Owen Farrell played a starring role as Saracens overcame last season’s heartache by beating Bath at Twickenham
After Right Said Fred, obviously.
Anyway … the damage was done by Saracens early on. The Vunipolas were great, Farrell – blood dripping from a nasty gash on his eye – shone and they fully deserve this. Perhaps nerves left Bath paralysed early on and by the time they got on the front foot, Saracens’ lead was already too grand. Congratulations to Saracens, commiserations to Bath. Thanks for reading! Bye.
Saracens are Premiership champions! We’ll probably be hearing this quite soon.
80 min: Bath try to gain ground after restarting but Webber is penalised for a forward pass. And the clock is gone red.
79 min: The heavies are gaining slight ground before Billy Vunipola feeds to Charlie Hodgson, who attempts a drop goal but it goes narrowly wide.
78 min (I think because the stadium clock is broken and there is no TV scoreboard): Now Saracens have the ball in hand and they are boring everyone to death by keeping it among the forwards. Nothing stupid!
78 min: Owen Farrell wins the Peter Deakin medal after being awarded the man of the match award. Penny for Stuart Lancaster’s thoughts, anybody?
77 min: There are 80,589 inside Twickenham watching this – in a few minutes they will be seeing Saracens celebrating at the scene of last year’s heartbreak, for Farrell has just sent a lovely grubber forward which has kindly bounced to touch inside the Bath 22.
76 min: Bath have made it to halfway after Saracens are punished for not binding in the scrum.
74 min: Bath in possession again, but, crucially, in their own half … where Schalk Brits steals it, Hodgson sends a brilliant crossfield kick to Farrell, who keeps it in with an inventive pass behind his back. But a quick give and go ends with him knocking-on 2m from a title-sealing try. Still, they’ll take this territory when the seconds are ticking down.
73 min: They now have a penalty on their own 10 but Ford misjudges his kick and fails to find touch.
70 min: Charlie Hodgson is on for the final 10 minutes. This is his 15th top flight campaign – it looks like he will be finishing it with another title. Unless Bath can do something incredible and score two tries, of course. That looks unlikely at present as they are met by a re-energised Saracens defence and cannot find a way out of their half.
69 min: Bath have had over 80% of the ball in this second half.
68 min: Upon the restart the momentum continues to build but Eastmond shows a lack of composure by throwing a forward pass towards Matt Garvey and Sarries will, once more, kick clear.
67 min: From that lineout, on Bath’s left side, they work it across to Rokodugundi on the opposite side but he is tackled out of play by Wyles, who has been terrific today. Bath, however, are building momentum again even if time is very much their enemy.
65 min: Wayne Barnes is involved a little too much for my liking at the moment. He’s unhappy with how a scrum is being set inside the Saracens 10, so it is reset twice. The third time, Bath concede a penalty from Stringer’s put-in. Farrell finds touch.
63 min: And just as I type that, Bath concede a penalty. Farrell punishes them and there is breathing space again for Saracens.
60 min: Penalty for Bath between the 10 and 22 – and Ford nails it. The deficit is down to a single digit. Chris Ashton has entered the fray for Saracens, who are under quite a lot of pressure now.
58 min: We’re now seeing more of the Bath we’ve become accustomed to watching this season. They gain plenty of ground before Ford sends a testing kick down Goode’s throat, who slices his own kick out.
55 min: Suddenly, Saracens look to be struggling. Billy Vunipola is punished for being off his feet. Ford finds touch halfway between the 10m and 22 but Burgess knocks on and Saracens have some time to calm things down.
52 min: The Bath attack is really motoring now. Eastmond is held up two metres from the line by Strettle, Stringer feeds it out from a succession of rucks and Joseph makes the decisive break to cross for Bath’s first try. Ford’s kick sails over. Game on!
49 min: Five phases after the lineout Ford makes a lovely break and gains about 20 metres but the ball ends up in touch. Wigglesworth kicks but Bath are right back at them. Wyles is punished for not rolling away after tackling Devoto.
48 min: Bath win a penalty on their own 22 after Saracens collapse a scrum. Ford sends to touch, relieving the pressure.
43 min: This is a better start from Bath. They patiently work their way up to the 22 via Hooper, who pulls a Batty lineout from the air. Farrell is penalised for a high tackle on Eastmond and Ford nails his second penalty
41 min: We are underway again. What can Bath do? No team has come from 22-points behind at half-time in Premiership history. Not just finals, the entire competition!
No side has come from behind at halfway in a Premiership final. The 22-point gap suggests that record will maintain.
