Premiership Final Preview - Saracens v Northampton Saints

The Playoffs will always have their detractors.  And to be fair, having a 38 week season decided by a single bout of 80 minutes does seem harsh.  But heck, the teams know the score and, without them, we’d have missed out on some of the classic moments of drama and unpredictability from the last few years – Dylan Hartley’s red card against Leicester last year, Harlequins’ and Saracens’ heroic last-gasp defence against the Tigers the years before, and Dan Hipkiss’ phenomenal late winner against Sarries the time before that.  Hang on a minute, there has been one thing that has been predictable over the last decade – and that is the fact that Leicester Tigers will be in a final.

Well, sorry to remind Leicester fans, we’ve broken from tradition this year and, in doing so, have ensured that the playoff sceptics are kept happy as well.  Meeting at Twickenham this afternoon we have the two dominant sides in domestic rugby by quite a stretch – Saracens, in particular, have been brutally efficient in dispatching all-comers, but Saints have also enjoyed plenty of success, with a mid-season blip the only black mark against a very impressive campaign.  The Tigers certainly nearly stole in for another HQ trip, but there can be little argument that Saracens and Northampton are here entirely on merit.

And now that they are here, we can expect something brilliant and brutal today.  Saracens have looked invincible ever since they embarrassed the mighty Clermont at Twickenham less than 2 months ago, but a defeat in Cardiff in the Heineken Cup Final last weekend has changed all that.  How will that humbling defeat affect them?  Will it break them or make them?  The Saracens’ pack was well and truly outmuscled last week – a first for this season – and they cannot afford to be second best against Northampton.  The Sarries gameplan revolves around intensity and aggression, both in defence and in attack, where their ferocity at the breakdown generates quick ball for the likes of Ashton and Strettle to thrive on.  The back 5 of the pack – and Kelly Brown and Jaques Burger in particular – need to get their bite back for this one.  They cannot keep relying on big Billy Vunipola to make things happen.

In stark contrast to the mood at Saracens, Northampton are bouncing off the walls having finally broken their Cup Final hoodoo of 4 consecutive defeats, by beating Bath in the Amlin Cup.  Sure, it’s not the big one so to speak, but there is a very genuine feeling that things are starting to click at the right time for the East Midlands side.  Alex Corbisiero has returned, they defeated Leicester for the first time in 10 games, they picked up their first silverware in 4 years – the fact that Dylan Hartley is now fit enough to sit on the bench provides a boost that is barely needed.  And if you give Saints an extra spring in their step, they are almost unplayable.  With power and speed across the park in the shapes of Manoa, Dickinson, Burrell, Pisi and North, if they get you going backwards, you will not be able to hold them out.

But Saracens’ defence will have been working overtime this week, and I for one cannot wait to see the contest between some of the hardest runners and biggest hitters in the game today.  These two sides both deserve to be here – there is no question of that.  But neither side is content with just being here.  This is the chance to claim the prize that your 38 weeks of graft has earned.  The question is – who is going to take it?

Saracens Team News

Sarries, who were beaten by Toulon in the Heineken Cup final last week, bring in Richard Barrington in place of Vunipola at loose-head prop, while scrum-half Neil de Kock rotates with Richard Wigglesworth to start the game at number nine.  Retiring lock Steve Borthwick will lead the side out for the last time, for a record 265th Premiership appearance.

Starting Line up:  Goode; Ashton, Bosch, Barritt, Strettle; Farrell, De Kock; Barrington, Brits, Stevens; Borthwick (capt), Botha; Brown, Burger, B. Vunipola.

Subs:  George, Gill, Johnston, Haregreaves, Wray, Wigglesworth, Hodgson, Wyles.

Key Player

Billy Vunipola.  Aside from the end of the game, where the number 8 stormed straight off the pitch ignoring handshake offers like the world’s largest petulant toddler, the England man was magnificent in defeat against a phenomenal Toulon side.  At times it seemed as if he was carrying the side himself, such was Sarries’ reliance on him as their only effective ball carrier, but him teammates will need him to pull the same level of performance out of the bag if they are to do the business against an exceptionally physical Saints side.  He looked physically shattered during the closing stages of the Heineken Cup Final – for Saracens’ sake, I hope he’s picked himself up.

 

Northampton Team News

Northampton, who beat Tigers at the semi-final stage a fortnight ago, also make a change at scrum-half, with Kahn Fotuali'i preferred ahead of England international Lee Dickson.  Salesi Ma'afu returns to the front row after serving a one-week ban for landing a punch on Leicester hooker Tom Youngs in that 21-20 victory.   Dylan Hartley, meanwhile, is back on the bench having not featured for the first team since injuring his shoulder at the end of March.

Starting Line up:  Foden; K. Pisi, G. Pisi, Burrell, North; Myler, Fotuali'i; Corbisiero, Haywood, Ma'afu; Manoa, Lawes; Clark, Wood (capt), Dickinson.

Subs: Hartley, Waller, Mercey, Day, Dowson, Dickson, Wilson, Stephenson.

Key Player

Alex Corbisiero.  The return of the England loosehead cannot be understated in terms of importance to Northampton.  The front row is the only area of an exciting and power-packed Saints side which has looked vulnerable at times, with teams like Leicester and Saracens able to gain real ascendency in key games.  This cannot happen in a Final – and it’s unlikely to, thanks to the return of the gangsta-rapping British & Irish Lion.  The loosehead’s solidarity at scrum-time and industry in the loose are vital aspects of any platform that the East Midland side wants to set.

