LYON PREVIEW - Please add all match related comments here

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By The Saracens
January 12 2023

So we move from Friday night lights to Saturday night lights as the Premiership takes a back seat for a couple of weeks and we turn our minds back to the Heineken Cup. Just to reiterate (it was a while ago) the qualification rules in this year’s competition are fairly lax – the top 8 teams from 2 leagues of 12 go through to the knock out stage. (In other words it’s easier to qualify than not to qualify – something that seems rather ludicrous for a competition which wants to be seen as the best in the world).

Sarries are in 3^rd in pool A, behind Leinster and Exeter, with 9 points from 2 games. The team in 9^th place (Bordeaux Begles) have 2 points from 2 games which means although not mathematically certain, Sarries have probably done enough already and any win against Lyon would secure qualification. But it’s not quite that simple – top 4 secures a home tie in the last 16 and you end up playing the team from pool B in the correspondingly lower position (1 v 8, 2 v 7 etc). Right now we’d be taking on Munster at home but there’s a lot more water to flow under the bridge before then. The complexities of this tournament also mean that each team plays different teams to the others in their “mini pool” so while Sarries play Lyon and Edinburgh, Edinburgh play Sarries and Castres and Lyon play Sarries and Vodacom Bulls! What that means is that wins matter whoever you’re playing!

Our visitors on Saturday are Lyon. Lyon have 2 points from their 1^st 2 games. Qualification for them is possible still but how much will they want it (given what we know about French teams and away games). It will be interesting to see what sort of team they bring to a breezy (but hopefully dry – please!) StoneX on Saturday night. Sarries undoubtedly do want it and a 5 pointer would go a long way to securing a home tie in the round of 16.

Trial by BT Sport means Sarries will be without their captain and talisman Owen Farrell (given the way he was holding his ribs at the end of the Glos game I’m not sure he would have been fit anyway!) but although any team will miss a player of Owen’s calibre, Sarries are used to coping without him and have a tried and tested formula for these occasions which (I assume) will be in place this weekend: Goodey to 10, Daly to 15, Tompkins back to centre – providing the last 2 are now fit to play. Sure they will miss Owen’s determination on the pitch, sometimes he seems to power the team on his own, but this will be a different and slightly nuanced Sarries. Goodey is a very different (but no less effective) 10 and Daly has been outstanding at fullback this season.

The forward pack is for me even more important. Things haven’t always gone smoothly in the set piece or in the loose so the tight 5 need to make their mark early on: and we need to secure our line-out! I would like to see Mako Jamie and Riccioni scrum down with Maro and Nick at lock and Christie, Earl and Billy behind them. Van Zyl is the form 9 at the moment (although a bit tough on Aled who hasn’t had a lot of game time, but given the circumstances I’d stick with Van Zyl. The other question is does Segun get a start? I’d stick with Max on 1 wing but maybe Roti on the other?

Lyon have had something of a mixed time recently losing away to Toulon and home to Brive over the Christmas period before beating Pau away. Lyon are currently in 8^th place in the top 14 having won 8 of their 15 games. They are, however, only 4 points behind Bordeaux in 4^th so all to play for at home. Should Lyon come fully loaded they will provide a big challenge with the likes of Demba Bamba, Felix Lambey, Dylan Cretin, Jean-Marc Doussain, Joshua Tuisova (though sadly not Maxime Gouzou who suffered a ruptured ACL last week or Baptiste Couilloud who is out with whiplash). Joel Kpoku, who sparked some controversy with his comments around his time at Sarries before the game at the Matmut, may also feature.

Sarries are promising a light show before the game begins on Saturday. Our refereeing team are Italian: Andrea Piardi has the whistle assisted by Alex Frasson and Manuel Bottino with TMO Matteo Liperini. I know very little about Signor Piardi. Google tells us he incurred the wrath of Scarlets supporters when he downgraded a red to a yellow on the advice of TMO Brian McNeice in their game against Ulster. He was also in charge of the disastrous England Baabaas match last summer (hardly his fault). On that occasion Will Skelton received a red card, again on the advice of the TMO. So if nothing else it sounds like he listens to the man in the van which is ore than you can say for some referees we have come across recently!

I think Sarries will win and I expect them to get the full 5 which would take the pressure off a potentially tricky visit across the border next Sunday. But one thing about being a Saracens supporter – nothing is a given.

LYON PREVIEW - Please add all match related comments here

Posted by: TheSaracens.com (IP Logged)

Date: 12/01/2023 16:58

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:01:24:11:42:42 by Darraghgirl.