And that is about all from me. Many thanks for reading as always. Cheerio!
Rob Baxter has mixed emotions, but has said this: “I’m hugely proud of the guys. I said that nothing will change the season we’ve had and we’ve achieved some notable highs. We’ve done what a lot of teams don’t o in their first final, some teams need the whole game, we needed half an hour.
“I said I wanted this to be a step ,not the be all and end all and that’s what this feels like, I’m disappointed with a few things in the first half an hour and we didn’t really fire any shots but Saracens out us under great pressure.
“If it had taken us 80 minutes it would have been a difficult game so I’m so proud of payers to fight their way back against arguable the best club in Europe, by a little way.”
Here is the match report for you to feast your eyes all over …
Mark McCall, the Saracens director of rugby, is a happy man: “It feels amazing, I can remember quite well what happened two years ago and how painful that was. It’s an incredible achievement to come back here over the last two seasons and to win both competitions is amazing.”
The Double 🏆🏆.
— Jacques Burger (@Nabasboer) May 28, 2016
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Gareth Steenson, the Exeter captain, has been speaking: “I think we came in with tactics but fair play to Saracens, they won the territory game against us. I think we did a bit more of that in the second half.
“They are a good side and we take it on the chin but we got it down to three points. We just wanted to get within seven and put a pressure on. It’s very disappointing but we’ll take a few days and reflect that it has been a great season and we want more of it.
“We’re going to be proud of what we did this season. This is just another step along the way for this club.”
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Here come Saracens, led by Charlie Hodgson, and then a dancing Petrus du Plessis. Everyone is up now, including Jacques Burger who has his arm in a sling. And finally Brad Barritt, who lifts the trophy. A far better end to a season that began in terrible circumstances for the centre.
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Here comes a disappointed looking set of Chiefs to collect their runners-up medals. Rob Baxter is able to smile though. Henry Slade is not.
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You may not love them, you may not even like them but you have to respect Saracens. Their ‘journey’, having been found out in Europe by Clermont at Vicarage Road has been well-documented and they will tell you it has not finished yet – this group of players may go on to dominant both at home and abroad.
They are however, in no uncertain terms, up there to be shot at though and Exeter will be back next season as will a host of other pretenders.
Man of the match Alex Goode has had this to say: “It’s an unbelievable achievement and to do it with such an incredible group is the perfect way to finish the season. We know they’re a top side, they’ve proven that all year, but we just thought we needed to start well and we were pretty clinical.
“They are a quality side, we knew they would come back at us and they did but we managed to hold the tide at the end and come away with the result. It was great play by the boys, for once it was Chris Ashton passing to some one, but I’m just over the moon to achieve this with such a special group.”
Saracens crowned Premiership champions
Saracens have successfully completed their European and Premiership double, the first side to do so since 2004, after weathering a second-half fightback from Exeter. Their response to Nowell’s converted try, which brought the Chiefs back to within three points with five minutes to play, is what they are all about.
Exeter did themselves justice in the second half and both Ewers and Nowell can take great credit for their performances after the break. They lost the match in the first half though and could not come back from 23-6. A cruel lesson learned in their first appearance in a Premiership final.
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Full time! Saracens 28-20 Exeter
80 mins: Hodgson goes deep as Goode is named man of the match, having made 150 metres - yowsers. Itoje claims the lineout, one more maul for Saracens, Hodgson chips over the defence, Ashton thinks he got there … Barnes asks try yes or no, it’s not a try. But Itoje plucks the restart and then concedes the penalty. Exeter will keep playing, and playing, 17th phase, 18th but Saracens eventually force the turnover and it’s all over.
79 mins: Lewis snipes but Saracens have the penalty – Hamilton with the intervention and that will be that.
78 mins: Exeter won’t give up and they bring the ball up towards the 10m line. Ewers has another hard carry.
77 mins: Hodgson misses the conversion but Saracens’ lead is eight …
Try! (Goode) Saracens 28-20 Exeter
76 mins: Saracens still have it but Exeter are holding firm so far … until Saracens find some room out wide and Bosch and Ashton combine to put Goode over – game over. Ashton and Goode have combined so well this season so a fitting end to it I suppose.
