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Brad Barritt has warned his Saracens side not to get carried away after their opening Pool 1 victory and to expect a tough test when they play French rugby's big spenders Racing Metro 92 at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels. - 19/10/2012 09:00
Brad Barritt has warned his Saracens side not to get carried away after their opening Pool 1 victory and to expect a tough test when they play French rugby’s big spenders Racing Metro 92 at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels.
Saracens certainly turned on the style and enjoyed a startling 45-0 defeat of Edinburgh Rugby – last season's semi-finalists – at Murrayfield to catapult them to top of the group.
For their part Racing Metro will be determined to use the 22-17 victory over Munster Rugby at Stade de France as the foundation to build a genuine assault on European rugby's premier competition this season.
The England centre, who made his 100th appearance for Saracens in the five-try win over Edinburgh, expects a tough challenge when they face the Paris-based side in the first tournament match played in Belgium.
“They're a very successful side littered with some very talented players,” said Barritt. “So we are under no illusions, its going to be a tough outing.
“Going to Brussels is hugely exciting, playing in a different stadium is always something that excites the players, going to Brussels and taking rugby to a new audience is a very exciting venture.
“We are going to have to stick to our guns, apply the same pressure as last week and be even more clinical than last week.”
The King Baudouin Stadium was scheduled to stage a Heineken Cup game between Ulster Rugby and Stade Francais Paris in 2009 but bad weather forced a postponement on the morning of the match.
The King Baudouin, which has been Belgium's national stadium since 1930, has a capacity of 50,000 and normally stages international football and athletics meetings.
It was formerly known as the Heysel Stadium and the darkest chapter in its history occurred in 1985 when 39 supporters died and more than 600 were injured after a wall collapsed during the 1985 European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus.
Following the tragedy, the stadium underwent major renovation work during the 1990s.
Match Facts
Fly-half Charlie Hodgson mustered 25 points last weekend and is the early leading points-scorer in the 2012/13 Heineken Cup.
Victory over Edinburgh last weekend was the third time the Premiership club have held a side scoreless in Europe.
Saracens are searching for their 25th Heineken Cup victory this week.
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
Steve Borthwick proved that Saracens had the greater muscles in Brussels as he bulldozed his way over for a crucial try close to the posts at the King Baudouin Stadium to mark Belgium becoming the 10th country to stage Heineken Cup action in style.
His 28th-minute score was a major factor in putting the Pool 1 skids under Racing Metro 92 with a 30-13 victory.
The Paris club had also started with a win, beating former double champions Munster at Stade de France, but a week after keeping a clean sheet against Edinburgh with a 45-0 opening win, Saracens made it two from two to take early control of the group.
Former Bath star Olly Barkley had kicked Racing into a first minute lead but a 21st-minute try from left wing Chris Wyles and the accurate goal kicking of outside-half Charlie Hodgson had Racing on the back foot.
Seven minutes later, Borthwick, typically leading from the front, stormed over and, at 17 points clear at the break, Sarries appeared pretty much in charge.
But some marvelous handling and interchange passing produced a stunning try for Pumas wing Juan Imhoff and in the process reminded Saracens they still had plenty of work to do.
Their advantage was further reduced by a Gaetan Germain penalty but, with just three minutes remaining, excellent work by Hodgson put flanker Will Fraser into a hole in the Racing defence and their third try, converted by Hodgson for a match haul of 15 points, was the final nail in the Racing coffin.
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