By TheSaracens
October 5 2022

Travelling to today’s game, both frail pensioners in the car express the hope that the re-run of the 2021-22 Premiership Final will be a bit less taxing on our blood pressure than the first two league encounters of this season – Sarries’ overhauling of a 17-0 deficit at the Stoop followed by a comeback from 20-36 down a week later against Gloucester at StoneX, which, whilst both incredibly exciting games to watch, were not good for folk of our vintage and I’m sure I left the Gloucester game five years older than when I’d bought my chicken and mushroom pie four hours earlier. The mirror does not lie…. Today’s game may be seen by some as an opportunity to exact some form of revenge on the Tigers, to right the wrong as it were, but my own view is that on  the balance of play Tigers deserved their win when they effectively out-Sarried Sarries for most of the match, to which we had no real answer, and in any case it’s a new season with a game against a different Tigers squad with stars like Ellis Genge and George Ford having moved on.

Looking at the Tigers line-up it seems that there are only three players starting today who played in the final less than four months ago, and since then Anthony Watson, Jimmy Gopperth and – what a replacement for George Ford THIS is – Handre Pollard have arrived at Welford Road with all three in their 23 today.

Sarries are looking strong, with messrs. Vunipola, George and Judge in the starting front row, Callum Hunter-Hill and Hugh Tizard making up a youthful and athletic pair of locks – Maro is still injured and Nick Isiekwe will be out for a while- and the back row gives us energy, power and something else altogether in the form of Ben, Billy and Theo, the latter moving back from last week’s second row slot.

The midfield will be run by the Owen and Ivan partnership, while Nick Tompkins returns to join Alex Lozowski in the centres.

In the backs Mark McCall keeps faith with the Lewington-Daly-Malins combination.

Making very welcome returns to the bench are Sean Maitland and the legend that is Alexander David Goode; also on the bench, to everyone’s delight, is Marco Riccioni, making his return to action after nearly a year sidelined by injury. 

It’s a nice day at StoneX as we settle down to watch what will hopefully be a game easier on our heart rates.

The teams run out from the West Stand’s blindingly illuminated tunnel….to paraphrase Tennessee Ernie Ford (who apropos of nothing was no.1 in the charts with “Sixteen Tons” on the day I was born) - if the tension don’t get you, the migraine will.

The game gets underway, and as has been the case so far this season Sarries are slow off the blocks as Tigers take the early initiative in the game and looking at this stage as impressive with their much-changed line-up as they did for most of last season.

The penalty count reflects the pattern of play in these early stages, and with the sure kicking that broke black and red hearts in June, Freddie Burns tucks away two penalties within the first 10 minutes to edge Tigers 0-6 in front and in my fragile state it feels right now like there’s a chance that another Sarries comeback may be needed. My poor nerves…..

Sarries start to stir, however, and within 2 minutes a Farrell penalty reduces both the deficit to 3-6 and my blood pressure.

A couple of minutes later the game and Sarries burst into life, after a quickly taken mark kick from Malins is followed by good work from Farrell and Lewington, with the latter breaking at pace, the ball reaching Van Zyl who in turn finds an onrushing Lozowski who goes over to wild celebrations in the crowd, Farrell adding the extras to take the score to 10-6 on 12 minutes.

No long afterwards, we’re on our feet again when a Malins chip finds its way through the Tigers defence culminating in an alert Earl grounding the ball in the try zone, but our celebrations are cut short when the big screen reveals that in trying to get to the ball as it bounced, Earl had pushed Reffell in the back (he’s a big lad and did go down a little easily, but I would say that wouldn’t I?) so the score is chalked off.

Injury is added to insult in short order when Cronin gathers a bobbling ball which has eluded Billy to race over and get a try back for Leicester, with Burns successfully restoring Tigers’ lead to 10-13 on 20 minutes..

This is bubbling up into a good game….

Tigers’ lead is short-lived as Earl gets some recompense when after a break by Daly, he is set up to go over, although Farrell’s kicking boots this time let him down to leave matters at 15-13 on 22 minutes.

Sarries are flying now, with Van Zyl and Farrell driving the side forward. I do like Van Zyl, there’s an energy and urgency about him. I’m sensing that the high tempo running game Sarries have evolved towards this season suits him.

Earl, having yet another great game, sets up another attacking opportunity with a break deep into Tigers’ territory, with Farrell teeing up the rumoured to be Bristol-bound Malins to score. The conversion is again missed, but on the half hour Sarries are 20-13 in front.