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75 mins: Exeter must keep their composure and discipline now. Saracens have it and are closing in on the Chiefs’ 22.
Conversion! (Steenson) Saracens 23-20 Exeter
74 mins: Steenson knocks it over from the touchline and there are three points in it.
Try! (Nowell) Saracens 23-18 Exeter
73 mins: Famous last words – finally something comes off for Slade, who darts through a gap on the right and gets the offload away to Dollman. Nowell is outside him and is given the ball too early but the England wing does so well to finish. Yikes!
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72 mins: Ewers takes the lineout and her comes another maul but it has been spoiled by Jim Hamilton who had just been brought on to do exactly that. Chiefs go through the phases, near the 22, but this Saracens defence does not look like buckling.
71 mins: Desperate knock-on from Exeter but Itoje had already been penalised. Steenson goes for the corner, great kick, and it’s a Chiefs lineout just a few metres out. They must make this count. Armand is not coming back.
70 mins: Steenson produces an enormous clearance and Exeter are on halfway here. They could do with getting to within a score sooner rather than later though. Here comes the maul and it’s over halfway.
69 mins: Charlie Hodgson is on for his 254th and final Premiership appearance as Sarries win the lineout and get their maul going, they’re just a few metres out but Exeter force the penalty – Itoje penalised.
68 mins: Almost a try for Saracens as Goode tries to float it out wide, Yeandle manages to stop the ball reaching Ashton. It’s a knock-on, not deliberate though.
67 mins: Ewers again has another big carry but a rank pass from the replacement scrum-half Lewis means Saracens have it. Short can’t take the kick cleanly but Exeter almost counter with a clever kick from Slade. Saracens are playing advantage though and Goode, and then Itoje bring them forward.
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66 mins: That was very important and Slade finds a descent touch. Exeter could really do with another score in the next few minutes. Yeandle hits his man and Exeter ship it on quickly. Another big carry from Ewers, and another, and then Steenson dances thorugh a hole but us abruptly stopped.
65 mins: Armand goes off for a HIA and it’s unlikely he’ll be back. Salvi comes back on to replace him. We’ll have a scrum to Sarries … penalty to Exeter.
On the replay, Armand gets his head in the wrong place as Barritt carried forward. Nasty one. Can’t see him continuing to be honest.
64 mins: Sarries have the lineout though, not far from Exeter’s 22. George breaks off from the maul and Saracens are into the 22 but Barnes stops proceedings for a head injury to Armand.
63 mins: Farrell finds touch and Kruis takes the lineout. Sarries go through the hands and a wonderful grubber from Goode puts Exeter in trouble but some equally impressive defence from Nowell allows Chudley the chance to clear. So good from Nowell.
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62 mins: Take two … and we’re going to need a take three. Sarries won’t mind this, or at least their backs won’t. Sarries are eventually awarded the penalty. Hepburn the offender.
61 mins: Sarries have the scrum, inside their own half, and it’ll be reset.
60 mins: Slade tries to make something happen but Sarries’ defence is holding firm and Ewers is pushed back by Billy V. Knock on from Slade! And Wigglesworth clears. Excellent defence from Saracens.
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59 mins: Steenson’s getting the crowd involved here. Yeandle finds his man, here comes the maul but Sarries have done well to spoil it. Ewers carries, then Salvi … 10 metres out.
58 mins: Armand takes the lineout again and try to get the maul going, Exeter have the advantage and Chudley scampers up into the 22 – Barnes comes back for the penalty, big call again … Steenson goes for the corner.
57 mins: Exeter have the driving maul going again … and get the penalty they wanted. I don’t think that’s the last driving maul we’ll see. Steenson goes deep towards the left corner. What’s happened to Saracens?
56 mins: Goode carries Sarries into the Exeter half after another pretty average kick from Chudley. Good defence from Exeter though and they’ll have a lineout. Important they don’t give any cheap points away here.
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Conversion! (Steenson) Saracens 23-13 Exeter
55 mins: The kicking at goal on show here is quite amazing. Steenson knocks it straight through the posts. Turns out it was Yeandle at the pile of bodies with the try.
