Sunday 6 April 2008

Sarries squeeze through

Saracens held off an inform Ospreys at Vicarage Road today to secure a spot in the Heineken Cup semi-finals.

The Heineken Cup is indubitably one the world's greatest rugby competitions and the nearest thing to test rugby outside of the international scene.

Saracens progress in the competition is all new ground for the north London club, yet they tackled the Welsh challenge surprisingly calmly and efficiently.

It is less than a month since the Ospreys decimated Saracens at the Millennium Stadium in the EDF semis, recording a 30-3 win. A result that made today's reversal even sweeter.

Even though the Ospreys, full of Welsh grand-slam winners, have been in scintillating form they could only convert their possession into one try late on.

Glen Jackson contributed 14 points towards the 19-10 win, but it has been a huge team effort for the club to reach this stage.

They will now have to face Munster at the Ricoh Arena after the Irish side used all their experience to see off Gloucester 16-3 at Kingsholm.

Old Heads

In the other two quarter finals London Irish produced a magnificent display to hold of Perpignan while perennial challengers Toulouse ended any Welsh representation by emphatically dispatching Cardiff Blues.

Toulouse are now firm favourites to lift the cup although Munster also now how to win the big games in Europe.

Having got this far though neither of the English teams can be written off.