European Rugby Champions Cup final: Saracens beat Clermont Auvergne 28-17

Summary

Final score: Saracens 28-17 Clermont Auvergne
Saracens win back-to-back European titles
Ashton, Kruis, Goode tries, Farrell 2 cons & 3 pens for Saracens
Lamerat, Abendanon tries, Parra 2 cons & 1 pen for Clermont
Ashton now leading all-time try scorer in European Cup with 37
Clermont have now lost all three of their European Cup finals

Live Reporting

Mike Henson

Murrayfield walkaboutpublished at 16:44 British Summer Time 13 May 2017
Clermont Auvergne v Saracens (17:00 BST)
The Saracens players have had a little walk around on the pitch to get acclimatised to their Murrayfield air.
It is a dry day, with a bit of wind puffing about.
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Mark McCall 'a silent assassin'published at 16:42 British Summer Time 13 May 2017
Clermont Auverge v Saracens (17:00 BST)
Image source, Getty Images
Saracens number eight Billy Vunipola has been heaping praise on his director of rugby Mark McCall this week.
Vunipola, 24, will be on the plane to New Zealand this summer with the British and Irish Lions but will first try to secure a double-double with club coach McCall.
"Mark McCall is the quietest, smartest operator out there," he told BBC Radio 5 live's Sonja McLaughlan.
"He's like a silent assassin - he sits back and watches everything unfold. He's truly one of the best analysers of the game and of people's emotions."
Saracens' South African safaripublished at 16:40 British Summer Time 13 May 2017
Clermont Auvergne v Saracens (17:00 BST)
Image source, Rex Features
Billy Vunipola also opened up about some of those "team bonding" trips that Saracens have become famed for in recent seasons.
Saracens embarked on a 36-hour trip to Barcelona straight after their Champions Cup semi-final victory over Munster.
But Vunipola told BBC Radio 5 live about a rather more exotic adventure.
"I'm not bragging here but we went skiing to St Anton and in South Africa we went on a safari trip.
"There were six elephants and the boss elephant was leading everyone and the little cute one was just at the back, kicking around doing his own thing.
"It was nice to see because it was kind of like a team. You're only as strong as your weakest link."
Postpublished at 16:39 British Summer Time 13 May 2017
Clermont Auvergne v Saracens (17:00 BST)
Northampton Saints' Tom Wood is supporting Premiership rivals Saracens today.
Postpublished at 16:36 British Summer Time 13 May 2017
Clermont Auverge v Saracens (17:00 BST)
Image source, Getty Images
If anyone should have the inside line on the English champions in the Clermont camp it is David Strettle.
He played for Saracens for five years before heading to France in 2015.
He believes that while Sarries may be more solid, Clermont, being French, have dangerous depths of maverick brilliance.
"Saracens don't have a bad day, they are consistently good", he said.
"They are for me the number one team in Europe. However, Clermont's good days are better than Saracens' good days so if we are playing well, we can win."
Image source, getty
An opportunity to create a legacypublished at 16:34 British Summer Time 13 May 2017
Clermont Auvergne v Saracens (17:00 BST)
Former England and British and Irish Lions winger Ugo Monye has been chewing the pre-game fat with 5 live's Chris Jones.
"A fantastic team, a wonderful team, an elite-level team."
Ugo's almost as much a fan of Saracens as he is of the thesaurus.
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Sonja swallowed by the yellow and blue seapublished at 16:30 British Summer Time 13 May 2017
Clermont Auvergne v Saracens (17:00 BST)
Can you spot BBC touchline reporter Sonja McLaughlan?
Image source, Sonja McLaughlan/Twitter
Back home in Clermont-Ferrandpublished at 16:29 British Summer Time 13 May 2017
Clermont Auvergne v Saracens (17:00 BST)
Image source, Getty
And back home in France, those who haven't made the trip to Scotland are packing out the town square in Clermont-Ferrand.
Edinburgh's new lookpublished at 16:27 British Summer Time 13 May 2017
Clermont Auvergne v Saracens (17:00 BST)
The Clermont fans travel in large number and loud volume.
Edinburgh has been spattered blue and yellow by the travelling fans.
Image source, PA
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Russian relationspublished at 16:25 British Summer Time 13 May 2017
Enisey-STM 36-8 Krasny Yar
Image source, Getty Images
There has already been a European final on the Murrayfield pitch today.
