Boyd outlines selection plan for Saints' clash with Timisoara

Chris Boyd is ready to rest many of the men who performed so admirably at Clermont Auvergne when Saints take on Timisoara Saracens at Franklin's Gardens on Friday night.
Chris Boyd is ready to rest and rotate for Friday's clash with Timisoara Saracens (picture: Kirsty Edmonds)Chris Boyd is ready to rest and rotate for Friday's clash with Timisoara Saracens (picture: Kirsty Edmonds)
Chris Boyd is ready to rest and rotate for Friday's clash with Timisoara Saracens (picture: Kirsty Edmonds)

Boyd's men were beaten 48-40 at Stade Marcel Michelin on Saturday night, having scored six tries to secure a try bonus point.

It moves them to 16 points in Challenge Cup Pool 1 and as long as they claim the expected win and try bonus point against minnows Timisoara, they should make the quarter-finals.

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And Boyd said: "The bonus point was important because depending on results of other pools, it was possible we could miss out on qualifying or we could end up eighth (in terms of points accrued from the entire pool stage) and we'd end up going back to Clermont to play a quarter-final.

"We wouldn't run away from playing there, because it's a great place to play, but we were reasonably keen to experience life somewhere else in a quarter-final.

"As long as we get our selections on the nose and make sure we have a good performance against Timisoara at home, we should be where we need to be.

"There will be more players that don't play than do play out of the Clermont game.

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"We went to the bench early because boys were pretty tired and it was a hard work-out.

"It's a pretty short week because we travelled on Sunday and we play again on Friday so we'll use the opportunity to bring some guys in, freshen up and give guys who are on the edge an opportunity to bring us home."