Saracens beat Clermont Auvergne to reach Heineken Cup final

Saracens have thrashed last year's beaten finalists Clermont Auvergne 46-6 to secure a place in the final of this season's Heineken Cup.

© Getty Images

After an early try from Chris Ashton gave the home side the lead, the French team were reduced to 14 men for a spell when Brock James was sent to the sin bin for deliberately knocking the ball into touch, which also saw Saracens awarded a penalty try.

Ashton added a second after the break and his 11th of the tournament, tying the record for most tries in a Heineken Cup campaign by a single player.

Further tries from Chris Wyles and Tim Streather inside the final 10 minutes ended any hopes of a comeback for the visitors.

Saracens will face either defending champions Toulon or Munster in the final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff next month.