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Ospreys take on 2017 Champions Cup winners Saracens on Saturday at the Liberty Stadium
Ospreys take on 2017 Champions Cup winners Saracens on Saturday at the Liberty Stadium, with both teams attempting to make up vital ground on Pool 2 leaders ASM Clermont Auvergne, live on Sky Sports. Saracens have won all four previous meetings in Europe between the clubs by single figure margins.
· Ospreys come into Saturday’s game having won back-to-back matches for the first time since 2011. However, they’ve not won three consecutive fixtures in the competition since the 2009/10 pool stage.
· In contrast, Saracens have lost two games on the bounce for the first time since January 2011 when they lost to Leinster and Clermont in consecutive weeks.
· Both clubs have scored 17 tries this season, the joint-highest in the competition.
· Saracens have the best lineout success rate (94%) this season; only three sides have a worse rate than Ospreys (82%).
Owen Farrell and Dan Biggar kicked Saracens and Ospreys to a 15-15 stalemate in an attritional affair at the Liberty Stadium in Pool 2 of the European Rugby Champions Cup on Saturday night. - 13/01/2018 21:42
Owen Farrell and Dan Biggar kicked Saracens and Ospreys to a 15-15 stalemate in an attritional affair at the Liberty Stadium in Pool 2 of the European Rugby Champions Cup on Saturday night.
- Northampton Saints' shock triumph over Pool 2 leaders ASM Clermont Auvergne earlier in the afternoon placed an added incentive on this crunch clash, but neither side were able to prevail, meaning ASM Clermont Auvergne retain a four-point lead at the summit with one round left to play before the knockout stages.
- Early pressure paid dividends for Saracens in the Welsh capital as Farrell nudged the visitors into a 6-0 lead in the opening quarter courtesy of Ospreys' indiscipline.
- Ospreys had a prime opportunity to seize the initiative when Rhys Webb released Ashley Beck deep into Saracens territory, only for the centre to squander possession as his inside pass was unable to locate an Ospreys jersey.
- Farrell went on to trade more penalty kicks with opposite number and Wales fly-half Dan Biggar as Saracens carried a slender 9-6 lead into the break.
- In a bruising encounter both sides began emptying their benches and Biggar levelled the scores at 9-9 with his third three-pointer of the evening, only for Farrell to nudge the visitors back ahead.
- In slotting a fourth penalty, Farrell surpassed Argentine Diego Dominguez to move fourth in the all-time European points scorers charts with 647 to his name.
- Saracens' American winger Chris Wyles was sent to the sin bin on 66 minutes and Ospreys made the personnel advantage count as Biggar drew the sides level once more with eight minutes to play.
- England's playmaker extraordinaire Farrell thought he had the final say as he rounded his tally up to 650, but Biggar booted Ospreys to parity in the dying embers of the match.
- The Welsh region, who retain second place are four points adrift of ASM Clermont Auvergne, who host Ospreys at the Stade Marcel Michelin next weekend, while Saracens face off with bottom side Northampton Saints at Allianz Park.
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