Rugby

Connacht's Champions Cup play-off details confirmed

Both Saracens and Clermont name teams for this weekend’s Champions Cup final

The Connacht squad train at the Sportsground in Galway, ahead of their play-off later this month. Photograph: Inpho

Fri May 12 2017 - 14:10

Connacht's play-off for next season's Champions Cup will take place on Saturday May 20th, in Franklin's Gardens or Kingsholm.

That will depend on whether they face Northampton Saints or Gloucester.

Gloucester take on Stade Francais in the Challenge Cup final on Friday night, if they win then they earn themselves a play-off spot, otherwise Northampton will play Connacht having finished in seventh place in the Premiership.

That encounter will kick-off at 4pm.

READ MORE

Stade Français Paris take on Cardiff Blues in the other play-off at Stade Jean Bouin, at 6pm.

The winner of the Connacht match will have home advantage in the play-off final on Friday May 26th (7.45pm).

Meanwhile both ASM Clermont Auvergne and Saracens have named their starting teams for Saturday’s Champions Cup final in Edinburgh.

The action kicks off at 5pm in BT Murrayfield Stadium. Chris Wyles replaces the injured Sean Maitland for Saracens, while Clermont remain unchanged from the team that beat Leinster in the semi-final.

ASM Clermont Auvergne: Scott Spedding; David Strettle, Aurélien Rougerie, Remi Lamerat, Nick Abendanon; Camille Lopez, Morgan Parra; Raphael Chaume, Benjamin Kayser, Davit Zirakashvili; Arthur Iturria, Sébastien Vahaamahina; Damien Chouly (capt), Peceli Yato, Fritz Lee.

Replacements: John Ulugia, Etienne Falgoux, Aaron Jarvis, Paul Jedrasiak, Alexandre Lapandry, Ludovic Radosavljevic , Pato Fernandez, Damian Penaud.

Saracens: Alex Goode; Chris Ashton, Marcelo Bosch, Brad Barritt (capt), Chris Wyles; Owen Farrell, Richard Wigglesworth; Mako Vunipola, Jamie George, Vincent Koch; Maro Itoje, George Kruis; Michael Rhodes, Jackson Wray, Billy Vunipola.

Replacements: Schalk Brits, Titi Lamositele, Petrus du Plessis, Jim Hamilton, Schalk Burger, Ben Spencer, Alex Lozowski, Duncan Taylor.

LATEST STORIES