Freddie Burns delivered a drop of magic to crown Leicester champions of England and spark scenes of high emotion at Twickenham.
Twenty-one seconds from the end of a pulsating contest, the former England fly-half struck to break the deadlock and give England’s biggest club its first Premiership title for nine years.
“I can’t believe it. I genuinely can’t,” said Burns, only on the pitch because George Ford had crocked his ankle before half-time.
“I thought moments like this weren’t made for me. It’s been a long career. I’ve come close on a few occasions in semis. You start thinking it’s slipping away.”
Tears were already flowing before Tom Youngs appeared on the pitch, just a week after losing his wife Tiffany to cancer.
Leicester captain Ellis Genge beckoned over his predecessor and together the pair lifted the trophy to the delight of Tigers' army of travelling fans.
There were heroes all over the pitch for the Midlanders, who came into the game as heavy underdogs despite easily winning the regular season.
None more so than Richard Wigglesworth, at 39 winning his seventh title with his third different club.
“This year in big games we’ve not turned up and fired a shot,” he said. “We were determined to come out firing and leave it all out there. We did that.”
When Ford departed the stage on 23 minutes, with Saracens ahead and Leicester out of sorts, you would not have given them a snowball’s chance in hell.
Farrell had kicked Sarries in front and Leicester’s morale had not recovered from being done on their first scrum put-in by Vincent Koch.
But Tigers did not make history topping the table through every round by being easily dissuaded and adversity transformed their mood.
The turning point came with Ford barely off the pitch. Hooker Julian Montoya charged into contact, Aled Davies met him with left shoulder to head and Saracens’ scrum-half was sent to the bin.
In truth he was mighty lucky to escape an early bath but any sense of good fortune evaporated as Freddie Steward broke the line, Chris Ashton ploughed on and Hanro Liebenberg finished the job.
A matter of seconds had changed the feel of the contest and Leicester were not about to take a backwards step.
Elliot Daly pegged back three from long range but in open play Tigers remained on the front foot and when Wigglesworth charged down Farrell, green shirts poured through.
Another scrum and this time Leicester were ready. Sarries went down and from the penalty Leicester chose to tap and go.
It was no off-the-cuff call. As Genge took the contact, Wigglesworth eased into position and waited for Jasper Wiese to come round the corner and plough over.
Leicester fans lifted the roof, and would have done so a second time had Daly not plucked the ball brilliantly over his head to deny Ashton.
A third try would have broken the game open. Instead, as Tigers tired, Farrell kicked Saracens level and when Matt Scott was sin-binned the game looked theirs for the taking.
But Burns had other ideas. He returned to the club from Japan last summer saying he had unfinished business. Not any more he hasn’t.
SARACENS - Pens: Farrell 3, Daly.
LEICESTER - Tries: Liebenberg, Wiese. Con: Burns. Drop: Burns