 

Key Battle

Brad Barritt v Luther Burrell.  It doesn’t seem that long ago that England quite literally had nobody who could play inside centre.  Aside from Shontayne Hape (shudder).  And now, England have four players who all have serious claims to the shirt – and whilst Billy Twelvetrees and Kyle Eastmond are already down under with the national side, the other two are going head to head at Twickenham today.  Barritt is almost the forgotten man of England but was a rock around which Stuart Lancaster built his new side, but Burrell has shone in his first season in white, scoring tries and carving through gaps at will.  This game holds a lot of weight in terms of national selection but it also absolutely pivotal to the outcome of the game.  Saints rely on getting their big men over the gainline on first phase ball – otherwise, they tend to stagnate – and Burrell is one of their chief carriers.  Against Bath, the England man grew into the game but today he will be facing up to Brad ‘the wall’ Barritt, arguably the best defensive centre in the country.  The South-African born centre rarely has an off-day but he needs to make sure that he is very definitely ‘on’ in order to shut down the Saints’ attacking game at source.

 

Prediction

8 days ago, I would have said no contest.  Well, not no contest, but it would have been very easy to side with Saracens.  But it is now so hard to guage just how much that loss to Toulon would have taken out of them and, in equal measure, just how much spring the Amlin Cup win has given Northampton.  It is a test of character more than anything for the London outfit, and the start for both sides will be key – if Saints get ahead early, I can really see them kicking on.  There is no doubt that they have the players to cause some real damage.  However, this Saracens outfit are made of strong stuff.  All week, they will have been focusing on how to turn that negative experience into a positive motivator for this week – they have been dominant all season; they won’t want to end it empty handed.  And I don’t think they will.  Saracens by 6.

 

Heineken Cup Final Review - Toulon 23 - 6 Saracens

Building a dynasty is hard work.  Take a look at the great European sides, the sides that have achieved the hallowed glory of retaining the ultimate club trophy – Leicester and Leinster.  Neither of them just appeared at the pinnacle of the game overnight, but rather the foundations were set in the previous seasons and they built year upon year, like clouds building before a storm.   Very poetic hey?  That's the traditional way of doing it.  Blood and graft.  The other alternative is to spend £25 million assembling a team of the best players on the planet from the last generation.  That should probably do it as well.

Of course, I am doing Toulon a massive disservice by saying that they arrived in Cardiff on Saturday with the chance of retaining a trophy purely because of a huge wads of cash splurged on the side.  Don't get me wrong, that helped, especially when you consider that they weren't even in the Top 14 6 years ago.  But there's no point in having the world's best players there merely for a twilight-career holiday/big pay cheque, which seemed to be the case when the Toulon revolution first started.  Instead, there is now a drive to succeed, to dominate and to create a side that will be chiselled into history as one of the greatest.  It's that drive, personified by the great Jonny Wilkinson – playing his last game in the UK before retirement – that saw Toulon arrive in Cardiff with a very real chance of creating a dynasty.

That said, it's pretty well known that there is something special happening at Saracens, and they are looking at creating their own history.  In a way, they had already made it – this was their first European Cup final – but they have set their sights far higher than acting as runners up.  In previous years, there have been questions raised over the substance behind the swagger, but those questions have been answered this year, with a more expansive gameplan and a dominant season in the domestic league backed up by one of the most spectacularly physical displays ever seen against a previously irrepressible Clermont side.  They were not here to make up the numbers and, come kick off, you could sense that they wanted to let Toulon know that as soon as possible.

And it was Saracens who made the first big statement when Chris Ashton – perhaps not the man you’d usually associate with putting down a physical marker – slamming into Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe straight from the kick off, forcing a knock on.  The scrum, predictably, went down on a Millennium Stadium pitch that (as usual) looked like a mud casserole, but Alain Rolland – another imminent retiree – pinned the blame on Toulon.  Owen Farrell took the chance to get the first points on the board with aplomb, and the English side had a 3 – 0 lead.

 I predicted before the game that this wasn’t going to a pretty encounter, and it takes me no pleasure in saying that the opening quarter proved me right as we were treated to a dire concoction of collapsed scrums, knock-ons and scrappy lineouts as both sides struggled to get a foot hold – literally – in attack.  Toulon looked to make some inroads briefly into the Saracens 22, with Steffon Armitage and Juan Smith carrying strongly, but the wolf-pack defence – led by Schalk Brits, Jaques Burger and Alistair Hargreaves – shut down any momentum early on.  Instead, Saracens began to take the slightest hint of control of the game, and could have gone ahead through a Marcelo Bosch trademark monster penalty, but the Argentinean’s attempt drifted wide.

Billy Vunipola was starting to rumble for Sarries, making yards and drawing in defenders with every carry, but the problem for the English side was that he was about the only one having any joy with the ball in hand against a ferocious Toulon defence.  In particular, Craig Burden absolutely creamed compatriot, opposite number and renowned Sarries-dangerman Brits not once, but twice in quick succession, and Mako Vunipola even found himself dumped on his backside by the even bigger Mathieu Bastareau.  Despite the hits though, the game was still lacking in major incident – until Lobbe was shown a yellow card for clumsily dragging down Hargreaves whilst the lock was taking a high ball.  Farrell missed the penalty attempt but now, against 14 men, this was surely the time for Saracens to strike?

Nope.  Consistently harried and frustrated, it became quickly clear that Saracens were being, well, out-Sarried, and to make matters worse, Toulon grabbed the lead with the first moment of real class in the game.  With the ball in midfield, Jonny Wilkinson – invisible before this point – spotted space on the blindside and flung it wide to Matt Giteau, who chipped ahead.  Fellow Wallaby Drew Mitchell was haring after it and, thanks to a fortunate bounce and some great hands, the winger was able to pop the ball back inside to Giteau for the centre to dive over in the corner.  Wilkinson added a magnificent touchline conversion, and the score was 7 – 3.

