Leicester Tigers 18 - 22 Saracens
Saracens won their first ever Premiership title after beating favourites Leicester Tigers at Twickenham with a first half try from James Short and excellent kicking from young Owen Farrell.
First Half
Saracens started the match very well with the Tigers struggling with their first line out and James Short showing glimpses of his great wavy running until the Tigers defence dragged him down, this continued with Ayerza conceding a penalty with Saracens choosing the punt de Kock put the Saracens in a great position. Ben Youngs got sin-binned for killing the ball, Youngs has a habit of doing this in a big game? The scoreboard started to tick over with Farrell knocking over the resulting penalty. Leicester 0 “ 3 Saracens
Straight away the Tigers attacked and landed themselves a penalty which Flood converted. Leicester 3 -3 Saracens. A wild pass from make shift scrum half Anthony Allen put Leicester in trouble as the Tigers had to touch down pass their own line to give the Saracens a 5m scrum. Horacio Agulla strangely tried to kick a drop goal from his own half for it not to make it.
Leicester took the lead as the Saracens were offside so Flood converts the penalty Leicester 6 “ 3 Saracens. Just like it happened for Leicester it then happened for Saracens with George Chuter giving a penalty straight away to Saracens and Farrell converted it. Leicester 6 -6 Saracens. Farrell put in a high kick and received a little late present from Craig Newby, Tuilagi spilled the ball then Alex Goode decided to try a drop goal this time but it pulled left to miss the posts.
He was at it again Schalk Brits gave an offload to Botha as he received a big hit from Castrogiovanni, Botha then lost the ball and Flood booted the ball into Saracens 22 but Goode kicks it out from the resulting line out the Tigers try to get a maul going but Botha helps out and stops the momentum.
Brits made another dazzling run drawing in the defence then he passed to James Short who had a job still to do but he took the ball and finished well to earn Saracens a try. Owen Farrell grabbed the extras. Leicester 6 “ 13 Saracens. Saracens generate a great play from their scrum and Strettle and de Kock force the tigers to concede a penalty and Farrell knocks over the penalty. Leicester 6 “ 16 Saracens. Flood returned the favour to kick the Tigers to within a converted try, Leicester 9 “ 16 Saracens as Matt Stevens loses his bind at the scrum.
Second Half
Saracens start the 2nd half with a penalty as the great battle between Stevens and Castrogiovanni, this time Stevens won this round. Farrell coverts the penalty “ Leicester 9 “ 19 Saracens
The trading of penalties continued as try scorer James Short handles in a ruck and Flood again brings the Tigers to within a converted try. Leicester 12 “ 19 Saracens. Strangely Flood missed a penalty after Saracens got penalised at a scrum. Then again Flood missed another penalty; these were big misses for the Tigers that would have brought them close to the Saracens.
Vyvyan dives of his feet and gave a penalty away, this time Flood didn't miss the penalty and i'm sure there was some relief for the England fly half, penalties are traded again as Agulla handles in the ruck and Farrell kicks the penalty from the touchline, what a penalty but then again Saracens become offside to which Flood converts a penalty to make it. Leicester 18 “ 22 Saracens.
A try could easily win it for the Tigers, and it could of came from top try scorer Alesana Tuilagi who batters through 2 Saracens players but man of the match Schalk Brits stops him, the pace of Brits is unreal. Tuilagi knocks on from the tackle from Brits, utter brilliance from the South African.
After a line out from the Tigers, Saracens proved to have a strong defence and kept out the Tigers who went through 32 phases before a penalty came for the Tigers. The Saracens forwards and defence were immense today as the Tigers get penalised for holding on at a ruck and Farrell kicks the ball for Saracens to be crowned the Aviva Premiership 2010/2011 Champions.
Congratulations!
Leicester Tigers:
Tries -
Conversions -
Penalties - Flood (6)
Drop Goals -
Saracens:
Tries - Short
Conversions - Farrell
Penalties - Farrell (5)
Drop Goals -
Man Of the Match - Schalk Brits
