The Guinness Premiership Final: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

What a game!  The Guinness Premiership final between reigning champions Leicester and pretenders to the throne Saracens was a pulsating match and the best I have seen in years. 

The lead changed hands five times during the course of the game.  Just when Saracens thought they had snatched the win as Glen Jackson slotted over a penalty with four minutes on the clock, Leicester conjured a try from the resulting restart and substitute Dan Hipkiss stormed over to clinch the cup.

33-27 was the final score.  Breathless rugby.  It's almost impossible to sit here and write "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" for this game, because as finals go it was top drawer entertainment.

But here goes anyway.

The Good

Toby Flood:  One of the key men for Leicester, and he delivered in spades.  Only missing one kick from the tee, Flood controlled the game well.

Dan Hipkiss - The Tigers centre has been sidelined with injury of late, but he made the biggest impact in the match when he came on from the bench and steamrollered his way over for the winning try.

Geordan Murphy - Who stepped aside when it was time to lift the cup and gave the captains honour to departing stars Lewis Moody and Ben Kay.  I thought that was really sweet.

Attacking rugby - Both teams played expansively and threw everything into the game.  It was refreshing to see teams almost forget it was a final and go out and play.  Take note Toulouse and Biarritz.

Ernst Joubert - Two tries for the Sarries skipper, which sadly for his side, was just not enough.

The Bad

No Brendan Venter - Saracens' director of rugby (and everyone's favourite panto villain) was forced to watch the game at home after failing to get his ban overturned.  A real shame.  Venter has been one of the real characters this year, adding colour and spice to the game.  I know he's not everyone's cup of tea, but I think he is brilliant.

Defence - But who cares when it gives you entertainment like that?  Well, the defence coaches might I suppose...

Not respecting the kicker - Sarries' fans booed when Flood lined up a couple of his kicks.  I know it's not the done thing, but in such a massive game and when they thought they had been hard done by, I can't really blame them.

The Ugly

I can't think of anything.  No really, I can't.  This game was everything I wanted a final to be.

Oh there is one thing:  the fact that I will have to wait until September until the league starts again for the new season.

Leicester Tigers v Saracens: The Guinness Premiership Final

The Guinness Premiership reaches its climax this Saturday, where reigning champions Leicester Tigers will battle it out with Saracens in a bid to get their hands on the prized silverware.

The 81,600 sell out crowd at Twickenham will see six-time finalists and three time winners, Leicester, play Sarries, who haven't won a trophy since the Tetley Bitter Cup back in 1998.

Brendan Venter, Saracens controversial director of rugby, is banned from team involvement at Twickenham on finals day after failing to get his 14 week ban overturned.

However, Venter's ban, hardly a shock after his needling of opposition, referees and the establishment this season, will no doubt galvanise his team further.

England skipper Steve Borthwick returns at lock for Saracens after a two-month injury absence but number eight Ernst Joubert retains the captaincy.

Should Sarries fans be worried that Borthwick is back?  After all, they have seen their team play some expansive rugby with flair during his stint on the sidelines.  Probably not.

Elsewhere, Sarries' Kiwi half back pairing, Glen Jackson and Justin Marshall, hope to end their careers on a high before retiring.

Over in the Leicester camp, coach Richard Cockerill will be in the stands after escaping with a slap on the wrists from an RFU hearing.  The Tigers supremo took his frustration out on a wall during the semi-final game against Bath.  I can only assume that he had left his Olly Barkley voodoo doll at home.

Speaking of Bath, the final will be Lewis Moody's last game for Leicester before joining up with the men in blue, black and white next season.

In other team news, Tigers flanker Craig Newby is available for the game after he was cleared of a dangerous tackle in the semi-final.

But who will win?

This is a real tough one to call.  Leicester are the most consistent Guinness Premiership team and are strongest at the scrum and line-out.  They put on a master class of how to use the set-piece to smother their opponents, Bath, into submission two weeks ago.  They will look to target the throw of players' player of the season, hooker Schalk Brits, and put pressure on him at scrum-time.

Toby Flood will be key for the Tigers both with his kicking and running of the game.  His battle with opposite number Glen Jackson will be crucial in deciding which team will lift the trophy when the clock goes red.

As for Saracens, I expect to see yet more from full-back Alex Goode who impressed in the semi-final against Northampton Saints.  Flanker Andy Saull is in a rich vein of form, and there is the power of Ernst Joubert and that man Brits.

If Saracens can hold their own at the set piece then they have every chance of lifting the cup.

Don't forget, they beat Leicester 32-23 at Welford Road in the final round of the regular season, crushing the Tigers' bid to be unbeaten at home in the campaign.

However, Leicester we missing key men that day, including the instrumental Toby Flood.

My prediction:  On paper I would have to say Leicester Tigers due to their big match experience and league winning pedigree.  However, I have the sneaking feeling that Saracens might just do them again.  It would be a fitting finale to the season for Brendan Venter's team - and I would have to say that they would deserve it, after adding a lot of colour and spice to this season.

Saracens to win by 9.

Glee and the Guinness Premiership Final

Leicester Tigers and Saracens are the last teams standing in the Guinness Premiership race to Twickenham, where the two rivals will meet in the final on Saturday.

This is the sixth final in a row for reigning champions Leicester who finished the regular season in top spot.

Saracens, on the other hand, were league leaders until the halfway point, thanks to a controlled and uninspiring kicking game.  But then, fastforward a couple of months, and a team trip to Brighton and a couple of controversies later, Brendan Venter's team is thrilling to watch and racking up the tries.

Saturday's clash should be a corker.

But what do Leicester stars Geordan Murphy, Ben Youngs and Jordan Crane think of their chances? 

Do Sarries' Brad Barritt and Andy Saull think they can get their hands on the silverware?

And more to the point, which one of these is a closet fan of Glee?

All is revealed...

Skillz

Guinness Premiership finalists Leicester and Saracens are both pretty slick when it comes to ball handling, lineouts, scrum time and racking up the points.

But which team is better at, say, throwing balls through the sunroof of a Landrover?

I wonder...

There's only one way to find out.

First up, Leicester Tigers:



Hmm, pretty poor.  Can Sarries do any better?



We have a winner.

But are these skillz a pointer to who will win the final?

Of course not.  Don't be silly.