That wasn’t how Sarries wanted to use their one man advantage, but it did finally give the game some life.  Ashton made a promising dart into the Toulon half before Burger absolutely obliterated Bakkies Botha with a monster hit from behind.  Two of the hardest men in world rugby colliding, and only Botha could get up from that with nothing more than a grimace.  Toulon though, held firm, and even had time to apply some pressure from a driving lineout just before halftime, which gave Wilkinson the platform from which to add a superb drop goal with his right boot.  Magnificent.  I’m going to really miss that.  Half time came and it was 10 – 3 to the French side, and Sarries had a mountain to climb.

Now, the London club have proven this year that they can play some very decent rugby, but we haven’t seen them have to fight back – and against a resilient defence comprising of a selection of the world’s best players, it was hard to see where that opening would come from.  Despite Billy Vunipola’s thunderous charges, and a smart break by Owen Farrell, the Toulon defence was brutal with Lobbe and Juan Smith chopping down everything that moved, and Steffon Armitage gleefully pouncing to win turnover after turnover in a masterclass of openside play.  But Saracens at least had the scrum, where Matt Stevens – despite getting penalised all over the park elsewhere – had the upper hand, and it earned Farrell another simple 3 points.

The reduced deficit didn’t last for long, though, as Armitage once again got his mitts on the ball and forced a penalty, which came with a sense of inevitability as Wilkinson smashed over an outstanding effort once more.  And 10 minutes later, things got much worse for the Londoners.  Ali Williams delayed a pass to Wilkinson, who flung it wide to Mitchell, despite getting creamed in the process.  The former Wallaby found Bastareaud on the right, and the big man drew in two defenders to put Juan Smith and Lobbe running down on Alex Goode as the last man.  Despite the full back’s best efforts, the South African and the Argentinean exchanged passes and Smith touched down in the corner to take the game well beyond Saracens.  Oh, and Wilkinson casually knocked over the touchline conversion, of course.

Finally, Saracens’ heads dropped, but that didn’t mean that they stopped hurling themselves into tackles with admirable vigour and aggression.  Wilkinson slammed over another penalty from halfway to take the score to 23 – 6, and Toulon managed to see out the game in comfortable fashion, despite not being able to add to the score.  Bastareaud even attempted a drop goal, which – I can promise you – must go down as one of the most amusing things ever seen on a rugby pitch.  I’ve seen 4th XV props with more finesse.

It didn’t take the shine off a sensational and powerful display by Toulon though.  Wilkinson left the field for the last time in Britain to a rousing ovation, and then even mustered a smile as the referee blew the final whistle to confirm that the French club had become only the 3rd side to retain the trophy.  Of course, being the class man that he is, he put a hold on celebrations to make sure he shook every member of the opposition’s hands first, even though Billy Vunipola embarrassed himself and stormed off the pitch, ignoring the great man’s offer.  Well done, Billy, you’ve labelled yourself a prat.

It couldn’t ruin Wilko’s day though, and the broad smile that went across his face as he hoisted the trophy aloft is a sight that would have pleased all but the most miserable of rugby fans.  Saracens can hold their heads up – there is no shame in losing to a side like Toulon, and there is no doubt that they are building something special, and that they will learn from this experience.  But Toulon can already call themselves special.  And as Wilkinson leaves the game behind, he can be pretty darned pleased with the club he leaves as well – or should that be dynasty?

Toulon Player Ratings

Delon Armitage – 6 – Solid at the back but precious little opportunity with the ball in hand.

Drew Mitchell – 7 – Pretty quiet aside from 2 key interjections of class in the build up for both tries.

Mathieu Basteraud – 7 – Loses a mark for abysmal drop goal attempt.  Otherwise colossal in defence, and great work in the build up for the second try.

Matt Giteau – 8 – The perfect foil for Wilkinson.  Utter class for the first score and tackled well throughout.

Bryan Habana – 4 – Quiet, and loses a mark for an appalling dive to milk a penalty.

Jonny Wilkinson – 9 – Just typical Wilko.  Lethal from the tee and from hand throughout, and a composed leader when under pressure early on.

Sebastian Tillous-Borde – 6 – No fireworks but sharp service and abrasive play at the fringes.

Xavier Chiocci – 5 – Mauled at scrumtime but his carrying is brutal.

Craig Burden – 7 – Only lasted for 40 minutes but obliterated everyone in the tackle during that time.

Carl Hayman – 6 – Not responsible for the scrum issues and a powerful presence in the loose.

Bakkies Botha – 7 – Stood up to the physical challenge laid down by Saracens and dished out his own punishment.

Danie Roussouw – 4 – He really is a bit of a donkey.  Didn’t catch for most of the game.

Juan Smith – 8 – To think this guy nearly retired.  An omnipresent figure for Toulon and a great try too.

Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe – 7 – Clumsy sending off, but made up for it with colossal work rate, great try assist and fabulous hair.

Steffon Armitage – 9 – Cue the calls for his international call up.  Like a barrel on legs in the carry and immovable over the ball.  Denied Sarries all momentum.  Man of the match.

Subs – Everyone came off the bench and looked sharp, but Ali Williams especially made an impression at the set piece and in the loose upon his introduction.

 

Saracens Player Ratings

Alex Goode – 6 – Not to blame for either try but unable to create much from the back.

Chris Ashton – 7 – Just about Sarries’ brightest attacking threat but the space just wasn’t there.

Marcelo Bosch – 5 – Struggled to contain Bastareaud and was barely seen in attack.

Brad Barritt – 6 – A strong grafting performance, but it wasn’t enough.  Let nobody down.