Try! (Hepburn) Saracens 23-11 Exeter
54 mins: Armand takes the lineout and Exeter get the maul going, they’re almost there and the backs are piling in … try! Exeter get a foothold and it’s no surprise that it comes from a driving maul. Game on?
53 mins: My mistake, it’s a Saracens put in, but the Chiefs are awarded a penalty on the 22, in front of the posts … Steenson goes for the corner. Big call.
52 mins: Up to the 22 but Slade can’t quite get the right pass away and Sarries have it back. A forward pass from Goode gives Exeter a scrum on 22 though. Points from here are a must.
51 mins: Woodburn gathers on halfway. Exeter are trying to make things happen but perhaps trying too hard. Ewers has a powerful carry, all pumping legs, and Chudley darts before Nowell does likewise.
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49 mins: Kruis wins it and Saracens form a maul again. Wigglesworth goes to the skies again but Woodburn has time to clear, straight to Goode, who returns it to Steenson but a huge kick goes into in-goal area and we’ll have a 22 drop out. Figallo, Wray and George all coming on for Sarries.
48 mins: Exeter change all of their front row – Yeandle, Hepburn and Francis are all on. Exeter get the ball out cleanly, go wide and win a penalty at the breakdown. Chudley goes quickly but doesn’t go very far. Steenson tries a dink, it doesn’t work, Sarries will have a lineout on halfway.
47 mins: Chudley clears, again to long, and Taylor has it down the left. Sarries threaten through Ashton and Farrell but Barnes says there was a knock on. Scrum to Exeter.
46 mins: Nowell is caught by Taylor, incredible line speed from the Scot, and Ashton nearly breaks down the right but ran out of room. Much better from Exeter but nowhere near as clinical as Sarries.
45 mins: Better from Slade and better from Exeter who again put a few phases together. Up to halfway and the crowd are getting behind them with the tomahawk chop. Dollman finds a way through down the left but he spins the ball wide and it goes straight to Ashton! Better from the Chiefs but they need a score soon.
43 mins: Kruis takes the lineout and Sarries get their driving maul going. It’s been stolen though and Nowell carries over halfway but, not for the first time, slips. Parling then fails to gather a pass and Chiefs are under pressure until Nowell mops up.
42 mins: Encouraging from Exeter but Itoje stamped that out pretty quickly. A bit naive from Williams. Farrell finds touch near halfway.
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Peeeeeeeeeeep!
41 mins: Steenson gets us back underway – needless to say Exeter need a fast start. At least they’re having a bit of possession, going through the phasess and Dollman goes through the middle after a delayed pass from Slade. But Itoje forces the turnover
It’s a busy weekend at Twickenham of course, and tomorrow’s clash between England and Wales will surely be closer than this.
Here’s a bit of half-time reading for you …
Perhaps Exeter’s woeful half is best summed up by Slade – a huge platform to assert his international credentials and he just has not taken it but he is not Chief to misfire and their kicking game has simply not been good enough.
We can only hope that the Chiefs come out and shoot from the hip in the second half but Baxter has a job to remove such palpable tension from his players.
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Half-time! Saracens 23-6 Exeter
There was always the chance that could happen. Saracens have executed their game plan perfectly, scored two tries in the left corner and dominated in terms of territory. Exeter, so composed an authoritative all season, look shellshocked. They’re lacking in discipline and intensity and need an enormous second half to even restore some respectability.
At least they know they must come out and play but this is a huge half-time teamtalk for Baxter now. His troops have showed little belief so far and that must change if any sort of comeback is to materialise.
For Saracens, Farrell has been masterful and Brits very busy, using his fleetness of foot to devastating effect. Goode has been lively too, if not perfect under the high ball, but as usual it is up front where they are winning this match. Rhodes in particular has been relentless at blindside.
Penalty! (Steenson) Saracens 23-6 Exeter
40+1 mins: Scant consolation in a terrible half for Exeter really but Steenson knocks over his second penalty.
