Champions Cup: La Rochelle shuffle backline to plug defensive gaps as Saracens largely keep faith with squad
The current holders take on the three-time winners in the last Champions Cup quarter-final of the weekend as La Rochelle host Saracens at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre.
La Rochelle have looked to strengthen their midfield after bringing UJ Seuteni into the outside centre channel.
That means Raymond Rhule switches to the left wing with Jules Favre moving to the right and Teddy Thomas dropping to the bench.
The French outfit were exposed defensively by Gloucester in last weekend’s narrow 29-26 last-16 triumph and boss Ronan O’Gara is hoping Seuteni can plug those gaps.
They are otherwise unchanged behind the scrum, while there is just one alteration up front as Reda Wardi comes in for Joel Sclavi at prop.
Sclavi is on the bench and is covering tighthead following the ban for Georges Henri Colombe, whose nasty clearout on Ruan Ackermann earned him a suspension.
That means former Saracen Hayden Thompson-Stringer, who came through the Londoners’ academy, is promoted into the La Rochelle 23.
One change to the XV for Saracens
For Saracens, director of rugby Mark McCall has made one change to the starting line-up from the side that beat the Ospreys last weekend, with Nick Isiekwe replacing Andy Christie in the back-row after the Scotland international broke his arm in the Round of 16 clash.
Mako Vunipola, Jamie George and Marco Riccioni have a huge test ahead of them in the front-row, and will have Itoje and Hugh Tizard behind them in the second-row to provide plenty of ballast to the set-piece.
Isiekwe comes in and adds more size to the pack, and he will be alongside in-form Ben Earl and Billy Vunipola in the back-row.
Ivan van Zyl will make his 50th appearance for the club at scrum-half, lining up once again next to captain Owen Farrell.
Nick Tompkins and Alex Lozowski will be looking to bring some creativity to the midfield, and the back-three of Sean Maitland, Max Malins and Alex Goode will need to bring the clinical edge to the side in France.
On the bench Callum Hunter-Hill makes his long-awaited return from injury after suffering a knee injury in the Champions Cup win over Lyon before Christmas, and Duncan Taylor will be looking for more of the same after his try-scoring display against the Ospreys.
Prediction: La Rochelle by 6
The teams:
La Rochelle: 15 Brice Dulin, 14 Jules Favre, 13 UJ Seuteni, 12 Jonathan Danty, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Antoine Hastoy, 9 Tawera Kerr Barlow, 8 Grégory Alldritt (c), 7 Levani Botia, 6 Ultan Dillane, 5 Will Skelton, 4 Thomas Lavault, 3 Uini Atonio, 2 Pierre Bourgarit, 1 Reda Wardi
Replacements: 16 Quentin Lespiaucq, 17 Hayden Thompson-Stringer, 18 Joel Sclavi, 19 Romain Sazy, 20 Yoan Tanga, 21 Paul Boudehent, 22 Thomas Berjon, 23 Teddy Thomas
Saracens: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Max Malins, 13 Alex Lozowski, 12 Nick Tompkins, 11 Sean Maitland, 10 Owen Farrell (c), 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Billy Vunipola, 7 Ben Earl, 6 Nick Isiekwe, 5 Hugh Tizard, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Marco Riccioni, 2 Jamie George, 1 Mako Vunipola
Replacements: 16 Tom Woolstencroft, 17 Eroni Mawi, 18 Christian Judge, 19 Callum Hunter-Hill, 20 Jackson Wray, 21 Aled Davies, 22 Duncan Taylor, 23 Alex Lewington
Date: Sunday, April 9
Venue: Stade Marcel-Deflandre
Kick-off: 16:00 local (15:00 BST, 14:00 GMT)
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Frank Murphy (Ireland), Chris Busby (Ireland)
TMO: Joy Neville (Ireland)
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