Underestimate Lambie at your peril, warns Coetzee

There’s no doubt the absence of Maxime Machenaud has taken a major weapon out of Racing 92’s armoury ahead of Saturday’s Champions Cup final showdown with Leinster but assuming the Parisians will have no creative fulcrum without the France scrum-half is reckoning without Pat Lambie.

As influential as Machenaud has been in Racing’s march to this weekend’s final in Bilbao, not least his almost faultless goal-kicking, his half-back partner Lambie has also played a significant part in unleashing the huge wealth of talent in the French side’s backline as Munster experienced to their cost in Bordeaux three weeks ago during their Champions Cup semi-final defeat.

Ulster back-rower Marcell Coetzee knows just the sort of impact his fellow South African will be making on and off the field as Racing prepare for their second European final in three seasons.