Team News: Racing 92 vs Saracens Men
Saracens Director of Rugby Mark McCall has named an unchanged 23 for the Heineken Champions Cup semi-final against Racing 92.
The Men in Black reached the last four of the competition by ending top seed Leinster’s 25-match unbeaten run with a 25-17 victory at the Aviva Stadium.
Sarries are unchanged from the win over Leinster in last weekend's quarter-final.
Alex Goode continues at fly-half after scoring 19 points, including EPCR’s try of the round – a move which saw him dot down following a delicious offload from Duncan Taylor.
England international Elliot Daly slotted two monster penalties, both of which came from scrum penalties. The front row of Mako Vunipola, Jamie George and Vincent Koch were explosive at the set-piece in the quarter-final and also completed over 50 tackles as a trio.
They were backed up by industrious locks Maro Itoje and Tim Swinson while Heineken Star of the Match Mike Rhodes and 250-cap Saracen Jackson Wray were also in fine form.
Number 8 Billy Vunipola provided a carrying threat along with captain Brad Barritt and wings Sean Maitland and Alex Lewington were excellent in retrieving possession from Richard Wigglesworth’s infamous box kicks.
From the starting XV, only Maitland and Wray began Saracens’ last trip to Paris in November. Tighthead Koch and replacements Callum Hunter-Hill and Manu Vunipola were also involved.
Saracens team to play Racing 92:
15 Elliot Daly (11)
14 Alex Lewington (52)
13 Duncan Taylor (131)
12 Brad Barritt (261)
11 Sean Maitland (78)
10 Alex Goode (301)
9 Richard Wigglesworth (248)
1 Mako Vunipola (170)
2 Jamie George (231)
3 Vincent Koch (86)
4 Maro Itoje (124)
5 Tim Swinson (4)
6 Mike Rhodes (98)
7 Jackson Wray (250)
8 Billy Vunipola (115)
Replacements
16 Tom Woolstencroft (41)
17 Richard Barrington (193)
18 Alec Clarey (6)
19 Callum Hunter-Hill (22)
20 Calum Clark (55)
21 Aled Davies (5)
22 Manu Vunipola (27)
23 Dom Morris (25)
