Clermont Auvergne vs Saracens: Owen Farrell and Brad Barritt both fit and ready for Sarries' French test
The European Champions Cup semi-final takes place on Saturday
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Your support makes all the difference.Owen Farrell, one of England’s big-name absentees during the Six Nations Championship, will play some part in Saracens’ attempt to reach a second successive European final by beating the powerhouse French side Clermont Auvergne in Saint-Etienne on Saturday.
The goal-kicking midfielder has not played since injuring a knee during the pool game against the same opposition in January. “He’s fit and available,” said rugby director, Mark McCall. “Charlie Hodgson will start at outside-half but it will be great to have someone like Owen on the bench.”
McCall also reported that another England midfielder, the centre Brad Barritt, had shown no ill effects from his comeback match against Leicester last Saturday and would feature in the semi-final. “In games as big as this one, you need your warriors,” he said. “No one exemplifies that more than Brad. His influence is profound.”
McCall oversaw Tuesday's training before travelling to Billy Vunipola’s appearance before a Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel – a hearing of great significance to Saracens, who will need all their heavy artillery against the team who overwhelmed Northampton in the quarter-final stage of Europe’s elite competition.
Vunipola was facing a charge of striking the Leicester full-back Mathew Tait with his head at a ruck. Saracens were intending to mount a strong defence of their England No 8, claiming there was nothing deliberate – or, indeed, reckless – in Vunipola’s act. McCall described it as “a straightforward rugby accident”.
In the event of Vunipola being suspended, the brilliant young back-five prospect Maro Itoje will face Clermont. Itoje, who led England’s Under-20s to a world title last summer, yesterday signed a contract extension.
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