40 mins: Exeter have the ball inside Saracens’ half but it’s scrappy. How they could do with a score here. Cowan-Dickie carries. Then Nowell and then Ewers. Exeter up to the 22 and they have a penalty. They need a try here. Cowan-Dickie carries again, then Lees and then Nowell again. This is much better but Barnes goes back for the advantage. Steenson will go for goal.
Conversion! (Farrell) Saracens 23-3 Exeter
39 mins: Two more points for Farrell and Saracens’ lead is 20. Just like a year ago against Bath, Saracens have romped into a near unassailable lead before the break. Sarries are in cruise control. Exeter need to regroup and come again.
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Try! (Wyles) Saracens 21-3 Exeter
37 mins: Farrell spins wide to Wyles, it was pretty flat but maybe not forward, and the USA international wriggles through! Nothing but green ahead of him and he darts over in the corner. Disaster for Exeter - that could be that.
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36 mins: Wigglesworth’s clearly kick isn’t great but Exeter will have to build from halfway. They can’t gather the lineout and Sarries have it again. Farrell puts Dollman under pressure with a shrewd kick.
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Conversion! (Farrell) Saracens 16-3 Exeter
35 mins: From wide on the left, Farrell continues his 100% record and Saracens have put daylight between themselves and Exeter who have not been at the races yet. Baxter will want his players in at half-time, quickly, but what he wouldn’t do for a score against the run of play before that.
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Try! (Taylor) Saracens 14-3 Exeter
33 mins: Exeter have it on their own 22, pinned back as has been the case for large parts of this half. Chudley kicks deep. Brits carries and bursts through the middle. Into the 22 and Exeter just about scramble back. What a carry from Brits. Sarries have the advantage but they don’t need it – a lovely grubber from Farrell finds Taylor on the left who coasts over.
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32 mins: Itoje wins the lineout. Wigglesworth clears and that’s good chase from Ashton again who hits Woodburn. Chiefs live dangerously but Nowell mops up. Exeter are putting ball through the hands a bit more, trying to get round Sarries’ line speed – it’s not working at present as the ball is coming from the ruck quickly enough.
30 mins: Exeter form a mail but spread the ball through the hands from right to left. No change from Sarries defence though and Chudley is forced into touch.
29 mins: Exeter gather the lineout, not cleanly though, but a powerful drive up the middle gets them up to halfway. Sarries slow the ball, Fraser nearly forces the turnover before Dollman kicks for territory. Wigglesworth clears to touch so we’ll have an Exeter lineout by Sarries’ 10m line.
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28 mins: Steenson’s restart is good but the ball is knocked on by one of the Exeter chasers. Saracens play advantage and clear to halfway.
Penalty! (Farrell) Saracens 9-3 Exeter
27 mins: Saracens restore their six-point advantage as Farrell slots another from the left. Clinical.
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26 mins: Dreadful lineout from Exeter and chaos ensues. Brits almost makes it to the line, he gets the ball away to Rhodes who can’t gather. Exeter threaten to break away after Farrell’s kick is charged down but we’re coming back for an early tackle on Rhodes from Ewers. Farrell will go for goal.
25 mins: Ashton gets his hands on the ball in space for the first time and Saracens, where they have spent a lot of this half, are closing in on Exeter’s 22. Itoje has carry, so does Wigglesworth, and they’re into the 22. A pretty awful pass ends any hopes of capitalising on an overlap on the left though. Chiefs lineout.
Penalty! (Steenson) Saracens 6-3 Exeter
23 mins: Exeter are up and running as Steenson bisects the posts. You get the feeling he was desperate for that, judging by his drop goal attempt.
22 mins: Exeter with a rare foray into Saracens’ territory. And they’ve won a penalty after Itoje slaps the ball in Parling’s hands at the lineout. They had the advantage their, and Steenson opted for a drop goal. Strange decision but Steenson will take aim at goal.
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21 mins: Sarries take the lineout but Exeter force a scrum from the maul that had formed. Very stop start here, and lots of errors, probably lots of nerves. Let’s hope it gets better. Penalty to Chiefs and the opportunity to clear their lines.