Dave Strettle – 4 – Invisible in attack, and flew up only to miss Drew Mitchell and open the door for Toulon’s second try.

Owen Farrell – 7 – A couple of sharp breaks and decent kicks couldn’t hide the fact that Wilkinson was once again better on the day.  Still a good showing, though.

Richard Wigglesworth – 5 – Struggled to generate momentum and some of his kicks were ropey.

Mako Vunipola – 5 – Unable to make an impression in the scrum and, surprisingly, in the loose.

Schalk Brits – 5 – The quietest he’s been all season.  Even he couldn’t unlock the Toulon defence.

Matt Stevens – 5 – Won a couple of scrum penalties but, as usual, did his best to give away as many as possible as well.

Steve Borthwick – 6 – And admirable showing once again, leading from the front but found himself out fought.

Alistair Hargreaves – 6 – Defended gamely but struggled to impose himself with the ball in hand.

Kelly Brown – 5 – Not up to the standard of recent weeks.  Seemed to go missing at times.

Jaques Burger – 6 – Ditto above, although a couple of tackles did cause judders in the stands.

Billy Vunipola – 7 – Loses a point due to storming off at the end.  The only player Toulon genuinely struggled to deal with.

Subs – Richard Barrington had a couple of good rumbles but nobody was able to turn it round, sadly.

Heineken Cup Preview - Saracens v Toulon

I've never really believed in fate.  Simply put, I think we make decisions and consequences flow naturally from them but, admittedly, there have been a few times I've been creeped out by a 'coincidence'.  Like the time I was on the phone to my first XV rugby captain whilst on the train, saying that we needed a bigger blindside flanker, and Chris Robshaw sat down next to me.  Turns out he didn't fancy packing in Harlequins for a London Division 3 side.  Or the fact that I would only seem to win games on Football Manager if my back was turned to the screen.  Or the fact that every time I try to bring up the possibility of a raise at work, my boss has to take an urgent call.  Spooky.

But this Heineken Cup Final – the last of its kind – really takes the biscuit.  The last ever tournament of its type before the big revamp, the penultimate games of two ex-England skippers, the facing off of England's past and future in the 10 jersey, and two sides who are looking to become the dominant force both domestically and continentally going head to head.  It's shaping up to be cracker.

In fact, 'cracker' doesn't really do it justice.  Just ask how Clermont's players felt after taking a royal pasting at the hands of a brutal Saracens defence last month.  The power and aggression of each hit was simply unbelievable.  Jacques Burger rightfully took the plaudits for his monumental efforts but he was superbly supported by the likes of Brad Barritt and Schalk Brits.  It's all part of the Wolfpack mentality, the relentless hunting of the prey – who, in that semi-final, seemed to be anybody with their hands on the ball.  They may have developed an impressive attacking game, spearheaded by an impressive Chris Ashton strike rate, but there is no doubt that their defence is their most powerful – and painful – asset.

And the wolfpack will have to be especially hungry if they are to hold off the mighty Toulon side, whose line-up is, frankly, ridiculous.  Habana, Mitchell, Giteau, Wilkinson, Botha, Hayman, Hernandez – the list goes on.  It's a team full of grizzled veterans who will not take a backward step under pressure and they have the ability across the side to play the all-court game if necessary.  But the pack especially, will prove to be a step up from Clermont.  Toulon have shown that, whilst they have jet heels and twinkle-toes out wide, they are not afraid to play ugly, to take on the big boys and to bully them.  The last time these 2 met - in their semi-final in last year's competition - the Toulon pack forced their counterparts into making mistake after mistake in their own half.  Sarries are a different animal this time around though, whilst Toulon are the same formidable beast.  Their clash with the Saracens 8 will be beyond epic – think unstoppable force meets immovable object.

But where then, will the game be won?  These 2 sides are so evenly matched but both have a crucial advantage over each other.  Saracens, in my opinion, hold the better ball carrying threat around the fringes in the rather large shape of the Vunipola brothers.  In a game where the ball will go wide sparingly, I can see that channel being a big target area.   Toulon, though, have Jonny Wilkinson.  A man who has made a living winning big games, kicking points under the most intense pressure and providing his team with a cool head when the going gets tough.  Owen Farrell may be an impressive young 10 who is learning these traits as well, but I reckon there's one more masterclass to come from England's golden boy.

So that's it – the stage is set.  It won't be fate who wins this one – it will be down to blood and perspiration; who is willing to give the most to achieve the ultimate.  If there's one thing Wilko has taught us – you don't claim immortality by coincidence.

Saracens Team News

Steve Borthwick will be fit to captain Saracens against Toulon in Cardiff on Saturday as the Londoners bid to win their first ever Heineken Cup in the tournament's last ever final.  The only other change sees Richard Wigglesworth replace Neil de Kock at scrum half.

Starting Line-up: A Goode; C Ashton, M Bosch, B Barritt, D Strettle; O Farrell, R Wigglesworth; M Vunipola, S Brits, M Stevens, S Borthwick (capt), A Hargreaves, K Brown, J Burger, B Vunipola.

Subs: J George, R Barrington, J Johnston, M Botha, J Wray, N de Kock, C Hodgson, C Wyles.

Key Player

Jacques Burger.  Yes, it does get boring singing the big Namibian's praises but, given his display in the semi-final against Clermont, can you blame me.  Despite looking like he spends his spare time stopping full-speed HGV's with his face (which is effectively what he does in the day job anyway…), there is a lot of method behind his 'madness'.  Defences have become so structured and organised that sometimes they become predictable, and the pace and aggression of a defensive line becomes secondary to the need to 'stay flat' and watch gaps.  Burger's role is to introduce chaos – to force the half-backs to sit deeper and worry about where he is, slowing the attacking game down.  He'll need to be at his most chaotic to shut down the physical Toulon pack and star-studded backline.

