Racing Metro v Saracens: European Rugby Champions Cup preview
Last Updated: 05/04/15 5:24pm
Saracens travel to Racing Metro for their Champions Cup quarter-final tie on Easter Sunday full of confidence on the back of five straight wins.
Richard Wigglesworth captains the visitors in the absence of injured club captain Alistair Hargreaves with in-form duo Chris Ashton and David Strettle on the wings and Alex Goode at full-back.
Petrus Du Plessis returns at tighthead and Jim Hamilton replaces Hargreaves at lock, joining George Kruis in the second row.
Kelly Brown, Neil de Kock and Maro Itoje must settle for places among the replacements.
Racing themselves come into the last eight clash in good form, a surprise loss at Brive last month their only defeat in seven and they remain right in the hunt for the Top 14 title.
They were also the only club to go unbeaten during the pool stages and Sarries coach Mark McCall admitted his side will have to be wary of the French side’s commanding pack.
"We are in very good spirits at the moment," he said. "To have won our last five in a row is very pleasing.
“We have watched Racing a lot over the last week, especially their win at Northampton, and they were very good that day.
"They have got superb half-backs and a big forward pack, but we have been buoyed by our recent results."
Racing Metro 92: 15 Brice Dulin, 14 Juan Imhoff, 13 Henry Chavancy, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 Teddy Thomas, 10 Jonny Sexton, 9 Maxime Machenaud; 1 Eddy Ben Arous, 2 Dimitri Szarzewski (c), 3 Luc Ducalcon, 4 Luke Charteris, 5 Francois van der Merwe, 6 Wenceslas Lauret, 7 Camille Gerondeau, 8 Antonie Claassen.
Replacements: 16 Virgile Lacombe, 17 Julien Brugnaut, 18 Brian Mujati, 19 Fabrice Metz, 20 Thibault Dubarry, 21 Mike Phillips, 22 Johannes Goosen, 23 Alexandre Dumoulin.
Saracens: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Chris Wyles, 11 David Strettle, 10 Charlie Hodgson, 9 Richard Wigglesworth (c); 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Jamie George, 3 Petrus du Plessis, 4 George Kruis, 5 Jim Hamilton, 6 Jackson Wray, 7 Jacques Burger, 8 Billy Vunipola.
Replacements: 16 Schalk Brits, 17 Rhys Gill, 18 James Johnston, 19 Maro Itoje, 20 Kelly Brown, 21 Matt Hankin, 22 Neil de Kock, 23 Nick Tompkins.