Seven things we learned from the Gallagher Premiership final
If you were a neutral watching the Gallagher Premiership final, you couldn’t have asked for much more than what was displayed at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon.
Exeter Chiefs threw plenty of punches and there was a moment in the second half when it felt as if they were going to deny Saracens, but a phenomenal surge and momentum swing from the Londoners saw them secure a 37-34 victory, their second trophy double in four years.
The game delighted from the first minute to the last and there was plenty to take in for fans, players and directors of rugby, as attentions now turn to the 2019/20 season and the attempts of 11 clubs to end Saracens’ monopoly at the top of English rugby.
Here are our seven key lessons learned from a pulsating final.
Exeter took leaf out of Saracens’ book
Saracens have championed aggressive line speed in recent seasons, bringing pressure in the midfield and attempting to force opposition sides to move back inside or risk throwing hospital passes or worse, the intercept. At Twickenham, it was Exeter that shone in this regard, with Ollie Devoto, Henry Slade and the wings of the Chiefs rushing up and restricting the space that Saracens could operate in.
With this pressure on, Saracens’ silky handling skills and composed execution faltered somewhat, with the European champions throwing a number of forward or loose passes in the wider channels. They were still able to execute enough in the clutch moments and that helped swing the second half momentum back in their favour, but Exeter’s aggression in defence certainly kept the door ajar for large parts of the game.
Saracens’ aerial excellence
Until other teams in the Premiership can challenge Saracens’ superiority in the air in the same way Exeter did on Saturday, they are going to continue their domination as the top side in England and one of the top two or three sides in European rugby. From George Kruis’ fumble on the opening kick-off that led to Nic White’s try in the first minute, to Jack Nowell’s proactive and mobile display at the back, regularly getting to the catch area ahead of Saracens’ chase, Exeter denied Saracens their usual monopolisation of this third phase of the game.
Saracens did have their fair share of successful moments in that area, too, winning back a number of chased kicks, including immediately following the White try to help set up a score for Jamie George, as well as Liam Williams’ second half try. When Exeter were able to win that contest, though, they exposed Saracens and gave themselves the chances they needed.
The value of the path less travelled
In the amateur era, going from university rugby to a place with a prominent Premiership side or even an international team was commonplace, but it has become increasingly rare over the last 20 years. Tom O’Flaherty’s performance in the semi-final and then his impact again on the left wing in the final highlighted what an important route into the game that can be again for later developers.
His efforts at Cardiff University earned him opportunities at Bridgend and the Ospreys, before kicking on with Exeter this season. As BUCS Super Rugby continues to go from strength to strength, with the likes of Alex Dombrandt also prospering from taking that path, it’s a very valuable way for directors of rugby to find future stars and affordable depth options for their squads.
Nimble full-backs as Saracens’ kryptonite
Not every team has a Nowell on their books, but if they do, it’s a way of finding some success against the formidable kick chase and line speed of Saracens’ defence. Nowell’s go-to response to being pinned back in his 22 at Twickenham was to use his footwork to evade the primary chaser and he was then able to exploit the space between that lead chaser and the rest of the Saracens defence.
Teams often focus on the territory battle against Saracens and will respond to kicks into their 22 with booming touch-finders. It relieves pressure initially, but then invites Saracens back onto them, with the men from north London among the most potent attackers and easily capable of securing possession from the subsequent lineout. Exeter seemed to relinquish their grip on the game as they turned away from Nowell’s counter-attacking and more regularly kicked possession away from within their own half.
Unheralded Ian Peel due kudos
Praise is overflowing for the likes of Mark McCall, Alex Sanderson and Kevin Sorrell – and rightfully so – but what about Peel, Saracens’ scrum/forwards coach? The former England U20 and senior coach has helped guide Saracens to a remarkable six trophies in the four seasons he has been a part of the set-up.
A scrum missing Mako Vunipola, Juan Figallo and Titi Lamositele still had plenty of success against Exeter’s unit that boasted two England internationals and then there was the role of senior academy loosehead Ralph Adams-Hale in setting up Sean Maitland’s late try, offering impact as a ball-carrier, ball-handler and clearer at the ruck. The youngster then even proceeded to put the squeeze on Welsh international Tomas Francis in the scrum, which is no mean feat.
New role for star second row?