19 mins: Billy V pops it up to Wigglesworth and the No8 then has a powerful carry. Saracens are closing on the Chiefs’ 22 but Williams smashes Itoje back. Sarries still have it, but they’ve lost it forward. Exeter scent an opportunity to counter down the left but Slade kicks ahead and slices it out on the full. A second bad error from Slade in quick succession.
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18 mins: Free-kick to Exeter. That will help settle them down. Slade gives it a welly and Goode gathers before returning the favour – and Slade spills. Scrum. That’s frustrating for the Chiefs.
16 mins: The Chiefs need to get the range of their kicking right. It’s too long at the moment. Saracens have it in Exeter’s 22 again but the hooker loses the ball forward. Good defence from Exeter. Big scrum for the Chiefs.
15 mins: Goode gathers Exeter’s kick and shuffles his way through the midfield. Saracens find space on the right again, unfortunately it was Mako with the final pass to Ashton and it was woeful and into touch. Goode has been busy, not that solid under the high ball but effective when counterattacking.
14 mins: We have another scrum. Free-kick to Sarries, Williams at fault again, and, to little surprise, Farrell launches another one high and Woodburn gathers.
13 mins: Another kick from Wigglesworth and Chudley gets smashed by Ashton. Exeter then clear – an early kicking battle is ensuing …
12 mins: Wigglesworth also goes high and Dollman makes a mess of it. Slade gathers however and Chudley eventually clears but Dollman is still down.
11 mins: Exeter have it up the middle on halfway but this Saracens defence is formidable. Steenson goes high and Goode gathers this time.
Penalty! (Farrell) Saracens 6-0 Exeter
10 mins: Farrell can’t miss from in front of the posts but Sarries will be a touch frustrated that was not seven points. Still, an early lead from Sarries. Chiefs need a quick response.
9 mins: Mako takes the lineout at the tail and Sarries are well into Exeter’s 22. Five metres out now and Brits has a go. Two metres now. Billy V gets to within a metre, Sarries have the advantage, Cowan-Dickie the offender, and Barnes awards the penalty.
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8 mins: Saracens win the penalty at the scrum – Itoje is pleased with that. Williams at fault according to Wayne Barnes. It could be along afternoon for the young tighthead. Farrell kicks to touch and Sarries are on the front foot again.
7 mins: Sarries make a mess of the lineout and Nowell has a scamper. That’s a good kick ahead from Chudley and the Chiefs are up to halfway before Slade puts one up to the skies and Goode drops again – this time forward. Scrum to Exeter.
5 mins: Goode gets away with a fumble, it went behind him, and a pocket of space opens for Nowell after the full-back kicks clear, but is swiftly shut off.. And Saracens force the penalty – Itoje and Brits having their say at the breakdown.
4 mins: Goode takes the restart cleanly, Brits gets his hands on the ball again before Wigglesworth kicks clear and Exeter have their first bit of possession – Saracens’ line speed is relentless.
Penalty! (Farrell) Saracens 3-0 Exeter
3 mins: No mistake from a fly-half right at the top of his game at the moment, even if he did have his ribs tickled last week. Straight through the posts from the right-hand side.
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2 mins: Saracens go through the phases and eventually find an overlap on the right. Chiefs force the turnover, but Woodburn did so illegally and Saracens have a penalty – Farrell will kick at goal. Brits involved a lot early on.
Peeeeeeeeeeeep!
1 min: Farrell kicks up off and Dollman gathers before Chudley kicks clear, straight to Goode, who has a dart up the middle. Saracens begin on the front foot.
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Here come the teams … Saracens in their traditional red and black, Exeter in white. The Saracens mascots are all Hodgson juniors – a nice touch.
Banter alert …
How kind of Chris Budgen to donate his club shirt for the Parade of Club shirts pic.twitter.com/nAACZrkyDl
— Exeter Chiefs (@ExeterChiefs) May 28, 2016
I forgot to inform you where the smart money has been placed:
- Exeter half-time, Saracens full time
- Owen Farrell to score first (not really in keeping with the above)
- And a saver on Chris Ashton to score at any time.
