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Clermont Auvergne vs Saracens Champions Cup player ratings: Owen Farrell superb as Sarries win again

We run the rule over the two teams

Jack de Menezes

Murrayfield

Saturday 13 May 2017 20:49 BST

Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

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1/31Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

We run the rule over the two teams.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Scott Spedding – 6 out of 10

Showed impressive footwork to get himself out of trouble when collecting the high ball but he could not stem the wave of pressure coming his way. Failure to collect the ball when chiped behind proved costly.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

David Strettle – 6 out of 10

Relatively quiet against his former side. One notable play saw him flick a Lopez cross-field kick to Spedding, but otherwise did little of note.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Aurélien Rougerie – 7 out of 10

Won a pressure-relieving penalty on his own 5m line, and his powerful run off an attacking 5m scrum and subsequent offload set-up the try for Lamerat. A shame that he departed before the game was done.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Remi Lamerat – 7 out of 10

Scored Clermont’s first try after supporting centre partner Rougerie. Had a spikiness to his game that showed in a clash with Michael Rhodes.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Nick Abendanon – 7 out of 10

Caught out of position for Ashton’s try as the former England international went AWOL. However, he made up for it by finishing one of the tries of the season as he dived over after a length of the field socre.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Camille Lopez – 7 out of 10

Lovely show-and-go fooled the Sarries defence shortly before half-time and his tactical kicking was, on the whole, reliable, though he could have been smarter with his placement. A danger with the ball in hand.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Morgan Parra – 6 out of 10

Rarely looked to snipe around the edges and spurned points with the boot as he missed a crucial penalty attempt straight after the final Saracens try.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Raphael Chaume – 8 out of 10

Took on Koch and got the better of him with a very powerful display in the scrum. Defended well as he had to do a lot of work.

Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Benjamin Kayser – 7 out of 10

Very impressive in the lineout given the dangers that lurked in the Saracens line. Scrummaged well and can be proud of his performance.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Davit Zirakashvili – 7 out of 10

Had to leave the field early for treatment on a blood injury but returned and added weight to a strong Clermont front-row.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Arthur Iturria – 6 out of 10

Had to take on the responsibility when Vahaamahina limped out, and he struggled to impose on the Sarries jumpers.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Sébastien Vahaamahina – 6 out of 10

His weight added serious brawn to the scrum but he was relatively anonymous in the loose and limped out of the game when he damaged his ankle around the hour mark.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Damien Chouly – 7 out of 10

The skipper was very impressive in the ruck and caused problems for the Saracens rucks.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Peceli Yato – 7 out of 10

One charge down the right wing in the first half produced a chance for his side that they couldn’t convert, despite his 40m gain.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Fritz Lee – 6 out of 10

The broad No 8 could have done more in the loose as he was overshadowed by his opposite man.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Alex Goode – 8 out of 10

His kick when Saracens were on the attack set-up Nick Abendanon’s incredible try, but he more than made up for it with the match-sealing score.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Chris Ashton – 7 out of 10

Needed just 13 minutes to break Vincent Clerc’s European record of 36 tries as he finished with a trademark Ash Splash. Kept quiet in the second half but he’d already done his bit.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Marcelo Bosch – 7 out of 10

Emerged triumphant in a gruelling battle with Aurelien Rougerie, and it was his hard running that forced Clermont’s wingers inside to set-up the final try.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Brad Barritt – 7 out of 10

His best work came in defence as he won a penalty when turning over opposite man Lamerat, and took his leave around the hour mark looking battered and bruised, as always.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Chris Wyles – 7 out of 10

Didn’t see as much of the ball as Ashton did, but he chased kicks relentless and it was his pressure that forced Spedding into a knock-on and paved the way for Goode’s try.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Owen Farrell – 8 out of 10

Looked to bring his back line into the game early that brought success and stretched the Clermont defence. Displayed his excellent hand work in the second half and was a defensive rock.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Richard Wigglesworth – 7 out of 10

Didn’t need to kick as much as we’ve become accustomed too as Sarries dominated possession. Started to get around the edges as Clermont tired.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Mako Vunipola – 8 out of 10

Very impressive with the ball inn hand as he made his presence felt, and also put in shift in defence as ha rarely took a backwards step. Involved in a to and fro battle with Zirakashvili in the scrum that he just about edged.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Jamie George – 7 out of 10

Spotted the smallest of gaps to break the line and surge in the Clermont 22 but it was one of many missed opportunities for Saracens. Ultra-reliable at the lineout and it was a display that pushed his starting Lions claims once again.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Vincent Koch – 7 out of 10

Struggled slightly with Chaume but he was far more effective in open play, with his surge into the 22 a particular highlight.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Maro Itoje – 7 out of 10

Disrupted Clermont ball superbly to make life uncomfortable for their pack, and was a force in defence. Faultless at the lineout.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

George Kruis – 8 out of 10

Supported Goode well to pick-and-go for his try, and he called the lineout to perfection. Back to his best, there’s no doubt about it.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Michael Rhodes – 7 out of 10

Very much the Sarries enforcer as he tried to bully the Clermont pack, both on the ball and off it.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Jackson Wray – 6 out of 10

Relatively quiet and was replaced by Schalk Burger midway through the second half.

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Clermont vs Saracens: Player ratings

Billy Vunipola – 8 out of 10

Set the tone with a brilliant catch above former teammate Strettle and Clermont could not cope with his power, with one second-half run producing nearly 15 metres after contact.

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Saracens kept alive their hopes of the double-double after beating Clermont Auvergne 28-17 to win the European Champions Cup for the second consecutive time, becoming just the fourth side in history to achieve the feat.

Having won the Champions Cup last year in defeating Racing 92, Saracens repeated their success over French opposition by dispatching Clermont, though the Top 14 semi-finalists refused to go away without a fight as it took a 72nd minute try from Alex Goode to kill off their challenge.

Sarries took the lead when Chris Ashton got on the end of a smart kick from Goode across field into space that allowed the former England wing to collect the ball on the bounce and dive over for his 37th European try, taking him ahead of previous record holder Vincent Clerc’s haul of 26.

The lead grew when Goode broke through the Clermont defence, and despite being hauled down short, George Kruis was on hand to burrow over.

Clermont hit back though as a strong run from Aurelien Rougerie and a smart offload allowed Remi Lamerat to score, before a length of the field try was finished expertly by former England wing Nick Abendanon.

But Owen Farrell kept the scoreboard ticking over as he scored 13 points with the boot, while Goode’s try ended the contest to ensure Saracens secured the first half of their attempt to win the double for a second consecutive year.

Click on the gallery below to see our ratings from the final.

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