ASHTON KICKS OFF EURO FLIER
Winger signs off with record as Sarries retain their crown as the rugby kings of Europe
SARACENS put in an awesome display in a hugely entertaining final to secure a second successive European Champions Cup triumph here at Murrayfield.
Mark McCall’s men produced a wonderful all-round performance to secure the biggest prize in club rugby in a compelling final that saw five tries scored and no quarter asked. Saracens were simply sensational from one to 23.
Clermont may be known for falling short in the big matches but they played a full part and Saracens had to be at their very best to put them away.
Billy Vunipola, Maro Itoje, George Kruis and Chris Wyles stood head and shoulders above the rest but every Saracens player produced rugby of the very highest calibre.
This perfectly-oiled team of musclemen would be a match for England on this evidence and will travel to Exeter next week for an Aviva Premiership semi-final which leaves them with every chance of completing a remarkable European and domestic double double.
Few would bet against them. Chris Ashton, Kruis and Alex Goode scored their tries as Saracens soaked up everything Clermont could throw at them before powering home in the final 10 minutes. What a game. What a performance. What a team.
With six British and Irish Lions squad members in their starting line-up, they kicked off full of confidence after clinically dispatching Munster in the semi-final.
Clermont, so often the bridesmaids of Europe’s premier club competition, might have expected the game to pitch their fast, running rugby against Saracens’ rocksolid defensive foundations.
But Saracens — who smashed Clermont 46-6 in the 2014 semifinal at Twickenham — came out of the blocks superbly.
Owen Farrell and Marcelo Bosch combined beautifully in midfield to put Ashton away for what looked certain to be the opening try.
But opposite wing Nick Abendanon tracked superbly to scythe Ashton down five metres short of the line. Clermont cleared the danger but Sarries continued to put width on the ball. Scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth pulled the strings impressively with his clever box-kicking game, while Billy Vunipola was once again a colossus at No 8.
And Saracens it was who struck the opening blow when further deft midfield interplay following a lineout saw Farrell work the ball to Goode and the full-back laid on an inch-perfect grubber kick for Ashton to chase and dot down with his trademark ‘Ash Splash’.
It was a record 37th European Cup try for the Toulon-bound Saracens winger.
Farrell narrowly missed the conversion from wide out, and two minutes later fell agonisingly short with a long-range penalty attempt, but the English champions had the bit between their teeth and scored a second try through Kruis following excellent work from Brad Barritt and winger Wyles.
Farrell kicked a simple conversion, only for Clermont to hit back and score a try of their own as centre Remi Lamerat bulldozed over the line.
Morgan Parra kicked the conversion but soon afterwards the Clermont fly-half, Camille Lopez, was left bloodied and with a possible broken nose when he accidentally collided with a team-mate attempting to clear out a ruck.
Clermont exploded out of the blocks in the second half, stretching Saracens’ famed defensive line with their high-class handling game
and pace out wide.
But Sarries stood firm with Itoje and Billy Vunipola carrying magnificently at every opportunity. Farrell capitalised with his first penalty on 51 minutes but Clermont struck back with a sensational try from Abendanon following a break from full back Scott Spedding and a sublime off-load by Peceli Yato after he had swatted away Farrell’s attempted tackle.
Parra converted to make it 15-14 before Farrell’s second penalty gave Saracens some breathing space when Clermont infringed at the breakdown. Referee Nigel Owens — who was taking charge of his 100th game in the tournament — declined to show a yellow card despite Saracens protests.
Parra then reduced the deficit to a point again when Saracens’ scrum was penalised for driving in, setting up a nail-biting last quarter of the match.
Saracens again thought they had a case for a yellow card when Lopez knocked on Wyles’s attempted pass to Ashton with the try line beckoning. Owens ruled he had not intentionally knocked the ball on. Soon Saracens returned to Clermont’s 22 and, following a clumsy knock-on by Lopez and a string of lung-busting bursts by Billy Vunipola, Farrell worked to ball to the right and Goode stretched out to score a superb try. Farrell’s wonderful conversion from the right gave Saracens an eight-point lead with six minutes left.
Lopez had a chance to haul back three points seconds later but his long-range penalty went wide before Farrell closed the game out with his third penalty three minutes from time.