Five minutes until kick-off – the mindless music has begun …
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With many thanks to Stuart Farmer, Premiership Rugby’s official statto, here is a raft of stats to sink your teeth into …
Saracens
• No team has successfully defended their Premiership Rugby crown since Leicester did so in 2010.
• The last time that Maro Itoje was on the losing side in any match in which he started was for Saracens against Exeter Chiefs at Allainz Park in Premiership Rugby on 10 May 2015!
• Mark McCall has the best winning percentage of any head coach in the history of the Premiership: Saracens have won 99 of the 129 matches he has been in charge for a 76.7% success rate.
• The only club whose props failed to tally a single try in Premiership Rugby this season is Saracens
• Saracens have won their last nine games in all competitions; only two sides have had longer winning runs immediately prior to the Premiership final: Saracens won 12 in a row in 2010-11 and also took the title, and Leicester won 11 in succession a year later but lost the final to Harlequins.
Exeter
•Exeter have visited Twickenham five times before in all competitions but are yet to record a victory.
• The Chiefs have become the first club to make the Premiership final who were not in the original dozen sides in the inaugural Premiership competition in season 1997-98.
• Gareth Steenson has started all 23 of the Chiefs matches in Aviva Premiership Rugby this season. He failed to finish only four of those games and missed only 34 possible minutes of playing time.
• Will Chudley has played in all 45 Chiefs games in the Premiership over the past two seasons.
• Exeter conceded only one try in the first ten minutes of any of their Aviva Premiership Rugby matches during 2015/16 – a penalty try for Harlequins at Sandy Park on 28 November.
• Exeter have won 60% of the league and Premiership matches for which Rob Baxter has been head coach – his overall record in these competitions being won 101, drawn 6, lost 66.
• Exeter finished runners up to Saracens after the regular season but should not lose heart… five number two seeds have beaten the top of the table side in the final to lift the trophy.
• The most popular try scoring shirt in the Premiership this season is Exeter’s No8 with 15: Thomas Waldrom scored 13 wearing the shirt and Don Armand the other two.
In stark contrast to Saracens’ victory over Racing in Europe, the sun is out, conditions for running rugby are perfect. Whether we see that much of it remains to be seen but, dare I say it, a slightly uninspiring end to the season could do with a bit of attacking intent to set a few pulses racing.
BT Sport have certainly gone to town – there appears to be a small army of them out on the pitch at present – and have been mopping up all manner of platitudes from players and coaches alike.
No doubt there will be some preposterously overblown fireworks display and some brain-wrenchingly unnecessary music but the good news is there’s less than half an hour until kick-off.
I’m going to have a bet or two – I’ll report back with my selections.
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Exeter team
P Dollman; J Nowell, H Slade, I Whitten, O Woodburn; G Steenson (capt), W Chudley; B Moon, L Cowan-Dickie, H Williams, M Lees, G Parling, D Ewers, J Salvi, D Armand.
Replacements: J Yeandle, A Hepburn, T Francis, D Welch, K Horstmann, D Lewis, M Campagnaro, J Short.
Exeter too, are unchanged from the side that beat Wasps last weekend but perhaps the biggest news is that Thomas Waldrom, the Premiership’s top try scorer this season, is unavailable due to a knee injury. Waldrom was able to only play 20 minutes off the bench against Wasps but he has been ruled out in what comes as a blow to the Chiefs.
In the backs, Phil Dollman, enjoying an excellent season, is at full-back while Jack Nowell, in such rich form, is on the right. Revitalised at Sandy Park after a move from Bath, Olly Woodburn is on the left while Ian Whitten is at inside centre and outside him is Henry Slade. Slade is been slowly returning to form since breaking his leg earlier in the season and while his kicking game has been crucial to Exeter’s march to Twickenham, Eddie Jones, among others, will be desperate to see his passing and running skills at full bore with the Australia tour looming large.