The Continental Shield - which features club sides from tier two nations - has concluded with Enisey-STM beating fellow Russians and cross-town rivals Krasny Yar Krasnoyarsk in the first-ever running of the tournament.
Seems like a good idea to grow the game to me.
get involved
Get Involved - England or France?published at 16:23 British Summer Time 13 May 2017
#bbcrugby
Image source, Getty
It's a seventh Anglo-French decider this afternoon.
English Premiership clubs are currently leading the way with four wins to two over the French Top 14.
But who are you supporting? Are you backing England or France?
Let us know via #bbcrugby
Postpublished at 16:20 British Summer Time 13 May 2017
Clermont Auvergne v Saracens (17:00 BST)
And Saracens were given just as warm a welcome...
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Postpublished at 16:16 British Summer Time 13 May 2017
Clermont Auvergne v Saracens (17:00 GMT)
Drums, bagpipes, jugglers... quite a welcome for Clermont Auvergne.
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Challenge Cup glory for Stade Francaispublished at 16:14 British Summer Time 13 May 2017
Gloucester 17-25 Stade Francais
Image source, Getty
On Friday night, it was France who triumphed over England as Stade Francais took the Challenge Cup title for the first time with victory over Gloucester at Murrayfield.
After four previous losses in European finals, Stade came back from 10-0 down as Italy captain Sergio Parisse lead his side to a deserved victory.
The result means Gloucester will miss out on the chance to compete for a spot in next season's Champions Cup.
Sarries not 'a flash in the pan team'published at 16:11 British Summer Time 13 May 2017
Clermont Auvergne v Saracens (17:00 BST)
Image source, Rex Features
Saracens may be on the verge of making history, but their captain Brad Barritt remains firmly focused on the task in hand.
“I think something we wanted to make pretty clear was that we were not going to be a flash in the pan team," he said.
"We don’t want to be a high achieving team one year and drop off completely the next.
"One thing we pride ourselves on at Saracens is being relentless and being resilient.
"We’ve gradually built up this European pedigree but it’s not something that happens overnight.
"We are nowhere near the finished article and there is still a long way to go, but as players we pride ourselves on being able to stay in the fight the whole game."
BBC coveragepublished at 16:09 British Summer Time 13 May 2017
Clermont Auvergne v Saracens (17:00 GMT)
Matt Dawson
England World Cup winner on BBC Radio 5 live
"It's a very tough part of the season but history will show that those teams who go through an era of success have fabulous coaching, fitness and nutrition.
"You've got to time it right and Saracens have got into that habit. They've got a great squad and good mentality.
"Those players know how to peak at the right moment.
"It's an incredibly busy period for the Saracens six [who have been picked to tour with the Lions] but they have the mentality to deal with it."
5 live coveragepublished at 16:04 British Summer Time 13 May 2017
Clermont Auvergne v Saracens (17:00 BST)
BBC Radio 5 live
We will have live radio commentary on Champions Cup final on BBC Radio 5 live this afternoon.
Matt Dawson and Paul Grayson are in position in the Murrayfield press seats.
Hit the top of this page to tune in or fire up your nearest wireless - medium wave or digital.
The greatest of the greatest?published at 16:02 British Summer Time 13 May 2017
Clermont Auvergne v Saracens (17:00 BST)
Image source, Getty
Are the current Saracens side of Farrell, Itoje, Vunipola (x2!), George and Ashton the greatest English club side of them all though?
After a Premiership-Champions Cup double last season, they are three matches away from successfully defending both trophies.
This evening, they are taking on Clermont Auvergne on the European front, with Exeter and the possibility of a Premiership final against either Wasps or Leicester awaiting on the domestic scene.
Leicester in the early noughties are the only English side to have done a double-double of Premiership and Champions Cup.
Euro starspublished at 16:00
Clermont Auvergne v Saracens (17:00 BST)
The Bath side of Guscott, Catt, Callard, Evans, Nicol and Ubogu.
Image source, Getty Images
The Leicester side of Johnson, Healey, Back, Moody, Corry and Kay.
Image source, Getty
The Wasps side of Dallaglio, Howley, Worsley, Shaw, Lewsey and Leota.
Image source, Getty Images
European honours are the gold standard by which truly great club sides are measured.