Sarries first to reach it’s a knockout
NICK TOMPKINS scored twice as Saracens became the first team to qualify for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals.
The two-time champions made it a perfect five wins out of five in Pool Three by beating Lyon and on Saturday will battle Glasgow Warriors for top spot and a home draw in the last eight.
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall said: “I’m thrilled. That’s three great away victories in this competition.
“We said before the game they were going to fight for everything and they did. We had to work hard to get the four tries that we did so we’re really pleased.
“It felt a little bit like old Saracens. We dominated field position, we put them in positions they didn’t want to be in, we defended really well and on the back of that we scored four tries.
“We’ve got 23 points and still haven’t won our group, which is one of those things. We’ve got a mighty contest to look forward to against Glasgow next week.”
McCall was able to pick a pack that contained four Lions, with Maro Itoje returning from injury. Another of them, loosehead prop Mako Vunipola, played a key role in the two tries the English champions managed in the first half.
Lyon took the lead with a drop-goal in the seventh minute from Jonathan Wisniewski, but after that it became one-way traffic on the scoreboard.
Playing a few miles down the road from where they were first crowned European champions in 2016, Saracens opened their account midway through the first half.
From a ruck in the 22, the ball was moved infield, Vunipola picked out Tompkins with a great pass and the centre raced over.
Saracens struck again on the half-hour and Vunipola, making his 50th Heineken Cup appearance, was the link man once more.
From a lineout deep in the home 22, George Kruis won the ball, Billy Vunipola assumed the scrum-half duties, Tompkins set up a ruck and Mako Vunipola sent Jackson Wray through a gaping hole.
Three minutes into the second half, Tompkins crossed for his second. This time the centre joined a driving lineout before detaching himself and powering over the final eight metres.
Itoje, who knocked the ball out of a player’s hand at a ruck, and Albertus Buckle, for a stamp, then received yellow cards at the same time. With extra space to play, Saracens scored the bonus-point try in the 54th minute.
Alex Goode broke the home defensive line to create a clear run to the line from 40 metres for Ben Spencer. Owen Farrell converted, as he had the previous three tries, to make it 28 unanswered points.
Alexis Palisson got a late consolation try for Lyon, which he also converted. Lyon now head to Cardiff Blues on Saturday to try to avert a whitewash in Europe this season.
LYON – Try: Palisson. Con: Palisson. DG: Wisniewski.
SARACENS – Tries: Tompkins (2), Wray, Spencer. Cons: Farrell (4).