Five major reasons why Leicester are champions of England again
Olden golden despite ‘youth warning’
We’re frequently told how rugby is increasingly becoming a younger man’s game. Leicester, for instance, had two starting 21-year-olds in Freddie Steward and Ollie Chessum, but Tigers also demonstrated in the Premiership at Twickenham that olden is still very much golden. You had 39-year-old Richard Wigglesworth industrious as the starting nine, the 35-year-old Chris Ashton providing energy on the wing, another 35-year-old in tighthead Dan Cole, and a pair of sub 32-year-olds bringing home the victory in replacement half-backs Freddie Burns and Ben Youngs.
And yet, the future, according to Steve Borthwick, is youthful. “There’s a lot of growth in this team,” he cautioned post-game. “The average age is 25 years old through the season. There is almost a 15 you can pick that is 21 years old, 22, somewhere around there. There is a lot of growth in those players because they are really keen and want to get better.”
Maybe. Then again, one of Leicester’s major singings for their 2022/23 title defence is Jimmy Gopperth… who turns 39 in ten days’ time.
From calling in the cops to glory
One takeaway from Twickenham is that when it came to garnering support from the neutrals in attendance in the bumper crowd, Leicester was the clear beneficiary. There is just something about Saracens that limits their support base, that they very much remain an acquired taste despite their fine achievement in making a top-flight final just twelve months after finishing their punishment year in the Championship.
Amid the raucous outpouring of Leicester joy, though, and there was plenty as their excellent supporters generated a cracking atmosphere throughout the match, it shouldn’t be forgotten that even the famed Tigers’ support can have its fickle element.
It was just three years ago when the club had to call in the cops to tackle the avalanche of social media abuse that materialised when Tigers faced the first of their two consecutive eleventh-place Premiership finishes, Tom Youngs at the time insisting: “No family members are deserving of being pulled into that criticism and nothing of the sort myself and players have received in recent weeks is appropriate, ever.”
We saw the exact opposite Saturday, team and fans tellingly united as one and then everyone teary-eyed when the recently tragically bereaved Youngs emerged to help with the trophy lift. It was a poignant reminder of just how the game in England is generally so much better off with a strong and prosperous Leicester. When they do things correctly they are a classy bunch.
Not protecting ball well enough
Ball protection is a must on big rugby days and if there was a statistic that highlighted why Saracens weren’t winners, it was their concession of a whopping 17 turnovers, a very un-Saracens like weakness, compared to just seven from Leicester. It wasn’t just one London club player having a ‘mare, it was a wounding malaise across their team as nine of their starting XV had a TC attributed to them.
Half-back was their greatest spoilsport area. Whereas the four Leicester half-backs – the starting Wigglesworth and George Ford, and the backup Youngs and Burns – were clean in this aspect of the game, Owen Farrell conceded three turnovers, Davies two and sub scrum-half Ivan van Zyl one for a total of six cough-ups by the Sarries half-backs. That inaccuracy was costly.
The stats according to Billy
Out-of-favour England No8 Billy Vunipola is a marmite character – fans either like or dislike him with no in-between. He was immense on the ball in the Premiership final, his stats jumping off the chart. He was credited with 107 metres off 24 carries, advancement for Saracens that included eleven passes, one clear break six defenders beaten and four offloads. On paper, he eclipsed his opposite number, Jasper Wiese, by a country mile in these areas because the South African managed just 18 metres from a dozen carries, four passes and three defenders beaten.
And yet, despite that major disparity, it was the gap-toothed Wiese who was awarded the official man of the match. What gave? Simply put, the Leicester forward scored a crucial try whereas Vunipola didn’t and the Saracen also conceded two turnovers. Then there were their respective defensive numbers. Wiese was credited with ten tackles and perfect discipline while Vunipola made six and had a penalty given against him for playing the nine.
One viewer who would have delighted in Wiese getting the post-game recognition was Jan McGinity, the former Leicester recruitment tzar who was responsible for bringing the No8 to the Premiership. “He was quite unknown and under the radar,” he said to RugbyPass in January.
“We signed him and he played the Bulls the following week opposite (Duane) Vermeulen and was man of the match. He did one tackle where he absolutely nailed Vermeulen and was just standing over him and I remember Steve ringing me going, ‘We have got our man! That is the type of guy I want’.”
Tale of two yellow cards
It’s curious to reflect that of the two tries (one converted), four penalty kicks and one drop goal scored in the Premiership final that Leicester ‘won’ 15-3 during the yellow card periods whereas Saracens ‘won’ 9-0 when it was a 15-versus-15 contest. Yellow cards are supposed to hurt and there was no stopping the Tigers’ pick-and-drive during the ten-minutes Saracens were minus Davies.
This type of dominance didn’t materialise, though, when the tables were numerically turned coming down the finishing straight. Rather than it being an advantage to Saracens with Matt Scott binned, Leicester became a 14-man aggressor and their movement on and off the ball in their late, decisive sweep was enthralling, something that should become a textbook illustration regarding how best to respond after someone on your team has seen yellow.
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments