Well, Sarries have finally won the Premiership Title. The didn't finish top of the league, but they did have the most wins and they did beat Northampton, Gloucester and Leicester twice (Gloucester, twice at home and Leicester, three times in total).
In a tense, but relatively open game, they dominated Leicester for much of the game (and most of the first half), were never behind, but could never get more than 10 points clear of their under-performing opponents.
Saracens launched themselves off of the blocks from the start and never looked back. So many of their players stood up and were counted in this match, individually, as supporting units and as a team. They have worked so hard this year on their team unit and it seems to have paid off.
Like last year, the game wasn't over until the final whistle. Sarries, four points ahead with 3 minutes to go gave a penalty away from their scrum and Leicester kicked to touch. The following line out resulted in 32 phases in overtime before Sarries gave away another penalty from which Leicester tap started and carried on. Three phases later, the ball carrier was isolated and penalised for holding on in the ruck and Sarries had their title.
The match started with Sarries dominating the game on every level (except possibly the scrum) and were able to get ahead and stay there. By half-time, Farrell had converted three penalties and the conversion of James Short's excellent touchline try. Sarries went into the break 19-9 ahead.
In the second half Flood missed two penalties before converting a couple to bring Leicester to 19-15, followed by one by Farrell and another by Flood leaving the score at 22-18 setting it up for an amazing final unsuccessful drive from Leicester.
It was a riveting, nail-biting final (just like last year), between the teams with the best offensive and best defensive records in the league this year. They both showed why they have been the best this season and no-one would doubt that after this final.
Leicester: Hamilton; Agulla, Smith, Allen, A Tuilagi; Flood, Youngs; Ayerza, Chuter, Castrogiovanni, Mafi, Skivington, Croft, Newby, Crane.
Replacements: Twelvetrees for Hamilton (75), Stankovich for Ayerza (78), Hawkins for Chuter (68), Cole for Castrogiovanni (53), Slater for Mafi (71), Waldrom for Crane (50).
Not Used: Grindal, Staunton.
Sin Bin: Youngs (5).
Saracens: Goode; Strettle, Wyles, Barritt, Short; Farrell, De Kock; Stevens, Brits, Nieto, Borthwick, Botha, K Brown, Burger, Joubert.
Replacements: Wigglesworth for de Kock (50), Gill for Stevens (62), Du Plessis for Nieto (60), Vyvyan for Botha (57).
Not Used: George, Saull, Mordt, Cato.
Att: 80,016
Ref: Wayne Barnes (RFU).
Sunday, 29 May 2011
Sunday, 15 May 2011
Saracens 12- 10 Gloucester
Overall a pretty scrappy error-strewn game. Two teams that were destined to defend doggedly for large portions of the match and some poor handling and even poorer kicking.
The game yesterday between Leicester and Northampton suffered from lots of missed kicks, but these were from the high winds. Today, it was simply poor kicking. Saracens missing six, and Gloucester two. Admittedly, the first couple from Saracens were from the half-way line and were taken without expectation, but then Farrell and Goode missed relatively orthodox kicks that they really should have made, and had they done so, Saracens margin of victory would have been nearer 14 points.
Borthwick was harshly sin-binned half-way through the second half for taking a man down in the line-out. At the time, it looked a fair call, but watching the highlights on television later, he was hard done by.
I kind of got the impression early on that Gloucester were nervous and had come the make sure they didn't lose the game. You see that sometimes and it hinders the team immensely. Thus it seemed to Gloucester for the first half. After half-time, they seemed to have been given a rocket and started to play more attacking rugby.
Saracens game play of containment served them well for much of the game, and with the absent Borthwick in the bin, Gloucester took advantage of the extra man. Following a poor decision from Farrell with a charged down attempt a second drop goal, Gloucester broke and scored a break-away try to go 10-9 ahead (the only time in the match that they would lead).
However, it was short lived and soon after, Farrell slotted over his fourth penalty to take Sarries home at 12-10.
Not a great spectacle, but a tense and exciting game of rugby for much of the match.
I'll be at Twickenham for the final along with many of the 12,032 fans that were at Vicarage road today.
See you there....
The game yesterday between Leicester and Northampton suffered from lots of missed kicks, but these were from the high winds. Today, it was simply poor kicking. Saracens missing six, and Gloucester two. Admittedly, the first couple from Saracens were from the half-way line and were taken without expectation, but then Farrell and Goode missed relatively orthodox kicks that they really should have made, and had they done so, Saracens margin of victory would have been nearer 14 points.