Sarries continue to dominate as the first half moves into its last ten minutes, and shortly before the break Van Zyl gets his reward for an excellent first-half display when some great work by the team and with Mako and the impressive Tizard prominent in the buid-up, sets up the Springbok to go over for Sarries’ bonus point try. Farrell successfully converts this time, and the teams trot down the tunnel with Sarries leading 27-13 and looking, after a shaky start, very, very, good indeed (is that an Oxford comma??).    

As I ease into the first half-time Bovril of the season I reflect that there’s no doubting Sarries’ brand of Hollywood Rugby is not only pleasing to watch but is also, now it’s starting to click into place, devastatingly effective - fingers crossed that they can keep this momentum up in the second half.

With Handre Pollard striding out for what I believe is his Tigers debut start they start the second half with a lot more purpose and the (reportedly) hugely expensive signing from Montpelier makes his presence felt as Leicester look to get back on terms.

Ealy in the second half, George leaves the field in some discomfort.

Some good defensive work from McFarland prompts the first hearing of his own chant at StoneX– “Theeeoooo” – which in turn prompts Mrs Jonny and I to look at each other in consternation as we’ve both initially misheard it as the Kingsholm faithful’s derisive “Eeeeeyoooor”..

Tigers keep working hard – and they’re a good enough side for us to have expected a reaction to the way the first half panned out – and with 50 minutes on the clock they breach Sarries’s defence with a break from Watson which sets up Steward to go over to take the score, after a missed conversion, to 27-18.

This period of the game looks a little more like most of the Premiership Final, with Tigers containing Sarries well.

There’s an anxious moment as Tigers start to lay siege to Sarries’ line, but the pressure is relieved by an infringement.

From deep inside their half, Sarries strike for their fifth try of the afternoon as some more Hollywood Rugby culminates with Daly, who has been superb today, gliding past the Tigers defence to over for a richly deserved try on the hour, with Farrell taking the score to 34-18.

Five minutes later, a Farrell penalty sees Sarries approach the 40-point mark with a penalty for 37-18.

At around this point, we’re delighted to see the formidable figure of Marco Riccioni make his long-awaited return to action, replacing Judge.

Sarries have by now regained control of proceedings, and we see the classy Pollard leave the field injured after only 27 minutes involved in the game.

As we approach the last 10 minutes we see another superb display reap its reward, when McFarland gets on the end of some more skilful interplay by Sarries to crash over the line. Farrell adds the extras, and it’s what looks like an unassailable 44-18.

Perhaps optimistically, I and a few others bay for 50 points.

Sarries are now managing the game out, and Tigers are looking a little dispirited now, and as proceedings draws to a close we 50-fanciers get our wish when Maitland picks up a loose ball and sprints half the length of the pitch to plant the pill in corner, and in the final act of the afternoon Daly converts from out wide for an emphatic final score of 51-18.

What a game…

Theo McFarland is voted Man of the Match, and deservedly so with his extraordinary range of talents on show including his ability to take line outs with one hand and his remarkable athleticism. Every time I see him play, I’m reminded of Mark McCall’s words when Theo arrived at Sarries (can it only be last year?) – “he brings something different”. I’ll say.

Elliott Daly has been superb,today, and Ben Earl has maintained his consistently high performance levels.

What has also struck me is how well-suited the midfield axis of Owen and Ivan is to Sarries’ new attacking approach.

It is also worth noting that seven different players scored our tries, reflecting perhaps the attacking threat we now pose from all over the field.

All in all a superb performance and a real statement to the rest of the Premiership.

Vey sadly, however we learn after the game that Jamie George will be out for around ten weeks as a result of a foot injury sustained during the game. I’m sure all of you will join me in wishing Jamie a speedy recovery.  

Jonny   

TEAMS:

Saracens: Daly; Malins, Lozowski, Tompkins, Lewington; Farrell, Van Zyl; M Vunipola, George, Judge, Hunter-Hill, Tizard, McFarland, Earl, B Vunipola.

Replacements: Pifeleti, Mawi, Riccioni, Christie, Wray, De Haas, Goode, Maitland.

Leicester Tigers: Steward; Watson, Cokanasiga, Gopperth, Murimurivalu; Burns, B Youngs; Cronin, Clare, Heyes, Wells, Snyman, Cracknell, Reffell, Liebenberg.

Replacements: Taufete'e, Van Wyk, Cole, Chessum, Martin, Van Poortvliet, Pollard, Ashton.

Referee: Matthew Carley