TWO-TIME CHAMPIONS SARACENS reached the European Cup quarter-finals on Sunday with a four-try-bonus-point 28-10 win over Lyon, extending their record to a perfect five wins in five in the competition.
Saracens, the 2016 and 2017 winners, join defending champions and four-time winners Leinster as the second side to make the last eight of this year’s competition.
Centre Nick Tompkins grabbed two of Saracens’ tries with scrum-half Ben Spencer and back-row forward Jackson Wray also getting on the scoresheet as the English side claimed a fifth win in five matches.
They will face Pool 3 rivals Glasgow, who beat Cardiff 33-24, in the final round of group games next weekend looking to wrap up a home quarter-final.
“We’re thrilled to get three great away victories in the competition and today was tough place to go. They were going to fight for everything and we had to work hard for the four tries,” Saracens coach Mark McCall told BT Sport.
“It was important to get the win for this competition and with 23 points we still have not won the group. We look forward to a big game against Glasgow next week.”
Lyon remain rock-bottom of the group after a fifth defeat in five games and are the only side in the tournament not to have registered a point.
Glasgow are four points behind Saracens but they had to battle to defeat Cardiff — and grab a late bonus point — with George Horne crossing in the 78th minute for a crucial score.
Grant Stewart, Scott Cummings, Chris Fusaro and Oli Kebble also crossed for the Scottish side with Owen Lane (two), Harri Millard and Josh Navidi touching down for the Blues.
Glasgow’s current 19-point tally is the best of all the five second-placed teams with only the three best runners-up qualifying for the quarter-finals.
© Agence France-Presse
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