Toulon Team News

Toulon make one change to the XV that beat Munster in the last four as lock Bakkies Botha replaces Jocelino Suta.  Jonny Wilkinson starts at 10 for the penultimate game of his career.

Starting Line-up:  D Armitage; D Mitchell, M Bastareaud, M Giteau, B Habana; J Wilkinson (capt), S Tillous-Borde; X Chiocci, C Burden, C Hayman, B Botha, D Rossouw, J Smith, J M Fernandez Lobbe, S Armitage.

Subs: J-C Orioli, A Menini, M Castrogiovanni, A Williams, V Bruni, M Mermoz, M Claassens, J Suta.

Key Player

Bakkies Botha.  It seems bizarre to say that replacing Jocelino Suta will 'add physicality and grit' to a side, until you realise that one of rugby's hardest men is stepping in.  This is the kind of occasion that Botha relishes no matter what jersey he is wearing and, after watching Sarries bully Clermont into lame submission, he will know that he will be the rallying point should the wolf-pack manage to get their claws stuck in to the Toulon 8.  His abrasiveness and aggression at the breakdown are key to nullifying the hostility of the Londoner's defence and if he can fight fire with fire, he may just nullify away Saracens' most potent weapon.

Key Battle

Owen Farrell v Jonny Wilkinson.  Who else could I pick?  Call me an old romantic but this is the kind of individual duel that gives a cup final that extra 'oomph' and sub-plot that every great occasion needs.  Roll out the clichés:  old stager v young pretender, master v apprentice et cetera.  But it doesn’t change the fact that these are two first-rate fly halves with very similar qualities.  Both are renowned goal-kickers, both have made names for themselves with aggressive defence, and both are under-rated playmakers.  However, where the real difference lies is in experience – the one thing talent can't give you.  Farrell has had a breakthrough season but how will he cope with the cauldron of pressure inside the Millennium Stadium in the biggest club game of his career?  Nothing to me suggests he will falter, but the knowledge that he is up against the ultimate professional – the man who has delivered on the biggest stage – takes the heat to another level. It was Wilkinson dishing out the lesson last year, but now we'll find out how much Farrell really has come on.  In a game that is likely to be brutal more than free-flowing, I suspect the victor will be the side with the fly-half with the cool head. 

Prediction

Prediction.  Alright, I'll admit it.  When I got my tickets – before the semi-finals – I wanted the game to be between Munster and Clermont.  Clermont for the X Factor, Munster for craic.  But now we have Toulon and Saracens, I could not be more excited – the power within these packs is incredible and I expect to see both sides ploughing into each other and leaving nothing on the side as they attempt to win the last EVER Heineken Cup (as we know it).  So much of the game will be focused on Wilkinson – understandably so – but I think this game will be decided by Saracens 8.  To me, they have just a bit more punch about them and I think that may end up being the difference in a game like this.  Saracens by 4.

Jonny Wilkinson - The Ultimate Villain

Wilkinson ruins someone else's day.  Again.

One piece of news has arguably outshone all others in an eventful week for rugby – the news that England legend, Jonny Wilkinson, will be hanging up his boots.  Tributes have been pouring in from all parts of the world from former teammates, coaches and opponents alike.  But there is a darker side to Jonny Wilkinson.  Yes, in a shocking expose, Rucked Over will now demonstrate why 'Wilko' is one of the most despicable players to have ever laced his boots on a rugby field…

Arrogant Jonny

Wilkinson built up a reputation for being one of the most modest men in professional sport, but we can reveal that this was all just a smokescreen for one of the most out-of-control egos in the game.  You need proof?  Well, aside from the rumours that he insisted on travelling separately from the England team in a white Lamborghini and his refusal to use toilet paper unless it was made from silk*, take a look at this try against the All Blacks in 2002.  Now, an England fly half, when playing against the Southern Hemisphere giants, is allowed to do two things only – kick penalties, and miss tackles against their superior counterparts.  On a very rare occasion, a drop goal will be permitted.  But Jonny was egotistical enough to assume the rules didn't apply to him.  With breathtaking arrogance, Wilkinson scored a try – a wonderful solo effort – against the best side in the world.  The All Blacks were rightly incensed by Jonny's 'going off script' and still hold a grudge to this day.

*Sources unconfirmed

Dishonest Jonny

Another perception which ought to be quashed is the view that Jonny is an honest man who conducts himself with the utmost integrity.  He is not.  As the video below will prove, he is a man whose deception knows no limits – he is a liar.  When France played England in 2000, Les Bleus looked across the English backline and saw little Jonny – 5 foot 10, and not quite 13 stone, the 20 year old looked like he spent his spare time playing Mario Kart and listening to Nirvana, with puberty a foreign concept.  Right then, that's the target at which to launch one of the most powerful men on the pitch, Emile Ntamack, thought the French.  The veteran winger had 5 inches and almost 2 stone on Jonny as he took a short ball into the 10 channel, but Wilkinson shamelessly creamed the bigger man with one of the most iconic hits of the decade.  If you're going to destroy someone in a tackle, Jonny, at least have the decency to look like Sebastian Chabal, rather than misleading – nay, deceiving – everyone with your choirboy appearance. 

Cheating Jonny

In close conjunction with the popular honesty myth described above, Wilkinson has often been a man who plays hard – but fair.  Once again, this is simply not the case.  See, for example, the video below, taken from England v Scotland in 2007 after the fly half's 4-year injury-enforced absence from the national side.  After smugly playing a blinder instead of returning with an appropriate amount of trepidation (another example of arrogance), Wilkinson then had the nerve to round off his performance with a try in the corner.  Except it wasn't a try.  His leg was in touch, but it went unnoticed by the TMO, and Jonny had his score.  I don't know how Jonny tricked the video referee, but we can all assume that he managed it somehow in order to cheat his way into sealing the perfect comeback. 

