Glasgow Warriors vs Saracens: Battle for top spot in Champions Cup Pool 1
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
High-flying Warriors look to remain perfect against English powerhouse
This year’s Champions Cup has already produced some incredible action, and the final match of the group stage promises to be a thrilling contest as Saracens head north to take on the Glasgow Warriors in a winner-takes-all clash at Scotstoun Stadium later this evening.
Both sides have had impressive campaigns, including victories over perennial title contenders Toulouse. With five points separating them in the Pool 1 standings, top spot is on the line, and you can get all the key insights for this match in our Glasgow Warriors vs Saracens prediction.
Glasgow have enjoyed an excellent Champions Cup season to this stage, taking the maximum 15 points from their three games with victories over Sale Sharks (26-21), Toulouse (28-21) and most recently away to Clermont Auvergne (33-21) last weekend.
Sarries, three-time champions of Europe’s elite club competition, enter this round in fourth place with 10 points, having notched up wins over Clermont (47-10) and Toulouse (20-14), either side on a loss to the Sharks (28-23) in Durban just before the festive season break.
For the Warriors, any victory in this match will guarantee them a top-two spot in the knockout seedings, meaning they will have a home run all the way until at least the semi-final, while a bonus-point win for Sarries will take them top of the table following Toulouse’s triumph against Sale last night.
The Glaswegian side enter this match as the favourites, but not by the biggest of margins, which is understandable given Sarries' pedigree. However, the visitors have only beaten the Premiership’s bottom two teams - Newcastle and Gloucester - on the road this season.
Huw Jones vs Rotimi Segun: Speedsters to take flight in Pool 1 finale
Stafford McDowell may have felt a little hard done by to lose his place in the Warriors’ midfield last week at Clermont, but Huw Jones quickly reminded onlookers why he featured in all of the British & Irish Lions games last summer and is considered one of the best centres in world rugby.
Jones had not played since May due to a knee injury sustained on the Lions’ tour of Australia, but upon his return, it took Glasgow’s number 13 just 17 minutes to score his first try of the Champions Cup season, crossing the whitewash with a blistering run beyond Clermont’s midfield.
He beat five defenders and led the match in metres made (92), while also contributing directly to another try on the night. It was confirmed earlier this week that Jones will be joining Top 14 giants Toulon next season, so he will certainly want to make his mark on this competition before departing Glasgow.
While Tom Willis produced a massive effort and was handed the Player of the Match award in the victory against Toulouse last weekend, the player who really caught the eye for Sarries was their fleet-footed winger Rotimi Segun, who has been recalled for this match thanks to his excellent performance.
Sarries number 11 was a joy to watch last weekend and received a fully deserved standing ovation when he was substituted in the 68th minute. He shook off an in-game ankle injury to score two tries in an incredible five-minute spell in the first half and carried with genuine intensity in the second period, helping his side wind down the clock en route to victory.