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Steve Borthwick has made some big calls ahead of the Premiership final but it’s Saracens’ experience and their Test match animal of a skipper that might be the difference.
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It’s hard to criticise him after he’s led Leicester to the top of the table at the end of the regular season but I just cannot understand Borthwick’s decision to leave Nemani Nadolo out of the match day 23 altogether.
At 6ft 5in and well over 19 stone, he could have been a real point of difference coming off the wing and giving a strong Sarries defence something extra to think about, creating space for others if not wreaking havoc himself.
I would have started him but to not even have him waiting in the wings to come off the bench and potentially change the game is a strange one. I think he’s gone for the safe selection, especially on the bench with Matt Scott covering centre instead of Nadolo as a winger.
You can see why he’s done it because Freddie Burns could come on at full back and Freddie Steward can switch to wing so they have a bit of back three cover built in already but I just feel Nadolo’s X-factor would have added an extra dimension.
The other big call is opting for Richard Wigglesworth at scrum half at the age of 39 but that one is far more understandable. It’s been an unimaginably tough couple of weeks for Ben Youngs and he’ll bring something different when he comes on, while few people know the ins and outs of Saracens’ game as well as Wigglesworth.
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He is also arguably the best box kicker in the world and that is a massive part of the Tigers template. Chris Ashton and Harry Potter will chase those high balls all day long and that could be key to their success.
Leicester kicked as much as 75 per cent of their possession away in their semi-final win over Saints and, knowing that Saracens’ set piece hasn’t always been as secure as people might expect this season, it’s likely to be more of the same in the final.
Only Bath and Exeter have a worse lineout success rate than Saracens in the Premiership this season and clearly the presence of Jamie George, Maro Itoje and Nick Isiekwe, who have been away for significant periods, will help that but Tigers will want to test them.
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Wigglesworth is integral to the kicking game but it is George Ford who has kicked the ball eight and a half kilometres in the league this season, more than any other player, so he’ll definitely be looking for territory and to put his pack in the right positions.
Ford is an excellent player on the front foot and if his forwards get the opposition moving backwards consistently, then it could be Leicester’s day but this is Saracens we’re talking about and it’s hard to see them being dominant.
As a result, I just think fly half is where the north Londoners have the edge. Owen Farrell has been outstanding in recent weeks and is just a Test match animal, made for big occasions like this. You’d be putting your mortgage on him out of the two of them.
Having played in a few, Premiership finals are a different beast and they play on different emotions that you probably didn’t even know you had in you if you thought about it before you got on the field.
That inspires some but others do things that they wouldn’t normally do. Don’t get me wrong, Ford could have the game of his life but this is Farrell’s seventh Premiership final and he’s only lost one, not to mention the four European Cup finals he’s played in as well.
This is going to be a strategic arm wrestle and a case of who blinks first and Borthwick will be hoping his less experienced players rise to the occasion. Whoever wins the set piece contest and the battle for the gain line on both sides of the ball will come out on top.
One thing is for sure and that is if Leicester start the way they did last week, Saracens won’t spurn chances like Northampton did and they are formidable frontrunners so it’d be tough to catch them.
The semi-finals were packed with emotion and contentious calls and things aren’t likely to cool down in the big dance either so Wayne Barnes, in what is incredibly his 10th Premiership final as a referee, could have a job on his hands.
I played in his first final back in 2008 and we won’t talk about that but there’s no better man for the job than Wayno. He’ll keep his head when others about him are losing theirs and see past the whooping and hollering and appealing that will undoubtedly be going on.
It’s a difficult final to call with the top two teams and very similar sides going at it. I’d love to see Leicester edge it by a couple but I just can’t look past the big game mentality of Farrell and his ability to inspire everyone else along with him.
Comments on RugbyPass
I like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
8 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
8 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
8 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
8 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to comments