Clash of the Premiership Titans: Leicester Tigers vs Saracens

The hum around Twickenham tomorrow will be something to savour as the Premiership Final is once again upon us and promises to be a humdinger between two deserving and hungry foes in Leicester and Saracens.  

 

From the commencement of the competition, it was clear that Steve Borthwick’s Tigers were going to be serious contenders as they pulled off the remarkable feat of occupying the top spot on the log from Day 1. 

 

Twelve rounds went by before Leicester tasted their first defeat of the season as they build an enviable lead on the rest of the pack. By the time the semi-finals came along, they had amassed 94 log points. 

 

An inspired performance by George Ford (who plays his final game for the club) played a significant role in the Tigers brushing Northampton Saints aside last weekend to break into the final: 

 

 

Ahead of the game, Leicester boss Steve Borthwick said: 

 

 “It is an exciting day for everyone involved with Leicester Tigers. 

 

“The players have worked exceptionally hard all season to consistently improve and compete every week. 

 

“We talk before every game about putting a performance that our supporters, our families and our friends will be proud of and that is the same ahead of Saturday’s game. 

 

“It is an exciting team to go out and represent Leicester Tigers at Twickenham and we will need an 80-minute performance in each position against an experienced side like Saracens, who have world-class players throughout their squad.” 

 

It has been a whirlwind couple of seasons for Saracens who spent the 2020-21 campaign mixing it up with the minnows in the Championship before returning to the Premiership where they rolled up their sleeves and showed their quality to earn a spot in the final – an effort they will be proud of, win or lose. 

 

They showed last week that they are up for any rough stuff that the Tigers might throw at them after an extremely physical encounter against defending champions Quins in their semi-final: 

 

 

 

It will be a particularly emotional occasion for Saracens duo Tim Swinson and Vincent Koch who play their last game for the club. 

 

Koch opened up on his time in a Saracens jersey: 

 

“It’s always sad leaving a place that you really love,” he said. “It’s been an unbelievable journey with the club. 

 

“If you look away from the trophies, the memories I’ve made with the boys and how good they look after the family. That’s the thing that stands out the most. 

 

“I joined in 2016 and the thing that stood out for me the most was how this is a family-based club. 

 

“Of course the trophies and the medals and things go with it. 

 

“The thing is, back in South Africa I didn’t really win any trophies, but then coming into an environment and club like this, playing with world-class players at club level has been unbelievable. 

 

“I just knew that my time was running out at the club and it is emotional, but I’m looking forward to new adventures at Wasps and making new memories. 

 

“I joined in 2016 after Autumn Internationals, where I was with the Springboks and then came back to Saracens. 

 

“I didn’t play for eight weeks I think and Mark’s words were like ‘we think you’re a good player, we just don’t think you work hard enough’. 

 

“And for me that was a massive eye opener. Coming from international set-up I thought I was the full package. But they said that they want to make me a better player. 

 

“The club invested loads of time, whether it’s the forward coaches, Billy (Vunipola) or whoever. 

 

“They all just spent so much time with me and things that I didn’t do which you don’t see as a prop – like kick chases for example. 

 

“So they’ve made me a better player and kept me on my toes throughout.” 

 

Saracens captain Owen Farrell said his charges are hoping to end their rollercoaster chapter the best possible way. 

 

“We’ve got an opportunity to do something special and we’re really looking forward to it. 

  

“We’re up against a fantastic side who we respect, so we have had to make sure our preparation has been right. 

  

“The past is the past and we want to make sure that all of the exciting stuff is in front of us.” 

 

The teams’ first clash with each other this season took place in Round 3 at Welford Road – a match narrowly snatched by the Tigers. 

 

 

 

In the return clash at StoneX Stadium, it was Saracens who tasted revenge as they left the field victorious with a 34-27 score-line: 

 

 

 

No matter who hoists the trophy tomorrow in front of a packed Twickenham, it will be contested by two teams who have shown great determination this season while playing to their strength to give viewers regular doses of quality rugby.