Sat. Jul 6th, 2024
Occasional Digest - a story for you

Saracens number eight Billy Vunipola
Number eight Billy Vunipola returns to the Saracens side for their game with Lyon in the Champions Cup
Venue: StoneX Stadium Date: Saturday, 20 January Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
Coverage: Listen live on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC Sounds, BBC Sport website and app, with live text updates, report & reaction also available on the BBC Sport website & app

Saracens make four changes to the side thrashed in Bordeaux for their final Investec Champions Cup pool match with Lyon at StoneX Stadium.

Rotimi Segun and Lucio Cinti are named on the wings, while Juan Martin Gonzalez comes into the back-row and Billy Vunipola starts at number eight.

Lyon have already secured their place in the round of 16.

Saracens will join the French side in the knockout stages with victory after Connacht beat Bristol on Friday.

The three-time winners remain fifth but can leapfrog the Irish province, who they trail by one point, with victory or a losing bonus if they are beaten by fewer than 20 points.

If the Premiership club finish empty-handed against Lyon, Connacht will claim the final qualification place.

Sarries have lost five of their past seven matches, including a 55-15 defeat by Bordeaux Begles in their last pool game.

“It was a tough result to take last week. Having said that, we’re grateful that all the boys are fit and healthy and we can start building from what essentially is the bottom,” said Billy Vunipola.

There are things for us to build on. If we can get our foundations right, I’m sure we will be alright.

“We’ll get better and I’m sure we will be in the mix by the end of this tournament.”

New England captain Jamie George is understood to be unavailable after reportedly having an injection in his neck, although he is expected to be fit for the start of the Six Nations next month.

Line-ups

Saracens: Goode; Segun, Daly, Tompkins, Cinti, Farrell (capt), Van Zyl; Mulipola, Dan, Judge, Itoje, Isiekwe, Gonzalez, Earl, B Vunipola.

Replacements: Hadfield, Crean, Hoskins, Tizard, Knight, Simpson, Hartley, Parton.

Lyon: Tchaptchet; Ioane, Parisien, Maraku, Niniashvili; Berdeu, Rimet; Rey, Charcosset, Kaabeche, Kpoku, Vignolles, Okuya, William, Gouzou.

Replacements: Coltman, Taofifenua, Tafili, Goujon, Lambey, Dumas, Godwin, Smith.

Across the BBC bannerAcross the BBC footer

Source link

Discover more from Occasional Digest

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading