Saracens are where they were a year ago: in the European Champions Cup semi-final and on course for a home draw in the Premiership play-offs, but at the same time they are in a different place as they plot achieving an unprecedented treble, having won the LV Cup last month.
An ultimately comfortable victory over one of their title rivals took Saracens back into second place in the Premiership table. When the competition resumes in two weeks, they face the champions Northampton in Milton Keynes. By then, they will know whether they are in the European Cup final for the second successive season, with Clermont Auvergne lying in wait in Saint-Étienne on Saturday.
Saracens fell at the final two hurdles last season, beaten by Toulon in Europe before going down to Northampton in the Premiership final at the end of extra time. Their progress until then had been upward, faltering at the last. They have timed their run this season, as Wasps used to do, confident they will have something left when it matters.
“We were the runaways leaders of the Premiership last season,, scoring more tries than anyone before and accumulating a record number of points, and we knew we would have a home draw in the play-offs with three or four rounds to go,” said the Saracens centre Brad Barritt. “This time we have been more up and down and I would like to think we are peaking at the right time, showing our character.
“We have a mantra to galvanise us: it is a matter of pounding the rock. We keep pushing each other on, learning to get better. That is what has got us into this position and what will carry us on. Even in the final 20 minutes against Leicester, when we were well ahead, we kept them out and were courageous in defence. The coaches will have some tough selection decisions for the Clermont semi-final.”
Saracens will have the England fly-half Owen Farrell available next weekend. He has not played since suffering a knee injury during the group match in Clermont at the end of January but such is the ethic Saracens have developed that individuals are not missed; the whole remains intact.
It used to be that way at Leicester, but a club who have always finished in the top four since the play-off system was introduced, failing to make the final for the first time last season, are limping their way to the finish, as gnarled and resolute as ever but desperately seeking inspiration.
Only London Welsh had scored fewer league tries than Leicester after 18 rounds and they recorded their lowest score against Saracens in the Premiership in a defeat that took their points difference into the red while their play-off rivals were all healthily in the black. They should bank five points from London Welsh in their next match – although they did not cut loose in the first fixture between the sides – but finish off with Wasps and Northampton.
“Our fate is in our own hands,” said Richard Cockerill, Leicester’s director of rugby. “We need to improve on this performance and we need to become a bit smarter. Our discipline cost us against a very good side. We have to pick ourselves up against London Welsh and go again.”
Leicester went back to basics after a run of one victory in five Premiership matches earlier in the season and they laid a foundation against Saracens, at least before the hamstring injury suffered by the prop Marcos Ayerza that may end his season. But a back division containing Ben Youngs, Freddie Burns, Seremaia Bai, Vereniki Goneva and Mathew Tait should amount to more than a few miss-moves.
They were predictable and lacking in spark, in need of rejuvenation more than a play-off semi-final.
Saracens Goode; Ashton, Bosch (Taylor, 58), Barritt (Spurling, 71), Wyles; Hodgson, Wigglesworth (De Kock, 52); M Vunipola (Barrington, 65), George, Du Plessis (Johnston, 52), Kruis, Hargreaves (capt; Itoje, 65), Wray (Joubert, 52), Brown, B Vunipola.
Tries B Vunipola, Bosch, Wyles. Cons Hodgson 2. Pen Hodgson.
Leicester Tait; Morris, Smith (Thompstone, 55), Bai, Goneva; Burns, B Youngs (capt; Harrison, 61); Ayerza (Rizzo, 42), T Youngs (Ghiraldini, 65), Cole (Mulipola, 52), De Chaves (Kitchener, 50), Parling, Gibson, Salvi, Crane (Pearce, 56).
Pens Burns 2.
Sin-bin T Youngs 36, Goneva 79.
Attendance 9,982. Referee M Carley.
