When Saracens lost last season’s Premiership final against Northampton to a try in the final minute of extra time, the club’s chief executive, Edward Griffiths, criticised the play-off system, saying it was only in place for financial reasons and that the champions should be determined by the league table.
Saracens had finished at the top of the Premiership table for the second season in a row only to see someone else take hold of the trophy. Griffiths said: “We think a league where everyone plays home and away should be decided by the league champions, which is what the Premier League in football does and every other mature league in the world.”
If Saracens secure the title for the second time by beating Bath at Twickenham on Saturday, they would become the first team to finish outside the top two to do so. As such they will be grateful for the play-off system, having finished in fourth place and pipped Exeter to the knockout stage on points difference by thrashing London Welsh on the final day of the regular season. Having set the pace last season and finished it with defeats in the Heineken Cup and Premiership finals, they have measured themselves this time and were exceptional in the semi-final at Northampton last weekend.
“It has been an up-and-down season for us in many respects,” says Saracens’ director of rugby, Mark McCall, “but we have had only a couple of mini-slumps. We have played brilliantly some seven or eight times, operating at a very high level. We did that at Northampton and we will have to do it again against Bath.”
After starting the season with four straight victories Saracens struggled for consistency and were beaten twice by their play-off rivals Northampton and Exeter. They lost at Gloucester, who had then not won at home in the league for two months, and went down to Bath to end a run of eight successive victories against the team they face in the final. Their record against the other clubs who finished in the top five was two victories in eight matches and, when they slumped at home to Exeter in the penultimate round, they lost control of their destiny.
“Disappointing though that result was, we still felt we could make the final,” says the hooker Jamie George, who was initially left out of England’s World Cup training squad last week but has been called up following the four-week suspension handed out to Dylan Hartley for striking George with his head during last weekend’s semi-final at Franklin’s Gardens.
“This team learns from defeats. We had a very good meeting after that game and followed it with a strong performance against London Welsh which ensured we finished in the top four. We know we have it in us to produce it when we need to and what has been constant this season is our defence: we showed that against Northampton and we know that is the level we will need to hit against Bath.”
Saracens went into last year’s final against Northampton on the back of the European final against Toulon and having to pick themselves up after a morale-sapping defeat. This time they have momentum after winning away in the semi-final they were fancied to lose against the defending champions.
“We go into this final in a slightly different spirit from 12 months ago,” says McCall. “The Heineken Cup final was draining mentally and physically and we were not in the best of spirits going to Twickenham. This week we are much more buoyant and experience of playing in big matches is important. It is our fourth final in six seasons and we know what is needed in terms of composure and rest.
“The dressing room at Twickenham last year was a painful place to be in after the final whistle and it was always going to be a hard road back to where we are now. I am proud of the players for what they have achieved but we want to go one better than then. Bath are a smart side who have an all-round game, blessed with dangerous backs who counterattack well. We know we do not deserve anything. We have to earn it.”
George had been anticipating a summer break and a long pre-season but following his England call-up for the summer training camps and warm-up Tests he has the chance to make a high-profile impression against a player who also features in Stuart Lancaster’s 50-strong squad, Rob Webber.
George, says McCall, “has been the best hooker in the Premiership this season” and the 24-year-old has played in all of his side’s league and European Champions Cup matches. “It has been the most important year of my career in terms of progress,” said George. “It means so much to be part of a team that has grown together over the last five years and our goal is more success.”
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