Preview: Saracens v Munster
April 25 2008
Saracens will compete in their first ever Heineken Cup semi-final on Sunday when they take on Munster, veterans of six previous semi-finals, at the Rioch Arena in Coventry.
It is no secret that many thought Saracens would fall in the quarter-finals, after all they looked tired and strangely out of form when the Ospreys dispatched them with such ease in the EDF Energy Cup semi-final. However it was a different story at Vicarage Road with a Heineken Cup semi-final on the line.
Led by Richard Hill Saracens tackled themselves to victory, as after all the only try they scored came courtesy of a rather generous Lady Luck. It was their defence that stole the show, stopping a side laden with as much class as the Ospreys is no easy task, yet Saracens did it with aplomb.
Now all eyes will be on the Rioch Arena as they pit themselves against one of Europe's finest and most consistent sides. Munster, the darlings of the Heineken Cup, are wily old campaigners with the necessary injection of fresh talent to claim a second title this season.
The likes of Doug Howlett, Tomas O'Leary and Ian Dowling have supplemented seasoned campaigners such as Ronan O'Gara, Paul O'Connell and John Hayes. And they will need to call on all their experience on Sunday, as despite their lack of Heineken Cup experience, Saracens will be confident of turning a maiden semi-final into a maiden final.
Here is a side who, despite so much promise, have, by their own standards, failed to deliver in the Guinness Premiership. Yet in Europe they have been a revelation, a team transformed by the allure of Europe, the quest for a greater glory that the rigours of the Premiership can't offer.
As to their ability to overcome Munster, that is a different question. For starters they will come up against a Munster pack that consists only of internationals, not only that but it goes down as one of the most experienced packs of all time. Between them they boast 368 Test caps and 393 Heineken Cup caps - Saracens beware.
Not that Saracens don't have a wealth of experience themselves but it fades into insignificance compared to Munster's record. Richard Hill will, as he always does, rouse spirits in the Saracens ranks and lead in his exemplary manner, but he will need the support of those around him.
Both Munster and Saracens have gone for consistency, Munster making just one change to the side that accounted for Gloucester in the last round, whilst Saracens make two changes - both enforced due to injuries to Andy Farrell and Brent Russell.
With no disrespect to Farrell his exclusion may be a blessing in disguise, as his replacement, young Adam Powell, has been something of a revelation this season. Deceptively strong and frighteningly elusive he will cause Rua Tipoki and Lifeimi Mafi more problems than Farrell would have.
The Islanders in midfield for Munster will be equally as dangerous. Their partnership this season has been one of the highlights for Munster, the two of them mix raw power with clever running angles and a healthy dash of pace.
Once again Declan Kidney has gone for Tomas O'Leary at scrum-half, once thought to be a bold gamble but now known to be a wise choice. His pace and speed of service are a level above that which Peter Stringer can offer.
But despite all of this Saracens will have the surprise element on their side, we all know how sides can raise their game for the big occasion. And given that this is the biggest game in the club's history we can expect them to raise their game considerably.
However when all is said and done there is one fact that remains: Munster know how to win in Europe, they know how to win the games that count. Yes they have lost twice this season but when the chips were down they came up with the goods, as is their wont, and you have to favour them to do it again on Sunday.
Players to Watch:
For Saracens: It may seem like an obvious choice but if Saracens are to prevail they will need Richard Hill to be at his brilliant best. The former England man will need to roll back the years and turn in a vintage display to enable his team to play. From scavenging at the breakdown to ensuring Glen Jackson has a healthy supply of clean ball his work-rate will be a decisive factor in Saracens' quest to achieve a major upset.
For Munster: Time and again Ronan O'Gara has proved his worth to Munster, and expect nothing but the same on Sunday. His ability to control games with the boot is second to none and on such a grounding Munster have won many a game. He will look to dictate the terms to Saracens on Sunday and if he can find another kicking masterclass Munster will be heading for the Millennium Stadium.
Head-to-Head: Both sides like to build their attacks around a solid midfield platform and to that effect the battle between Adam Powell and Lifeimi Mafi will be critical. Both will look to get over the gain line as often as possible but don't expect that to be all they offer. The two of them are equally as comfortable in space as they are carting the ball up so expect an intriguing showdown, one that could prove decisive. As a sub-plot the clash of the fly-halves will be one to keep an eye on, both clever tactical kickers who will look to give their respective sides a shot at glory.
Form: Saracens' Heineken Cup form has been as good as it gets this season, seven games played and just the one defeat - and even that was only by a single point, 22-21, away to Biarritz. Their victory over the Ospreys in the quarter-finals was seen as something of an upset, having lost heavily to the same opposition two weeks prior to the 19-10 victory at Vicarage Road. Their Premiership form has not been as great, three defeats in their last four outings doing little to help their play-off cause. The only victory, among defeats to Leicester, Gloucester and Wasps, was against relegated Leeds.
Munster on the other hand emerged from this season's 'Pool of Death' having suffered two defeats, against Wasps, 24-23, and Clermont, 26-19. They accounted for Gloucester in the quarter-finals, claiming a fine 16-3 away victory. Domestically Munster have lost two of their last four Magners League games, going down 25-22 to the Cardiff Blues and 21-12 to Leinster. They come into this game on the back on a 9-8 victory over the Ospreys.
The two sides have previously met twice in the Heineken Cup, in the 2000 season, with Munster taking both games, albeit by a point on both occasions. The first game saw Saracens lose at home, 35-34, before going down 31-30 in Ireland.
Prediction: It is hard to ignore the obvious facts here, Munster are well versed in European knock-out games whilst Saracens are appearing in their first ever semi-final. That said one can expect the 'hosts' to rise to the occasion, however with the pivotal Ronan O'Gara at fly-half Munster will edge into yet another final. Munster by four points
The Teams:
Saracens: 15 Richard Haughton, 14 Francisco Leonelli, 13 Kevin Sorrell, 12 Adam Powell, 11 Kameli Ratuvou, 10 Glen Jackson, 9 Neil de Kock (c), 8 Ben Skirving, 7 Richard Hill, 6 Paul Gustard, 5 Kris Chesney, 4 Hugh Vyvyan, 3 Cobus Visagie, 2 Matt Cairns, 1 Nick Lloyd.
Replacements: 16 Fabio Ongaro, 17 Cencus Johnston, 18 Tom Ryder, 19 Don Barrell, 20 Moses Rauluni, 21 Gordon Ross, 22 Dan Scarbrough.
Munster: 15 Darragh Hurley, 14 Doug Howlett, 13 Rua Tipoki, 12 Lifeimi Mafi, 11 Ian Dowling, 10 Ronan O'Gara, 9 Tomas O'Leary, 8 Denis Leamy, 7 David Wallace, 6 Alan Quinlan, 5 Paul O'Connell (c), 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 3 John Hayes, 2 Jerry Flannery, 1 Marcus Horan.
Replacements: 16 Frankie Sheahan, 17 Federico Pucciariello, 18 Mick O'Driscoll, 19 Donnacha Ryan, 20 Peter Stringer, 21 Paul Warwick, 22 Barry Murphy.
Date: Sunday 27 April, 2008
Kick-off: 15:00 BST (14:00 GMT)
Venue: Rioch Arena, Coventry
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Touch Judges: Nigel Whitehouse, Hugh Watkins (Wales)
Television Match Official: Derek Bevan (Wales)
Citing Commissioner: Peter Brown (Scotland)