Heineken Cup - Key Battles: The three areas that could decide the semi-final between Saracens and Clermont Auvergne

Published: 16:16 EST, 25 April 2014 | Updated: 16:51 EST, 25 April 2014

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Saracens and Clermont Auvergne go head-to-head at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon for a place in the Heineken Cup final in a match that will feature a number of key battles across the pitch.

Here, Sportsmail's resident rugby expert Chris Foy assesses three key areas that could determine the outcome of the match.

Silverware: Saracens captain Steve Borthwick poses with the Heineken Cup ahead of the match

Mako Vunipola vs Davit Zirakashvili

The Lion in the ‘home’ side’s front row faces an onerous task against Clermont’s Georgian tighthead, who has markedly superior experience with 44 Test caps.

Zirakashvili, aged 30, is a formidable set-piece threat to the older Vunipola brother, who has endured some difficult days in the scrum at club and international level. Both men provide a potent ball-carrying and off-loading outlet.

Vunipola and his younger brother, Billy, provide Saracens with gainline-busting presence, while Zirakashvili teed up a try for Clermont against Leicester in the quarter-final earlier this month with one especially eye-catching run and pass.

Talent: Mako Vunipola provides Saracens with a presence on the field

Seasoned: Clermont's Davit Zirakashvili (centre) is a danger from set pieces and has bags of experience

Chris Ashton vs Sitiveni Sivivatu

These two finishers are not directly aligned — both are on the right wing in their respective teams, but they adopt a similar roaming approach.

Ex-All Black Sivivatu has been a star performer for Clermont all season and is deservedly in the running for the ERC Player of the Year award.

Forward thinking: In form Chris Ashton will be a constant threat to the Clermont backline

He has pace, power, vision and a try-scoring knack. Ashton may have fallen off his England perch for now, but he remains a lethal threat for his club.

He is on a scoring spree in this campaign — with a brace of quarter-final tries leaving him one touchdown away from matching the tournament record.

Threat: Sitiveni Sivivatu's (left) pace, power and vision will have to be managed at Twickenham

Brad Barritt v Wesley Fofana

This is an intriguing tussle between an unstoppable force and an immovable object. Barritt’s calling card is his defensive clout and his ability to organise and cajole team-mates around him.

Tellingly, when Saracens hung on to win in Belfast, it was their England centre (left, top) who claimed the decisive turn-over to cap a monumental rearguard action.

Fofana is an elusive, predatory runner, who can pick out the smallest of gaps in a defence and has the footwork to capitalise on the openings, along with the deft handling to release men around him. He illuminated Twickenham with a glorious solo try for France last year.