Heineken Cup Semi Final Preview
Here is my Heineken Cup semi-final preview. Semi Final number one is between Saracens and Clermont Auvergne in Twickenham. Saracens will go into this game off the back of a 17-15 win over Ulster at the newly refurbished Ravenhill. Although this game was virtually over after Ulster full back Jared Payne was sent off for taking Alex Goode out in the air. Even after this Ulster held their own and also lost Rory Best and Ruan Pienaar to injury in this game which made their task even tougher. Saracens on the other hand seemed to struggle to adjust to Ulster being down to 14 players but when Chris Ashton scored the try that seemed to break the Ulster resolve they looked well on their way to winning comfortably but Owen Farrell had 4 penalties opportunities to extend Saracens lead but they could not take those chances and in the end it was only some desperation defending that got Saracens over the line. There discipline in defence was magnificent and they can thank coach Paul Gustard for that discipline. He introduced a new defensive system at the start of this season that was the wolf pack mentality, which means that Saracens are like wolves in defence and they never give up and that was a key factor in there win in Ulster.
Clermont Auvergne are there opponents in the Semi after they went to 76 games unbeaten at the Stade Marcel Michlin with a 22-16 win over Leicester Tigers. Leicester came really close to ending that run but they just could not get the job done. Clermont are now on course to meet Toulon for a second successive season in the final after being beaten by them last season. That will fuel the fire to help them heading into both the semi-final and maybe a final in Cardiff on May 25th. They will want to give coach Vern Cotter the perfect send off before he joins Scotland in June. They have won a Top 14 title and now may be the time to add Europe’s top prize to that list. My winner from this game will be Clermont Auvergne.
The 2nd semi-final will see Munster travel to face Toulon in Marseilles. This is the city slicker against his country cousin, the Parish and the playboys but this game will be won up front by the forwards who will have to work extremely hard to gain any advantage they can, Munster of course will be without Captain Peter O Mahony who has been ruled out with a shoulder injury. That may weaken Munster but CJ Stander stood up and was counted and he should replace his captain.
Toulon will fancy their chances of making another final and also to defend the title the won in May 2013. They will face a fired up Munster looking to make up for losing at the Semi Final stage last season against Clermont Auvergne. Toulon is full of stars of the Global game. Jonny Wilkinson, Bakkies Botha and Bryan Habana just to name three. Munster of course have their own stars like Paul O Connell and Conor Murray so the gulf in class is small but knowing Munster who of course are a different animal in Europe they will go out all guns blazing to make a 5th final. My winner will be Toulon to make it an all French final.
By
Cian Mc Gibney.
11/04/2014.