Dirty Jonny

This doesn't refer to something you may find in Wetherspoon's toilet, but rather the sinister side of England's iconic fly-half.  Yes, the golden boy of Clive Woodward's era was in fact a thug who played on the wrong side of the law.  Just take a look at this dastardly piece of defence on the innocent Justin Bishop (second tackle in the video).  Is that not a heinous spear tackle by today's standards??  Beyond the horizontal and what not?  Should have been red carded, Jonny.  Filthy.

Selfish Jonny

Over the years, several journalists and commentators have built relatively successful careers by falling back on poorly researched and generic articles when the news dries up, and one staple for those articles has been the assertion that Wilkinson is a defensive fly half with no flair or attacking instinct.  These journalists have families; they have mouths to feed.  Imagine their horror, then, when Jonny pulls out the below when playing for Toulon.  Did he think of the poor journalists whose reputations he would be throwing into jeopardy?  Did he heck.  Selfish.

Jonny Rotten

Above all, though, old JW was just plain mean.  Imagine if you arrived at Twickenham as a resounding underdog and were on the end of a 50 point humping, as Italy were in 2011.  Approaching the end of the game, you're given a chance to score a consolation try for your efforts.  As you run for the right hand corner, with the Twickenham crowd warmly applauding your fortitude, who comes into view but Jonny – a substitute in this game – who proceeds to throw every fibre of his being into your rib cage to slam you into touch in the 78th minute of the game.  It's just plain cruel.  Go to 1:52 in the below to see it for yourself.


And there you have it.  Case closed.

I hope that you realise that the above is done firmly with tongue in cheek, and is actually just my slightly-odd way of paying tribute to one of the best fly halves of all time.  Take them as a selection of my favourite Jonny-moments-that-aren't-that-drop-goal moments.  All that is left is to tip the cap and pay homage to one of the best professionals and nicest blokes to have played the game - I wonder if he's still got one more masterclass in him this weekend.

Oh, go on then.  Let's watch the drop goal again.

Premiership Review - Northampton Saints 21 - 20 Leicester Tigers

 

I don’t really believe in curses.  I sometimes feel that I’ve been cursed with an inability to turn away second helpings of cake, but in reality that’s just the ‘healthy’ appetite of a ‘sturdy’ young man.  That said, you could forgive Northampton fans for believing in all sorts of paranormal mumbo-jumbo as Leicester came to Franklins Gardens for the Premiership semi-final on Friday night.  10 matches, no wins.  Spectacular amounts of controversy.  For one of the best clubs in England, it is obscene that something seems to go wrong every time they face up to the Tigers, even when they are favourites, as they were on this occasion.  And you can almost hear the crowd murmur ‘here we go again’ as their side went in 11 points down at half time.  This occasion, though, felt different from the off.

For those who weren’t lucky enough, we were left with BT Sport’s (admittedly excellent) TV coverage – and we knew we were in for a cracker even before kick off, as Lawrence Dallaglio got himself so worked up he pulled a grimace and pose we were used to seeing before he decimated southern hemisphere teams on a regular basis.  With the atmosphere crackling more than an over-cooked pork shoulder, both sides wasted little time in hurling themselves into one another.  The first 10 minutes were as frantic as they were brutal, with Luther Burrell testing Dan Bowden's defence with some direct running, but he was found wanting in defence on more than one occasion as a fired up Manu Tuilagi looked to put his England rival to the test.  Gradually the visitors began to probe the Saints' 22, with Tom Youngs in particular barrelling forward to great effect to remind Stuart Lancaster what he'll be missing this summer.  It resulted in a penalty for Leicester, and recalled fly-half Toby Flood made no mistake in drawing the first blood for the reigning champions.

Saints responded immediately, with Stephen Myler kicking intelligently and gargantuan wing George North starting to make inroads.  A smart kick through forced Ben Youngs to concede a 5 metre lineout, before North took the ball 10 metres out on the opposite touchline, only to be superbly chopped down by Mathew Tait.  The former England man then compounded the good work with a magnificent scrag on Kahn Fotuali'i as the Samoan attempted to sneak down the short-side in the game's first genuine try-scoring opportunity.

Phil Dowson then thought he had scored for Saints, but JP Doyle somewhat harshly ruled it out on the basis that Courtney Lawes had jumped early in the lineout, but minutes later Myler had converted a penalty to bring his side level after a 10 minute period of territorial dominance. 

They were level for all of one minute.  From the restart, a probe by Ben Youngs and a dancing run from Tait brought the Tigers to within 5 metres of the Saints line, allowing Flood to slip an easy pass to Manu Tuilagi, allowing the big man to walk in for a score, with Flood's conversion giving the visitors a 10 point advantage.  Unfortunately for them, they then very quickly gave the hosts a 1 man advantage as Niki Goneva was shown a yellow card for kicking the ball out of the scrum-half's hands.  To me, it was another harsh call, given that the ball was not in the hands when Goneva went to kick it, but it evened out the no-try ruling for Dowson earlier on in the game.  Myler added the ensuing penalty to claw 3 points back for Northampton.

