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Saracens and Toulon will both have uncharted territory in their sights when they clash in Sunday's semi-final showdown at Twickenham Stadium - a debut place in a prestigious Heineken Cup final. - 23/04/2013 11:19
Saracens and Toulon will both have uncharted territory in their sights when they clash in Sunday’s semi-final showdown at Twickenham Stadium – a debut place in a prestigious Heineken Cup final.
Saracens are in their second semi-final, losing 18-16 to Munster at the Ricoh Arena five years ago, while Toulon are in the last four in only their second season in the top flight of European club rugby.
It will be the first time the clubs – who each lead their respective domestic tournaments – have met in the blue riband tournament although the clubs have played each other in the Amlin Challenge Cup.
They met twice in the 2009/10 Pool stage winning one apiece while captain and international lock Steve Borthwick, who will be playing his 50th tournament match, along with several of his team-mates are no strangers to playing at the home of English rugby.
And they will also be boosted by the fact that five of the last six semi-finals have been won by the side with ‘home country’ advantage on the day.
Saracens suffered one group stage defeat on their way to qualifying for the knock-out stages, a 15-9 reverse against Munster at Thomond Park, while doing the double over both Edinburgh Rugby and Racing Metro 92.
They booked their place in the last four with a 27-16 victory over 2012 finalists Ulster Rugby while Toulon suffered their only group stage blip in Round 6 when they were stunned 23-3 at Montpellier.
They also did the double – in their case over Cardiff Blues and Sales Sharks – before ending former double winners Leicester Tigers’ hopes with a thrilling 21-15 quarter-final win.
However, both teams have masters of the goal kicking art, Owen Farell for Saracens and Jonny Wilkinson for Toulon, who could each hold the balance in a tight affair.
Farrell is in second spot in this season’s leading points scorer with 92 with Wilkinson on 73 while wing Chris Ashton has crossed for four tries to Toulon’s leading try scorer Delon Armitage on three.
Match facts
• Toulon have won all five of their clashes with English opponents in this tournament.
• Steve Borthwick has won more line-outs (42, including three steals) than any other player in this season’s tournament.
• Steffon Armitage and Jonny Wilkinson have both weighed in with four try assists this season, only Morgan Parra (5) has more.
• Saracens’ Kelly Brown made eight more tackles (21) than any other player in the quarter-finals.
Sarà una sfida tutta francese tra due finaliste inedite quella che si giocherà all'Aviva Stadium sabato 18 maggio. Dopo Clermont
Jonny Wilkinson returned to Twickenham Stadium to kick another English club out of the Europe as he steered Toulon into their first Heineken Cup final with a record-breaking performance in their 24-12 victory over Saracens.
Wilkinson’s boot was too hot for Leicester Tigers in the quarter-final, when he scored all 21 points in a 21-15 win, and he didn’t miss as he slotted seven out of seven penalties and manufactured a miracle drop goal back at the home of English rugby.
Saracens’ new English No 10 star Owen Farrell landed four of his five penalty attempts, but the master triumphed in the end as he set a Heineken Cup semi-final points record with his haul of 24 and equalled the record for penalties in the last four.
It means that 10 years on from the last time the Heineken Cup final was played in Dublin there will be another all-French final in the Irish capital when the current top two teams in the Top14 clash at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, 18 May – ASM Clermont Auvergne v Toulon.
The first round of the goalkicking duel went to Owen Farrell as he hit the mark fro 40 metres in the third minute, but Jonny Wilkinson quickly found his range and sent Toulon into a 9-3 lead with three successive strikes.
The first-half was dominated by the two boots of the respective English outside halves and the only one who blinked in a series of eight kicks was Farrell as the opening period ended with the French side leading 12-9.
Farrell had the benefit of a slight breeze in the first-half and his one miss was the difference between the two sides at the break. Wilkinson ensured he made full use of the elements in the second half as he landed a monster penalty from two metres inside his own half.
That kick, his sixth in a row, came after he and Farrell had swapped penalties in the opening 10 minutes of the second half as the pressure mounted. Saracens managed to get the ball wide on a couple of occasions, but their handling let them down.
A long pass from Farrell when Saracens had a four-on-two overlap in the Toulon 22 went forward and denied Kelly Brown a try. That chance came from a brilliant line break from England prop Mako Vunipola, but the chances were too few and far between for the English Premiership leaders Saracens.
At 18-12 the game was still hanging in the balance, but then Wilkinson sealed Sarries fate with a drop goal struck while he took a huge hit from Farrell. He hit the deck, but the drop goal hit the mark and the Toulon skipper had cleaned up again.
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