Clermont can shock Saracens – Strettle
MURRAYFIELD CLERMONT v SARACENS 5pm SARACENS are the “number one team in Europe”, but Clermont Auvergne are capable of winning today’s European Champions Cup final, says their former winger David Strettle.
The 33-year-old ex-England international moved to Clermont in 2015, after five years at Saracens.
The defending champions are on track for a successive double as they also look to retain their Premiership title.
“Saracens don’t have a bad day, they are consistently good”, said Strettle.
“They are, for me, the number one team in Europe,” Strettle told AFP. “However, Clermont’s good days are better than Saracens’ good days so if we are playing well, we can win.”
Clermont are the nearly men of French rugby, having lost to Toulon in Europe’s top club tournament in the 2013 and 2015 finals, and won only one of their 12 French finals – and that at the 11th attempt.
“It doesn’t affect me if Clermont have won or lost 11, 12 finals,” said Strettle, who scored in their 27-22 semi-final win over Leinster.
“That shouldn’t affect me, I am playing just the one game, in my head it is the same. The players just have to ignore the history, it’s just one game. For the fans, it’s different.”
Meanwhile, there is a guarantee of Welsh involvement in the final beyond the likelihood of Wales international Aaron Jarvis, who has been with the French outfit since last year, playing a part.
The final will be officiated by Nigel Owens, with the match representing the 100th game in European rugby’s top tournament that he’s taken charge of.
“I am really proud,” said Owens.
“The European final is the biggest club game in the northern hemisphere if not the world game. I am as excited now doing the sixth one as I was doing the first one. That is why I am still refereeing because I still get that buzz.
“Without blowing my own trumpet, which is the last thing I like to do, there is not much more to achieve because I have done everything in rugby refereeing apart from the Calcutta Cup.
“The final is for the two teams, for Saracens and Clermont, but to play a little small part in that is something I am proud of.”