Leicester, though, were beginning to look ominously potent in attack, despite some thunderous defence from the Saints backrow, with a Sam Dickinson hit on giant prop Logovi'i Mulipola a particular highlight.  It wasn't enough to disrupt the Tigers' machine though, as they rumbled deep into enemy territory to allow Ben Youngs to spot half a gap and squirm home for a try on his 100th Premiership appearance.  It was a great sight for Leicester fans to see their scrum half, struggling for form for so much of the season, bossing the game in attack and sniping with confidence once again but, more importantly, it opened up an 11 point gap after Flood's conversion.  Rarely do the Tigers yield such a margin, and you could almost feel the old doubts – the hoodoo – creep back into the Franklin's Faithful's minds.

Halftime approached and, despite a dazzling run from young winger Tom Collins, the hosts were unable to claw their way back into proceedings, with Julian Salvi and Ed Slater exploiting the fact that Northampton seemed to be sending lone runners into contact, giving easy pickings to the Tigers' chief pill pinchers.  17 – 6 at half time, and Saints were stuck in that same old nightmare against their bitter rivals.  Surely there would be no return from this.

The second half, though, brought with it a change of tide, helped by the sight of Leicester going down to 14 men for the second time in the game.  Dan Bowden hit Collins hard in the tackle and lifted the legs, the momentum taking the young winger beyond the horizontal so he landed squarely on his back.  By the letter of law, JP Doyle got this spot on by showing the Kiwi a yellow card – it was potentially dangerous because of the lift, but not actually dangerous because of the landing – but it once again got me frustrated at the law as it currently stands.  This was not a dangerous hit in any way – indeed, Johnny Wilkinson was famous for making similar sorts of hits – but the law states that Bowden simply had to see yellow for effectively tackling someone too hard.  Myler, though, had no such worries, as he nudged Saints 3 points closer to their nemesis.

The game was beginning to simmer, with tempers starting to boil and each tackle carrying just that bit extra venom.  Mathew Tait went on a sensational run from within his own half to almost score the solo try of the season but other than that, it was now all Saints, for the very simple reason that each carrier now had a designated 'rucker' immediately behind them, meaning Salvi was unable to get his hands on the ball.

The pressure was building, the tension was simmering and tempers were boiling, and it all came to ahead when Salesi Ma’afu and Tom Youngs had a harmless scrap at the front of a Saints driving lineout, before the Australian prop took things a little too far and floored the England hooker – one of the toughest cookies in the game – with a cracking left hook.  Ma’afu was rightly shown a red, whilst Youngs was somewhat harshly shown a yellow for instigating, despite replays showing that Ma’afu made the first contact with the face.  Overall though, it was probably the right call to send both from the field as a warning to both sides to keep their cool.

It didn’t really work.  Dan Bowden just escaped further penalties when he took out Ben Foden in the air, with the referee deeming that he was already committed to trying to catch the ball, before Goneva was handed a huge slice of luck in avoiding a second yellow when he prevented Calum Clarke from taking a quick throw.  If that was fortuitous, there was nothing fluky about the Tigers rearguard defence, which had been sensational under huge pressure, with Jamie Gibson, Bowden and even Ben Youngs all making telling contributions.

But something had to give – and something generally does give when George North is involved.  The big winger ploughed over from close range after a trademark catch and drive from the Northampton pack, and a nerveless conversion from Myler brought Saints within a point.  Substitute Owen Williams then slotted a penalty against the run of play to extend that gap, but by now all the momentum was with the home side, with Lee Dickson adding fluency to their game, despite the fact that the Tigers were now up to 15 men.  The crowd were driving their team forward, and Leicester looked tired – perhaps owing to the fact that they themselves had spent 30 minutes defending with 14 men.

With 4 minutes to go, Saints pushed a penalty to the corner, searching for a killer score.  Leicester’s fringe defence, so porous for so much of the season, was heroic, with the likes of Dickinson and Samu Manoa halted again and again.  But this was relentless.  And eventually Luther Burrell flung the ball wide to Tom Wood, and the England flanker stepped inside the Irishman – who had been magnificent in defence all day – to plough crash over for an unbelievable score.  The crowd went beserk.  From the depths of that familiar despair, Saints had clawed their way out of that hole and crushed their demons. Myler missed his conversion, but nobody seemed to care.

Saints took the restart, and all they had to do was secure the ball.  Leicester fought tooth and nail for it; they do not know what it is like to lose at Franklins Gardens, or what it is like to not be on the biggest stage at the end of the season.  Did a Northampton player fly in at the side?  Perhaps, but nothing could – or should – have prevented them from a deserved victory.  The ball was hoofed out, and Saints had achieved something which – 40 minutes ago – seemed impossible.  Final score: 21 - 20.

Leicester will lick their wounds.  They will be back.  That they were even challenging was a feat in itself, but they don’t do losing particularly well.  Neither to Saints for that matter, on this evidence.  And I think that will stand them in good stead as they travel – demon free – to Twickenham for their second successive final.

And as for the other semi final??

Saracens 31 – 17 Harlequins:  Saracens marched on to Twickenham but they were made to work for it by a gallant Quins side who led at halftime thanks to scores from Ugo Monye and Mike Brown, which sandwiched an effort from Kelly Brown.  Sarries, though, were determined not to let their London neighbours ‘do a Saints’ on them and responded with 20 unanswered points, as Brad Barritt and Chris Ashton crashed over to seal their place in the final.
 

Premiership Semi-Final Preview - Northampton Saints v Leicester Tigers

Very few things in sport are inevitable.  It's what keeps things exciting, drives us to shout in the stands and scream at the TV screen.  It's drama, it's unpredictable, it's random.  Most of the time.  For example, there would be worldwide agreement that should England get through the group stages of the football World Cup this summer, they will get knocked out on penalties.  It is also inevitable that Stuart Barnes will launch a verbal love-in with Danny Cipriani as soon as he sees the Sale fly-half anywhere near an England shirt.  And Saints fans would be forgiven for thinking it's inevitable that their Northampton side are going to get pipped once again by those irritating neighbours, the Leicester Tigers.