Perhaps not a popular one with the work Maro Itoje got through at the contact area, which included winning three crucial turnovers, winning him man of the match, but the potential of the lock when he gets to operate in more space and with more freedom remains a salivating prospect. A couple of the lines that he ran in the midfield as a ball-carrier were borderline undefendable for the Chiefs, whilst his line speed in defence is as good, if not better than most of Saracens’ backs further out from the breakdown.
His move to six seemed to give him slightly more ability to influence the game in this fashion on Saturday, although it was still largely kept in check, as he owned the aerial and contact area battles. Will Skelton’s form freed him up somewhat, but could the rises of a powerhouse lock in Joel Kpoku and a breakdown specialist like Ben Earl expedite that further next season?
Lozowski moulded into Barritt’s heir apparent
Although Alex Lozowski is being deployed at outside centre currently for Saracens, could his future lie at inside centre next season? With the incoming Elliot Daly eyeing up the 13 jersey and Brad Barritt defying medical science on what seems like a weekly basis but still susceptible to his fair share of convalescences, Lozowski could bring his rapidly developing skill set to the 12 berth.
From the sledgehammer tackles and defensive tracking to the ability to put his foot in the ground, straighten and break the gain-line, Lozowski has been adding plenty of the elements of the game that make Barritt so successful, to his own repertoire of skills. With Nick Tompkins also pressing his case for minutes, the battle to start in Saracens’ midfield next season should be fascinating.
Watch: Jim Mallinder looks ahead to England’s match against the Barbarians
Comments on RugbyPass
One that will start to come up from now on is penalties for back pushes during kick chase scrambles. Very difficult to detect. In Croke Park if you replay the Hendy NH try, you will see Furbank push Porter in the back, who collides with Larmour knocking the ball across into Hendy’s path to dot down. A more significant example was in the RWC QTR final where Arendse pushes Fickou into two other French players for the ball to spill into Arendse’s path for him to gather and run in to score SAs first try. Not cheating if you are not caught and very difficult to spot but with kicking becoming so critical I feel its an area that will referreeed/TMO-ed more.
3 Go to commentsWhat a pathetic little twit Andy Goode is, as if we care what he thinks…..😂
114 Go to commentsFoxy has been a wonderful player for the Scarlets and Wales.
1 Go to commentsNika the Georgian is the best referee in the world at the moment. Luckily we will be spared the shite SH refs and Barnes will hopefully remain retired given how shite and embarrassing he was at the RWC.
3 Go to commentsThis is the most exciting game of the summer imo, as we really won’t know in advance how both teams are going to play. - Will Robertson just reproduce his Crusaders tactics from last year, or will there be a conscious effort to borrow from the Hurricanes and Blues, and from the aspects of the ABs world cup strategy that worked well? - England under Borthwick have put in some good performances playing attacking rugby, and some good performances playing kick-oriented defensive rugby. Will Borthwick try to merge them together into a single all-court game, or will he continue switching between different approaches depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition?
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
9 Go to commentsFinals are always tense affairs for the players so I do not expect this to be a spectacle of running rugby unfortunately.
3 Go to commentsBulls***': Ex-England international calls out Eben Etzebeth… Not to his face but from very far away… after he’d left. Checked to make sure he wasn’t in the building.
114 Go to commentsHopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
3 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to commentsNOW Razor is worried about ABs getting injured or overplayed! Didn’t bother him last year. He happily played his AB Crusaders.
4 Go to commentsWhat is the World Rugby U20 players born year.
2 Go to commentsMuch like the Chiefs finally gave up waiting for Atu Moli to ever not be injured, you have to wonder if the Chiefs and Crusaders will let Josh Lord and Ethan Blackadder go next season. They’re being well paid to sit in the injury ward every year. Better off putting those funds towards someone who might actually play.
7 Go to commentsShowed better basic skills than some nz Super sides, who probably would have botched some of those backline moves. This tournament really is too short though. Needs more teams, or have them play two rounds to properly prepare them for the near full-time NH U20 sides.
4 Go to commentsGood grief it’s only six months. Probably just upset it’s not an established kiwi entering their prime they can “project” into green to join the rest.
3 Go to commentsGood player but far from being best in the world. That's an exaggeration. Perhaps Best in world by Northern Hemisphere standards and biasis but certainly not Southern Hemi standards
3 Go to commentsWell one thing about World Cup knock out rounds and Ireland is very clear: they won’t be getting ahead of themselves in ‘27! Because making it beyond the QF is well and truly ‘IN THEIR HEADS’ now…😉
114 Go to commentsHas this guy been dope tested? Sounds like a case of “roid rage”.
1 Go to comments