39 min: Bath build some momentum but Banahan knocks on. They are penalised again for a collapsing scrum. Farrell kicks to touch. And that’s half-time.
37 min: Saracens are on the front foot again! Itoje has it in the 22, David Wilson lands an early tackle and Farrell makes no mistake with the simplest of kicks in front of the posts. That’s 4/5 from the tee and no question which No10 is playing the starring role.
34 min: Hargreaves picked up a head injury before that and is off for an assessment. Jackson Wray is on in his stead.
32 min: We all thought it was going to be Bath playing the exciting, attacking rugby! Strettle makes a wonderful break, avoiding two tackles before being held up a couple of metres from the line. Farrell clears the ruck out and they rapidly work it to the opposite wing. Mako Vunipola almost loses it but manages to offload to George who spots Wyles to his left with nothing in way of defence. Farrell puts on the extras.
30 min: Some back and forth kicking ends with Sarries finding touch 5m from the line. Bath win their own lineout and Stringer puts it into touch a little short of halfway.
27 min: Bath are on the board. Ford opens his account with a clinical effort.
25 min: Ford plays a flat pass to Rokoduguni on his right, the wing chips and chases but Goode appears to barge him out of the way. It’s a penalty for foul play but the referee has referred it to the TMO to see if it’s worthy of a yellow card. Ford will go for goal.
23 min: Soon after the restart Bath knock-on in good territory and Wigglesworth, using the advantage, kicks clear.
21 min: Saracens drive for the line again but they are penalised. Then Bath are penalised for collapsing the ensuing scrum. Burger delivers a ferocious fist pump as Farrell lines a kick up. Never in doubt and now they have quite the cushion.
18 min: They are then punished for a collapsing scrum – David Wilson slipped from behind him, allowing Farrell to send the penalty to touch.
16 min: Devoto, still on for Watson, kicks into the Saracens 22 and Strettle returns it to touch. From the lineout, Attwood knocks on. Nothing is going right for Bath at the moment.
13 min: But then Eastmond mishandles, Jamie George takes possession and big hooker shows a surprising turn of pace to outrace Eastmond and Ford to cross for the second try. Farrell’s conversion sails slightly wide to the left.
13 min: Bath win a free-kick from the scrum, Ford deliberately aims down the middle. Goode returns, Ford sends it back. Goode kicks again before Burgess takes, carries and crosses his own 10m-line.
11 min: That breaks down just inside the 22 and after seven phases, Farrell chips crossfield. David Strettle only needs to catch it and he would cross for a second try but he takes his eye off it slightly and knocks on.
9 min: Farrell kicks a penalty on halfway to touch, just outside the 22. Hargreaves pulls down the lineout and they get their maul on.
7 min: Watson has departed – temporarily – for a HIA after that early hit. Ollie Devoto is on in his place.
6 min: Farrell puts Sarries on the board! They move it left, Billy Vunipola shows good hands, Wigglesworth recycles … and Farrell goes in at the corner. He adds a brilliant conversion.
5 min: Farrell kicks but is then walloped by Sam Burgess. Peter Stringer cleans up the afters and kicks clear. Then Sarries come right back at them. They are five metres short …
4 min: Bath work through the phases but are met by a white wall. And after the ball is recycled nine times, Ford chips, Jonathan Joseph knocks it backwards loosely. Saracens’ Jamie George takes possession, kicks forward and sets the north London team on their way.
2 min: Semesa Rokoduguni makes a good break down the right after Goode’s kick. But Saracens turn it over in the 22 and Richard Wigglesworth clears to about halfway. Bath take a quick lineout and Watson drives forward. Billy Vunipola takes him down and Farrell follows through late and high but only a penalty is given, which Ford puts into touch just outside the 22. Watson is shaken but will continue.
1 min: Saracens and Owen Farrell get us underway. It’s collected by Anthony Watson and George Ford thumps it away into the hands of Alex Goode.
The teams are out. The pop music has been replaced by a dramatic soundtrack, there are pyrotechnics. We are moments away.
There is loud pop music (Avicii for those interested), there is a big inflatable advertising sponsors, there will probably be fireworks when the players emerge onto the field! All the ingredients, then, for spoiling any chance of a good atmosphere building in the stands.
Let’s hope not.
@alansmith90 Wayne Barnes to throw a spanner into the works of either side depends who annoys him first, a sin binning or a bogey decision!
