Champions Cup questions: Will Sale stop Saracens charge?
Friday 9 December 2016 19:52, UK
Ahead of round three of the Champions Cup, we take a look at some of the crucial matches taking place this weekend including the all-Premiership affair at Allianz Park and Connacht's trip to an in-form Wasps.
Will Sale halt Sarries' charge towards Munster's milestone?
Saracens started their title defence in impressive fashion in rounds one and two, as they ended Toulon's unbeaten European home record at the Stade Mayol and secured a bonus-point victory at home to the Scarlets.
Mark McCall's side have not lost in Europe since they were beaten 13-9 by Clermont in the 2015 semi-final on French turf, and they became the first side to win all nine matches in one season to take the title last campaign.
The north London club now find themselves two wins away from equalling Munster's record of 13 successive tournament victories, with back-to-back encounters over premiership rivals Sale Sharks next up.
Saracens go into the game on the back of a 14-11 defeat to Bath but welcome back international quartet Mako Vunipola, Jamie George, Owen Farrell and George Kruis, who will resume his club and country partnership with IRB Breakthrough Player of the Year, Maro Itoje.
They will also unleash Australian international Will Skelton off the bench, adding to what is an already plentiful second row.
Sale will have to be aware of Saracens' points machine Owen Farrell. The 25-year-old is currently the leading points scorer in the competition on 35 points and, in round two, he became the eighth player in tournament history to pass the 500-point mark and is now sixth on the all-time list with 505 to his name.
Steve Diamond's side are yet to record a victory in this year's tournament and have already come out on the wrong side of the reigning Premiership and European champions when they met in league action in November - Saracens recording a 28-13 victory - but Diamond is keen to use Saturday's game to build his side's confidence.
"We are not playing well as a team at the moment and we need to get some confidence back into the players and the squad," said Diamond.
"We will use the game on Saturday to do just that. We are up against probably the best club side in the world that have massive strength in depth."
Will Scarlets maintain their 100 per cent record at the Stade Mayol?
The Scarlets go into round three facing the prospect of a trip to the Stade Mayol, a fortress that hadn't been breached in Champions Cup history until the visit of Saracens in round one.
The welsh side's 24-31 victory over Zebre last weekend ensured the region secured three consecutive wins in the same season since the end of the 2014-2015 campaign, but it was far from plain sailing for the visitors as the Italians fought back in the final quarter - scoring two tries and securing a losing bonus point.
The Scarlets are one of only two teams to boast a 100 per cent record since round two, and find themselves third in pool three, level on points with Sunday's opponents.
If Scarlets are to pull off a victory in the south of France, they will have to do it without international centre Jonathan Davies who is sidelined with a tight hamstring.
Their hosts on Sunday sit third in the top 14, with seven wins out of 13 and go into the fixture on the back of a 37-10 victory over Bordeaux-Begles at home.
However, Mike Ford's side have failed to set European competition alight so far, backing up the round one defeat with a sluggish performance at the AJ Bell Stadium against Sale.
Toulon will be without Australia star Drew Mitchell, who has been ruled out of the back-to-back meetings after he limped out of last weekend's bonus-point victory after a collision with Adam Ashley-Cooper, with the equally dangerous James O'Connor taking his fellow countryman's place.
Will Clermont continue their perfect start?
The French side have made a storming start to the 2016/2017 competition having already beaten Exeter Chiefs and Bordeaux-Begles with bonus points to sit pretty at the top of pool five.
The men of the Stade Marcel Michelin have won their last five European outings against Irish sides - four of them against Munster and one against Leinster - but Belfast has not been a happy hunting ground for them so far. On the one previous occasion they made the trip to Belfast, in 2011, Ulster ran out 16-11 winners.
Les Kiss' side will be without Jared Payne for the clash at the Kingspan Stadium; the Irish international will spend the next three months on the sidelines due to a kidney injury
Clermont, meanwhile, were beaten 40-35 by Pau in a game of nine tries at Stade du Hamea, far from ideal preparation for the two-time finalists.
Ulster welcome back key duo Rory Best and Paddy Jackson for the must-win encounter. Best returns at hooker after captaining Ireland during their historic November series, with Jackson named at fly-half as Ulster seek an eighth win in nine home games against French opposition.
Two-time finalists Clermont have made wholesale changes to the side that lost 40-35 at Pau last weekend as French internationals Wesley Fofana and Scott Spedding are restored to their backline, so expect a different prospect as they take to the field at the Kingspan.
Will Lam's announcement effect Connacht?
Wasps have won their last three games on home soil in the Champions Cup, and have never lost at home to Irish opposition in the competition.
But the main question is how Pat Lam's announcement of his departure will affect Connacht?
The former Samoa flanker led Connacht to their maiden Guinness PRO12 title in 2016 in one of rugby's greatest fairytales, but has this week announced that his future lies away from Galway as he signed a deal with Premiership basement side Bristol.
Speaking at the time of the announcement, Lam said: "Rugby should never be about the individual as players and coaches will always come and go. We have worked hard to have the structures and systems in place to ensure the future success of the province for our community.
"I truly believe that through our strategic plan and the vision of Grassroots to Green Shirts, Connacht Rugby is in an extremely strong place going forward."
However, it is unknown what effect his departure will have in the short term as his side takes to the field in their toughest match-up so far against a star-studded Wasps outfit.
On the field, Connacht's emerging star, Cian Kelleher, leads the statistics in three categories going into the crucial back-to-back fixtures. The full-back cum wing has made the most metres (246), the most carries (34) and his total of 15 defenders beaten is only equalled by Clermont's Wesley Fofana and Joey Carbery of Leinster.
Wasps will be boosted by the debut of Kurtley Beale who partners Alapati Leiua in the centres. The Australia international has been named at inside centre following a seven-month injury lay-off with a patella tendon problem and will be keen to show his worth to his new employers.
Who will come out on top in the all-French affair?
Despite facing each other in the Top 14 on a regular basis, Montpellier and Castres meet for the first time in Europe's top competition, with both coming into the fixture on the back of a victory.
Montpellier have won each of their last five home games against Top 14 teams in Europe, two of those wins coming in the Champions Cup, while Castres haven't won a Champions Cup fixture away from home since a 9-6 win against Glasgow Warriors in December 2012.
Montpellier's ruck success is the lowest in the tournament (92 per cent), four per cent lower than Castres while no player has won as many turnovers this season as Montpellier's Paul Willemse (six), two more than Castres' Mathieu Babillot in second place.
The two sides have locked horns once already this season with Montpellier running out 28-19 winners on home soil.
Despite scoring 51 points in last weekend's Top 14 win at Grenoble, Jake White has rotated his Montpellier side for the Altrad Stadium contest as international trio Jesse Mogg, Alexandre Dumoulin and Nemani Nadolo come into the backline.
Their opponents, Castres, make five changes to the team that won 23-19 at Lyon last weekend, with Samoan flyer David Smith returning on the wing and Afusipa Taumoepeau named at inside centre.
Montpellier have won their last five home games against Top 14 sides in European competition, while Castres' last win on the road in the Champions Cup came in December 2012 at Glasgow.
