hour, cometh the men. Powerful carries by Billy Vunipola and Maro Itoje rocked Clermont back deep in their own 22, and, as the ball was whipped wide, Owen Farrell put Alex Goode through a Grand Canyon of a gap for the decisive try.
When Farrell added the extras with a superb touchline conversion with eight minutes remaining justice was done. Clermont, for all the courage of their challenge, were beaten by a better side. Not only were they outscored three tries to two, but Saracens created far more genuine scoring opportunities.
The 28-17 margin left Clermont with a mountain to climb, but they got a legup when they were given what should have been a straightforward penalty with six minutes remaining. However, the pressure told – and where Farrell became more deadly with the boot as the match went on – Lopez lost composure and his kick sailed wide.
However, notwithstanding the controversial officiating decisions, this was never less than a great contest. Although Saracens threatened to overrun Clermont in the opening quarter, the French side came through the ordeal stronger, and hurt Saracens when they returned fire.
Saracens went into the second half with a 12-7 lead, and after a drop-goal miss by Lopez they hit Clermont with a multi-phase move that was as concussive as when Anthony Joshua lets his fists go. Backs and forwards combined as Bosch, Vincent Koch, Michael Rhodes, Jamie George and Maro Itoje knocked Clermont silly, and when Damien Chouly killed the ball in front of the posts Farrell kicked the penalty to make it 15-7.
However, they made the mistake from the restart of taking their foot off the Clermont throat, and when Scott Spedding punished a lazy Ashton kick-chase by ramming the ball almost to halfway, Saracens were suddenly exposed. Quick hands involving Morgan Parra, Lopez and Fritz Lee saw the dynamic Peceli Yato storm down the tramline, and, after brushing Farrell aside, the Fijian flanker slipped the ball sweetly to Abendanon for the Englishman to romp over.
Parra’s touchline conversion made it a one-point game at 15-14 to the champions leading into the final quarter drama.
It contrasted starkly with an opening salvo from Saracens which left Clermont with no illusions about their determination to retain the title they won in Lyon last year. They split the side from the Auvergne up the middle so surgically in the opening minute that their large contingent of travelling support was silenced.
Saracens attacked from a line-out and when the ball was moved from the ruck George and Farrell combined slickly to spring Bosch through the Clermont defensive line. The Argentine centre’s pass found Ashton, and as he raced clear with 40 metres to go to the line it looked certain that the Saracens wing would pass the tally of 36 European Cup tries he shares with Toulouse’s Vincent Clerc.
However, Ashton’s first attempt at setting a new record was foiled when Abendanon raced across from his post on the opposite touchline to make a superb flying cover tackle which stopped Ashton in his tracks five metres from the line.
Saracens were not done, and a series of pulverising
attacks left Clermont hanging in an opening ten minute spell. The English outfit had their reward when they scored from a flowing move off a Rhodes line-out, with Brad Barritt and Farrell combining before Goode’s angled grubber saw Ashton get the jump on the defence to collect the bounce. Try number 37 came with a trademark Ash-splash in the corner to make it 5-0.
Farrell hit the post with the touchline conversion, but Saracens got straight back to business.
Midway through the first-half they battered Clermont to a standstill with Wyles, Billy Vunipola – who made some pulverising carries – and Barritt handling before Richard Wigglesworth’s pass sent George Kruis smashing through Sebasteien Vahaamahina.
With Farrell converting Saracens led 12-0. Clermont were in desperate need of a foothold, and they got it when Remi Lamerat crashed over from short range after Aurelien Rougerie had carried to the line and slipped him the ball following a scrum move.
With Parra converting it was 12-7, and that’s how it remained until half-time despite Saracens creating two more scoring platforms following line-breaks by George and Jackson Wray.
After the break this compelling final ebbed and flowed, but Saracens were always the stronger tide, and fully deserved their European Cup double – and nobody should bet against them making it a treble.