— John McEnerney (@MackerOnTheMed) May 30, 2015
Placing such emphasis on the battle of the 10s, it’s easy to forget about some of the other battles that will develop today. Francois Louw v Jacques Burger – which wrecking ball can cause the most damage? Peter Stringer v Richard Wigglesworth – who can dominate in midfield? Kyle Eastmond v Brad Barritt – can one stake a major claim for England’s No12 shirt?
“It’s just another game,” reckons Matt Banahan, the Bath wing but Mark McCall, the Sarries head honcho, says “we’ve slogged 12 months to get back here and it’s all about the next 80 minutes”.
We’re such a sociable lot here at the Guardian. Dan is sitting five metres to my right, but tweeting is the desired form of communication.
@alansmith90 A great day for the salary cap and financial propriety
— Dan Lucas (@DanLucas86) May 30, 2015
You too should drop me a line with how you think today’s game will go. Best prediction wins a prize of … having your name printed on the internet forever.
Saracens will have stepped off their team bus a short while ago and for several, you can safely bet, memories of last year’s gut-wrenching last-minute of extra-time defeat to Northampton will have flooded back. This is their shot at redemption and Mark McCall’s team will not want to depart Twickenham feeling the same emotions as last year.
There are no such scars for Bath to heal. This is unchartered territory for the Class of 2015. They have not won a league title since 1996 and their only Premiership final before today was in 2004, when they fell to Wasps.
There can be no argument over who plays the more expansive brand of rugby. Eight times Bath reached Leicester’s 22 in their semi-final, all but one ended with a try. It was a sight to behold, scoring early and late and weathering the visitors’ storm in between despite having two players in the sin bin towards the end of the first half. Once the wheels are set in full motion, the backs are unstoppable. Matt Banahan became the first player to score a semi-final hat-trick, Jonathan Joseph is in stunning form and Saracens have one helluva job on their hands to curtail them.
Yet Saracens are the best equipped side in the Premiership when it comes to denying Bath the time and space required. Their defence at Franklin’s Gardens was awesome. Led by the Namibian Jacques Burger, colossal hit after colossal hit kept Northampton at bay. But let’s not ignore their own capabilities with the ball. It is not all about suffocation – they can play too, even if the emphasis will be on smothering the opposition first and foremost before overpowering them at the breakdown with a fearsome set of forwards.
Much will come down to a battle of the No10s: George Ford, the player of the season, versus Owen Farrell. Both are supremely talented and produced masterful, yet very different displays in the semi-finals. Ford will produce the flicks and tricks, Farrell the passion and drive. The England head coach, Stuart Lancaster, will be watching intently and this is in many ways an audition for the No10 shirt – though on current evidence it would maybe be worth another try at combining both in the midfield. Anyway, that’s Lancaster’s headache. Back to this afternoon… it would simplify things a little too much to suggest whoever has the better game will lead their side to victory, but it could well be the decisive battle. And that’s before we even mention rugby league’s Sam Burgess and Peter Stringer’s final game for Bath, the Vunipolas and Jamie George’s crash, bang and wallop style in the Sarries pack, and all the other fascinating storylines.
Both sides are unchanged from last weekend’s semis. It’s fluidity against chaos, flash against force, glitz against power.Bring it on!
Saracens: 15 Alex Goode; 14 David Strettle, 13 Duncan Taylor, 12 Brad Barritt, 11 Chris Wyles; 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Richard Wigglesworth; 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Jamie George, 3 Petrus du Plessis; 4 George Kruis, 5 Alistair Hargreaves (capt); 6 Maro Itoje, 7 Jacques Burger, 8 Billy Vunipola. Replacements: 16 Schalk Brits, 17 Richard Barrington,18 Juan Figallo, 19 Jim Hamilton, 20 Jackson Wray, 21 Neil de Kock, 22 Charlie Hodgson, 23 Chris Ashton
Bath: 15 Anthony Watson; 14 Semesa Rokoduguni, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Kyle Eastmond, 11 Matt Banahan; 10 George Ford, 9 Peter Stringer; 1 Paul James, 2 Ross Batty, 3 David Wilson; 4 Stuart Hooper (capt), 5 Dave Attwood; 6 Sam Burgess, 7 Francois Louw, 8 Leroy Houston. Replacements: 16 Rob Webber, 17 Nick Auterac, 18 Henry Thomas, 19 Dominic Day, 20 Matt Garvey, 21 Carl Fearns, 22 Chris Cook, 23 Ollie Devoto.
Referee: Wayne Barnes. Assistants: JP Doyle and Greg Garner. TMO: Graham Hughes.
Kick-off: 2.30pm BST.