Gareth Steenson, the dead-eye fly-half, captains the side while Will Chudley continues at scrum-half after his citing for kicking Joe Launchbury in the head was dismissed. At loosehead is Ben Moon while the hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie is another of Exeter’s England contingent and Harry Williams is named against at tighthead despite Tomas Francis’s availability. Mitch Lees, named in the England Saxons squad to tour South Africa, is joined by Geoff Parling who makes his first return to Twickenham since the World Cup while Dave Ewers, who can consider himself unlucky not to be going to Australia, Julian Salvi and Don Armand – arguably Exeter’s finest player this season – is at No8.
What a welcome for @ExeterChiefs for their first #AvivaPremFinal pic.twitter.com/hehxKgVxka
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) May 28, 2016
Saracens team
A Goode; C Ashton, D Taylor, B Barritt (capt), C Wyles; O Farrell, R Wigglesworth; M Vunipola, S Brits, P du Plessis, M Itoje, G Kruis, M Rhodes, W Fraser, B Vunipola.
Replacements: J George, R Barrington, J Figallo, J Hamilton, J Wray, N de Kock, C Hodgson, M Bosch.
Unchanged from the side that beat Racing 92 in the Champions Cup final and Leicester in last weekend’s semi-final and packed with power and individual class. Alex Goode, the Premiership player of the year, is at full-back with Chris Ashton, no doubt with a point to prove having been omitted from England’s touring party, on the right wing. Chris Wyles continues on the left while the underrated Duncan Taylor and the stalwart and captain Brad Barritt in the centres.
Owen Farrell has recovered from a rib injury suffered against the Tigers to continue at fly-half and Richard Wigglesworth, so impressive against Racing, partners him in the half-backs.
Up front Mako Vunipola, who has a big tour of Australia ahead with Joe Marler not travelling, is at loosehead with Schalk Brits at hooker and Petrus du Plessis at tighthead. Maro Itoje and George Kruis are in the second row back at HQ for the first time since their imperious performances against Wales while Michael Rhodes, another underrated member of the XV, is at blindside, Billy Vunipola is at No8 and Will Fraser, in excellent form of late, is at openside and has another chance to remind Eddie Jones of his talents.
Among the replacements is Charle Hodgson who brings the curtain down on his illustrious Premiership career on a fitting stage. Read more about that here.
.@Saracens have arrived #AvivaPremFinal pic.twitter.com/MbB1urDpb3
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) May 28, 2016
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Preamble
Hello world! And welcome to the 2015-16 Premiership final, or day one of the south-west’s mass migration to London.
Exeter Chiefs supporters have arrived in their numbers for a first appearance in final at Twickenham in eight years (they’ve been Harlequins’ Big Game opponents since) and, just six years on from their promotion from the Championship, the word ‘fairytale’ has been banded around plenty ever since their semi-final win over Wasps.
In the year of the underdog, Exeter certainly arrive as second favourites but theirs is no overnight rags to riches story. Rather Rob Baxter has been steadily evolving his side and their second-place finish in the table was no surprise.
Saracens meanwhile, are attempting to become the first English side to complete a domestic and European double since Wasps in 2004. They have lost just once this season when their internationals have been available and have not lost a match Maro Itoje has started in more than a year. You cannot but admire their ascendancy to Europe’s finest team but they are not necessarily loved – even if their players seem to be when wearing the white of England.
Just like Exeter, Saracens are unchanged from their semi-final win with Owen Farrell recovered from a rib injury and are contesting their third consecutive Premiership final, having swatted Bath aside 12 months ago. Neutrals will not be in their corner but that is something that Saracens relish and another performance like that against Racing 92, squeezing the life out of their opponents and kicking from hand to impressive effect, is likely to yield more silverware.
Still, while Exeter’s celebrations are reaching the final were far more animated than their counterparts, Baxter has no intention of basking in his day in the sun. Exeter are coming to play and have developed an adaptable style that may yet spring a surprise. Saracens prevailed when these side’s met in last season’s LV= Cup and won both regular season matches but this is the Chiefs in a Premiership final and there is nothing regular about that.
Kick-off is at 3pm BST and I’ll have teams in full for you shortly. In the meantime, take a trip down memory lane and read The Guardian’s very own Robert Kitson, reporting from the 2004 final when Wasps clinched their double.
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