Racing 92 v Saracens: European Champions Cup final preview
By AFP
Last Updated: 14/05/16 7:00pm
France hooker Dimitri Szarzewski returns from injury to captain Racing 92 when they take on Saracens in Saturday's European Champions Cup final, live on Sky Sports 2 HD from 3.45pm.
Szarzewski injured his right knee in the 19-16 quarter-final victory over Toulon last month but has been deemed fit to start, with the experienced Virgile Lacombe preferred to Camille Chat on the bench.
All Blacks legend Dan Carter pairs up with France scrum-half Maxime Machenaud at half-back, inside a centre pairing of Alexandre Dumoulin and in-form South African Johannes Goosen, with Henry Chavancy among the replacements on his return from a thigh injury.
Brice Dulin is named at full-back with Argentina's Juan Imhoff and New Zealander Joe Rokocoko on the wings.
In the pack, a third All Black lines up at No 8 in Chris Masoe, alongside Bernard Le Roux and Wenceslas Lauret.
Welshman Luke Charteris pairs up with Francois van der Merwe in the boilerhouse behind props Eddy Ben Arous and Ben Tameifuna.
Tameifuna (Chiefs 2013), Rokocoko (Blues 2003) and Carter (Crusaders 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008) can all etch their name into the history books by adding the Champions Cup to their various Super Rugby crowns, only eight other players having achieved the feat.
Saracens will be captained by centre Brad Barritt, who is joined by Duncan Taylor in midfield outside England duo Owen Farrell and Richard Wigglesworth at half-back.
South African scrum-half Neil De Kock has failed to recover from a tweaked hamstring so Ben Spencer is named among the replacements, as is England hooker Jamie George.
Petrus du Plessis, Schalk Brits and Mako Vunipola form the front row ahead of England locks duo George Kruis and Maro Itoje, with Billy Vunipola continuing at No 8.
Racing 92: 15 Brice Dulin, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Johannes Goosen, 12 Alexandre Dumoulin, 11 Juan Imhoff, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Maxime Machenaud; 1 Eddy Ben Arous, 2 Dimitri Szarzewski (c), 3 Ben Tameifuna, 4 Luke Charteris, 5 Francois van der Merwe, 6 Wenceslas Lauret, 7 Bernard Le Roux, 8 Chris Masoe.
Replacements: 16 Virgile Lacombe, 17 Khatchik Vartanov, 18 Luc Ducalcon, 19 Manuel Carizza, 20 Antonie Claassen, 21 Mike Phillips, 22 Remi Tales, 23 Henry Chavancy.
Saracens: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Duncan Taylor, 12 Brad Barritt (c), 11 Chris Wyles, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Richard Wigglesworth; 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Schalk Brits, 3 Petrus du Plessis, 4 Maro Itoje, 5 George Kruis, 6 Michael Rhodes, 7 Will Fraser, 8 Billy Vunipola.
Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Richard Barrington, 18 Juan Figallo, 19 Jim Hamilton, 20 Jackson Wray, 21 Ben Spencer, 22 Charlie Hodgson, 23 Marcelo Bosch.
Watch Racing 92 v Saracens live on Sky Sports 2 HD on Saturday from 3.45pm. Catch the match for £6.99 with a NOW TV day pass