Bullish Saracens ready to roll over Racing Metro in Paris
Richard Wigglesworth will captain the visitors in the absence of injured club captain Alistair Hargreaves, with in-form duo Chris Ashton and David Strettle on the wings and Alex Goode at full-back.
Petrus Du Plessis returns at tighthead and Jim Hamilton replaces Hargreaves at lock, joining George Kruis in the second row.
Kelly Brown, Neil de Kock and Maro Itoje must settle for places among the replacements.
Racing themselves come into the last-eight clash in good form, a surprise loss at Brive last month their only defeat in seven, and they remain right in the hunt for the Top 14 title.
They were also the only club to go unbeaten during the pool stages and Sarries coach Mark McCall admitted his side will have to be wary of the French side’s commanding pack.
“We are in very good spirits at the moment,” he said. “To have won our last five in a row is very pleasing. We have watched Racing a lot over the last week, especially their win at Northampton, and they were very good that day. They have got superb half-backs and a big forward pack, but we have been buoyed by our recent results.”
Irish international Johnny Sexton is named in the Racing Metro side.
B Dulin; J Imhoff, H Chavancy, J Roberts, T Thomas; J Sexton, M Machenaud; E Ben Arous, D Szarzewski (c), L Ducalcon, L Charteris, F van der Merwe, W Lauret, C Gerondeau, A Claassen
V Lacombe, J Brugnaut, B Mujati, F Metz, T Dubarry, M Phillips, J Goosen, A Dumoulin
A Goode; C Ashton, M Bosch, C Wyles, D Strettle; C Hodgson, R Wigglesworth (c); M Vunipola, J George, P du Plessis, G Kruis, J Hamilton, J Wray, J Burger, B Vunipola
S Brits, R Barrington, J Johnston, M Itoje, K Brown, M Hankin, N de Kock, N Tompkins
N Owens (Wales)
