Two European heavyweights will come to blows this weekend when La Rochelle welcomes Saracens to the Stade Marcel-Deflandre in the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup.

Saracens have the higher trophy count in the competition, with three titles to their name – the latest coming in 2019 – while La Rochelle won the tournament for the first time last season.

The French side will have the added advantage of home support this time around and the lingering memories of a winning run are still fresh in their minds.

But don’t count Saracens out. The Premiership leaders have trodden this road before and have an assortment of international stars in their ranks who specialise in knockout rugby, where the stakes are higher and the pressure even larger.

The tie is already an enticing one but will have added spice, given that La Rochelle is coming off a tight win against another English side in the round of 16. Their 29-26 win over Gloucester was far from a formality and looked to be in the balance right until Teddy Thomas darted over in the right corner, putting Ronan O’Gara’s men on top with two minutes remaining.

However, against Saracens, they will face a greater challenge. The five-time English champions know how to close out a game, so La Rochelle should not expect to rely upon some last-minute heroics for a second week running.

Their duty will be to outclass Saracens in key matchups, namely the physical contest up front. Gloucester tackled that challenge with lesser tools than Saracens, so it will be expected that with the likes of Billy Vunipola, Maro Itoje and Ben Earl in their ranks, the English side can give La Rochelle a taste of their own medicine.

Another aspect of the game which will be pivotal will be the tussle at 12. Both sides boast an international calibre centre who is energetic, powerful and disruptive at the breakdown.

La Rochelle’s Jonathan Danty is one of the best in the game right now but will have Nick Tompkins to contend with, a wild Welshman who put in a standout performance in his side’s 35-20 win over the Ospreys in the previous round.

Saracens, like La Rochelle, headed into their tie last weekend as the firm favourites but got more than they bargained for from their Welsh opponents, who entered the break with a slender one-point lead.

That advantage extended into the second period until a wonderfully orchestrated try by Alex Goode, finished by Max Malins, splintered the visitors’ resolve and gave Saracens an opportunity to take control. From there, an intercept try by Duncan Taylor and a close-range finish from Tom Woolstencroft secured the win for the hosts.

When Saracens and La Rochelle face off on Sunday afternoon, a tantalising semi-final spot will be hanging in the balance. Both heavyweights are also in the mix for a league title, and so are hunting a much sought-after domestic and European double.

At present, La Rochelle sits second in the Top 14 and are chasing a maiden league title, while Saracens are intent on lifting the Premiership trophy for the first time since their relegation in 2020 following a breach of salary cap rules.

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall is confident his team can continue their European journey after a battling performance against the Ospreys.

“We had a proper test, and we passed it. We didn’t play as well as we’d have liked for the first 55 minutes,” McCall said after the win.

“I’m really pleased about that last 25 minutes against a good side. Everything was different – more aggressive and proactive. You have to dig in and go through some tough moments and tough periods. We ended up enjoying that test and relished the battle.”

He also believes Gloucester have shown La Rochelle to be pregnable and hopes his side can capitalise on the opening available to them.

“There will be another battle this weekend, which is very exciting because we’ve never been to La Rochelle before, and they’re the reigning champions. Gloucester might have poked the bear a little bit,” he said.

La Rochelle will be without Georges-Henri Colombe this Sunday after he was cited for a nasty breakdown clearout on Gloucester’s Ruan Ackermann last weekend. In his absence, both teams will take to the battlefield with a singular goal in mind.

Let the semi-final hunt commence.