Clermont v Saracens: Key talking points ahead of the Champions Cup final
Dan Carter is part of Sky's live coverage of the European Champions Cup final. Watch Clermont Auvergne v Saracens live on Sky Sports 3 from 4pm on Saturday
Last Updated: 13/05/17 4:08pm
Saracens bid for back-to-back doubles starts on Saturday when they head to Edinburgh to defend their Champions Cup trophy against Clermont Auvergne.
Having won both the Premiership and the Champions Cup in 2016, a win on Saturday would set them up nicely for their Premiership semi-final against Exeter a week later.
Saracens are favourites to lift the trophy again and to leave Clermont floundering once again at the final hurdle.
This final hurdle has become a bit of a curse for Clermont - over the last five years they have competed in eight semi-finals across all competitions and do not have a trophy to show for it.
Will Saturday be the day they finally defeat their demons and lift some silverware or will Saracens make it two in a row?
We look at some key areas that will decide the outcome.
Camille Lopez v Owen Farrell
Over the last three to four years Farrell has developed into a world-class player and his winning mentality is crucial for Sarries.
Farrell is not about the flash - he rolls his sleeves up and gets on with the job - he does the basics better than most and knows exactly what game plan works and how to execute it.
Owen's boot is exceptional - whether it's a shot at goal, a kick for territory or a kick-chase.
To call Farrell just a workhorse is unfair - he also has an eye for space and an awareness of what is going on around him, however, his patience with and without the ball is what sets him apart. He is also one of the best defenders out there and will not shy away from his defensive duties.
Lopez is more about expressing his natural flair and he will need to balance this with the Clermont game plan. There is no doubting his talent and skills but he has developed a bit more control of late and it will be interesting to see if he can keep that new-found composure in the heat of a finals battle.
Like Farrell, his workrate is phenomenal and he runs the ball more than Farrell - although in the play-offs he executed some excellent Crossfield kicks showing his awareness of the space out wide. Lopez likes to play pretty flat on the gainline and will be urging his forwards to make sure they get him playing on the front foot.
Sticking to the game plan
Saracens are probably the best team in Europe for sticking to what works for them and having faith that it will pay off. There is that belief not only in themselves but also with each other too that keeps them well-structured and they do not make rash decisions at all.
"Saracens are very structured - if they are 10 points down they will still play the same," explained David Strettle who spent five years at Saracens before moving to Clermont.
"They will think a decision on the pitch is a good decision regardless of the score. You keep on playing in the right areas and keep on doing the right things.
"French clubs are different - if they go 10 points down they will start throwing the ball around and try different things.
"It's a case of making sure you perform for 80 minutes against Saracens because you can be guaranteed that they will.
"Teams can be better than them for 60 minutes but then they drop off or there may be a lull for 10 minutes just before or just after half-time and before you know it Owen Farrell has kicked three penalties.
"I know if we perform then we can beat them, but we have to go and perform - you can't rely on Saracens having an off day."
Defence
Against Leinster, Clermont raced to a 15-0 lead with some sublime attacking play orchestrated by that man Lopez. Saracens pride themselves in defence and it will take some doing to unlock it.
The midfield battle of Remi Lamerat and Aurelien Rougerie against Brad Barritt and Marcelo Bosch is going to be vital - not only in attack but in defence too. Lamerat is a big ball carrier for Clermont and can use both his power and his pace to get over the gainline. He certainly brings something extra to their midfield.
Barritt is the man who organises the Saracens defence and leads by example - he is arguably the most important man on the field with his role of defensive dictator. Bosch loves a bit of space and if Farrell can find him in space, then the Puma can make some big yards and release his wingers out wide.
Every player will be expected to do their fair share in defence and three of the top tacklers in the Champions Cup this year will be on show. Clermont lock Sebastien Vahaamahina leads the way with 90, followed by Sarries flanker Michael Rhodes on 82. Incredibly, Clermont hooker Benjamin Kayser is third on the list with 80.
Fritz Lee v Billy Vunipola
If Clermont are to prevail in Edinburgh then they have to stop Saracens carries - top of the list for them will be the steamroller Billy Vunipola. He enjoys a big run up from deep that usually takes a few defenders to bring him down and that often opens up space a phase or two later. Vunipola also like a cheeky offload too and his defence also plays a big part for Sarries.
Against Leinster, Fritz Lee carried 17 times for an average of three metres and also made 13 tackles. Lee is also exceptional at the breakdown and has been superb in this area winning 11 turnovers this campaign and slowing the ball down when necessary. While both sides have other carrying options, they often turn to their No 8s to get them on the front foot.
Set piece
The old adage that forwards decide who wins the game and the backs by how much is always relevant and both sets of forwards will be looking to stamp their authority on this game. Both scrums are excellent and should have parity but Saracens may have the edge at the lineout where George Kruis and Maro Itoje have reigned supreme.
With Jamie George firing his arrows, this could be a key platform for Saracens to launch their attack. Clermont's lineout is not bad either with Damien Chouly their main man. Saracens will be put pressure on him and force Kayser to throw to other options.
Clermont: 15 Scott Spedding, 14 David Strettle, 13 Aurélien Rougerie, 12 Rémi Lamerat, 11 Nick Abendanon, 10 Camille Lopez, 9 Morgan Parra, 1 Raphael Chaume, 2 Benjamin Kayser, 3 Davit Zirakashvili, 4 Arthur Iturria, 5 Sébastien Vahaamahina, 6 Damien Chouly (c), 7 Peceli Yato, 8 Fritz Lee.
Replacements: 16 John Ulugia, 17 Etienne Falgoux, 18 Aaron Jarvis, 19 Paul Jedrasiak, 20 Alexandre Lapandry, 21 Ludovic Radosavljevic, 22 Pato Fernandez, 23 Damien Penaud
Saracens: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Brad Barritt (c), 11 Chris Wyles, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Richard Wigglesworth, 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Jamie George, 3 Vincent Koch, 4 Maro Itoje, 5 George Kruis, 6 Michael Rhodes, 7 Jackson Wray, 8 Billy Vunipola.
Replacements: 16 Schalk Brits, 17 Titi Lamositele, 18 Petrus du Plessis, 19 Jim Hamilton, 20 Schalk Burger, 21 Ben Spencer, 22 Alex Lozowski, 23 Duncan Taylor.