Borthwick was harshly sin-binned half-way through the second half for taking a man down in the line-out. At the time, it looked a fair call, but watching the highlights on television later, he was hard done by.
I kind of got the impression early on that Gloucester were nervous and had come the make sure they didn't lose the game. You see that sometimes and it hinders the team immensely. Thus it seemed to Gloucester for the first half. After half-time, they seemed to have been given a rocket and started to play more attacking rugby.
Saracens game play of containment served them well for much of the game, and with the absent Borthwick in the bin, Gloucester took advantage of the extra man. Following a poor decision from Farrell with a charged down attempt a second drop goal, Gloucester broke and scored a break-away try to go 10-9 ahead (the only time in the match that they would lead).
However, it was short lived and soon after, Farrell slotted over his fourth penalty to take Sarries home at 12-10.
Not a great spectacle, but a tense and exciting game of rugby for much of the match.
I'll be at Twickenham for the final along with many of the 12,032 fans that were at Vicarage road today.
See you there....
Saturday, 14 May 2011
Aviva Premiership Semi Final - Saracens vs. Gloucester
Well, I've got my tickets for the match. I'm going with my Dad (74) and my Son (9) and am really looking forward to it. Hopefully this year we can go one better than last and beat Leicester (or Northampton) in the final.
We're definitely a better, more rounded team this year and we've done the double over Leicester and Northampton (and beat Gloucester at home and lost away). Should be a cracking atmosphere at the game.
I don't think we have any injury problems (except Hougaard) and we've been fine without him this half of the season since he ruptured his Achilles tendon against Leinster at Wembley in October 2010.
We're definitely a better, more rounded team this year and we've done the double over Leicester and Northampton (and beat Gloucester at home and lost away). Should be a cracking atmosphere at the game.
I don't think we have any injury problems (except Hougaard) and we've been fine without him this half of the season since he ruptured his Achilles tendon against Leinster at Wembley in October 2010.
Leicester 11 - 3 Northampton
Well, Leicester are in the final (hopefully against Saracens - we'll find out tomorrow.....).
The certainly deserved the result based on the performances of the two teams. I suppose the only "cloud" are the incidents involving the two Tuilagi's. Manu should probably have been shown a red card for his punches on Chris Ashton, and the inability of the officials to see the incident compounded the result as both players were shown a yellow card. Ashton should not have been binned as he didn't even throw a punch, just took a pounding from Tuilagi who should miss the final as surely he will receive a significant ban for the (largely) unprovoked response.
Alesana Tuilagi should at least have been penalised, if not binned too for his swinging arm incidence against Ashton who would have surely scored a try if he had evaded the tackle.
So, Leicester should arguably not be in the final, but I still believe that the team that finishes top deserves the title. I suppose this is the time to say that I'm not a great believer in the bonus point system. I'm not sure that it enhances the game, but we have a situation where Saracens have won 18 games, two more than Leicester, but they find themselves in second place. I suppose that it does prove that Saracens, who largely play a containment game are penalised by the bonus point system as because we contain, we don't score as many tries as some of the more expansive teams like Northampton, Gloucester and London Irish (and many more).
So, lets wait and see what happens tomorrow. I would be fantastic to have a rematch of last years final. Just the enormous matter of beating a fairly rampant Gloucester first......
The certainly deserved the result based on the performances of the two teams. I suppose the only "cloud" are the incidents involving the two Tuilagi's. Manu should probably have been shown a red card for his punches on Chris Ashton, and the inability of the officials to see the incident compounded the result as both players were shown a yellow card. Ashton should not have been binned as he didn't even throw a punch, just took a pounding from Tuilagi who should miss the final as surely he will receive a significant ban for the (largely) unprovoked response.
Alesana Tuilagi should at least have been penalised, if not binned too for his swinging arm incidence against Ashton who would have surely scored a try if he had evaded the tackle.
So, Leicester should arguably not be in the final, but I still believe that the team that finishes top deserves the title. I suppose this is the time to say that I'm not a great believer in the bonus point system. I'm not sure that it enhances the game, but we have a situation where Saracens have won 18 games, two more than Leicester, but they find themselves in second place. I suppose that it does prove that Saracens, who largely play a containment game are penalised by the bonus point system as because we contain, we don't score as many tries as some of the more expansive teams like Northampton, Gloucester and London Irish (and many more).
So, lets wait and see what happens tomorrow. I would be fantastic to have a rematch of last years final. Just the enormous matter of beating a fairly rampant Gloucester first......
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