It seems odd that any team could hold such a hoodoo over a side like Northampton Saints, but the fact that the hosts of Friday night's semi-final have not beaten their rivals since September 2010 should be an indication of the problems they've had, and in that 9-game-winless-run is one LV Cup Final, one Premiership semi-final and one Premiership Final.  All of them big games, and all of them packed with drama and controversy.  So why is it then, in a game in which history tells us Northampton will struggle, that the home fans are enjoying a quiet confidence in the build-up to this one?

Well, put simply, Saints look bloody good at the moment.  Blessed with a near-clean bill of health, with only skipper Dylan Hartley still unavailable, Jim Mallinder can pick a side packed to the point of bursting with talent, physicality…and confidence.  Piling 74 points onto a Wasps side is no mean feat, and when the Saints gameplan gets into top gear they are very hard to stop, with bruising power provided by Samu Manoa, Courtney Lawes and Luther Burrell, the creative sparks from Stephen Myler and Kahn Fotuali'i, and the fireworks of the Pisi brothers and Ben Foden.  They can play a complete brand of rugby when they win the battle up front, but in Leicester they are coming up against one of the very few sides who can match them in that department.

If Saints were in top gear for the majority of the run-in this season, the Tigers have been chugging along in third.  The fact they are even in the semi-final is nothing short of remarkable, given the scale of the injuries that they've had to deal with, but they are not in the business of settling for second best.  The injuries may have disrupted the fluency of the Tigers game, which is – in many ways – similar to that of Northampton's, but the worry for any side facing them is that they could explode into life at any moment.  With the devastating power of Manu Tuilagi and Logovi'i Mulipola, the twinkling feet of Niki Goneva and Mathew Tait and the sharp brains of Ben Youngs and Toby Flood, they, even though they are still missing the likes of Dan Cole, Geoff Parling, Tom Croft and Anthony Allen due to injury, have the players capable of tearing any side to pieces.  But they haven't.  Yet.

But games between these two are rarely about one side shredding the other side.  They are usually pant-wettingly tense encounters whose outcome is determined by the smallest advantage.  On Friday night, Saints will be looking at exploiting the fringe defence with their big runners, an area where the Tigers have given away far too many cheap yards and too much front foot ball over the course of the season.  If the hosts can get front foot ball, then they'll look to hurl George North and Luther Burrell down that 10/12 channel, where the absence of Allen will be felt by the visitors.  But they, in turn, will see a potential opening at the scrum, where Saints front row has looked vulnerable at times – although the return of Alex Corbisiero does add a stabilising factor of the bench.

There are so many variables in this game it's almost impossible to choose a winner.  Expect the unexpected; there is nothing inevitable over the outcome of this one.  In fact, there is only one aspect of this battle for the Twickenham final that is inevitable – it should be a belter.  Strap yourselves in.

Northampton Team News

Northampton welcome back George Pisi, Kahn Fotuali'i, Samu Manoa and Tom Wood to their starting line-up for Friday's Aviva Premiership semi-final against rivals Leicester.  The Saints quartet were on the bench for the record romp against Wasps in the final game of the regular season, however they return for the crucial clash at Franklin’s Gardens.  Jim Mallinder's side are also buoyed by the inclusion of Courtney Lawes in the second row, while Ross McMillan is added to the bench.

Starting Line-up: Foden; K Pisi, G Pisi, Burrell, North; Myler, Fotuali'i; A Waller, Haywood, Ma'afu; Manoa, Lawes; Wood, Dowson (capt), Dickinson.

Subs: McMillan, Corbisiero, Mercey, Day, Clark, Dickson, Wilson, Stephenson

Key Player

Salesi Ma'afu.  It seems odd that, in a game where there is attacking talent in spades, that I'm picking a man resembling a large space-hopper with limbs as the key player.  I wouldn't say that to his face mind, as Ma'afu is – frankly – built like a brick outhouse, a prop who has made his name as no-nonsense, hard-hitting forward, but it is his work in the set piece that will be under real scrutiny on Friday.  He's up against Marcos Ayerza, one of the best looseheads in the world, and the Argentinian will have identified the scrum as an area where he can get the upper hand.  With the scrum one of the very few areas where Leicester look to have an advantage, Ma'afu must ensure that he holds off Ayerza long enough to give his backline a stable platform to work from.

 

Leicester Team News

Having been rested for the round 22 victory over Saracens, Marcos Ayerza, Jordan Crane, Vereniki Goneva, Logovi’i Mulipola, Ben Youngs and Tom Youngs all come back into the visiting side.  Captain Ed Slater, Julian Salvi and Jamie Gibson also come into the pack after sitting out last week, while Dan Bowden starts in the centre, with Toby Flood at fly-half.

Starting Line-up:  Tait; Morris, Tuilagi, Bowden, Goneva; Flood, B Youngs; Ayerza, T Youngs, Mulipola; Deacon, Slater (captain); Gibson, Salvi, Crane

Subs: Briggs, Bristow, Balmain, Kitchener, Mafi, Mele, Williams, Thompstone

Key Player

Manu Tuilagi.  The big man is still yet to hit his top gear but the signs sure are ominous.  His run against Saracens, where he literally threw Charlie Hodgson 6 metres before offloading to set up a try for Blaine Scully, reminded us all what he is capable of, and he will be ordered to attack Stephen Myler at every opportunity on Friday.  The Saints man is utterly pivotal to his side's hopes and if Tuilagi can get into the fly-halfs head by getting into his channel time after time, it will affect both the territory and the running game – crucial in a game as close as this.

 

Key Battle

Courtney Lawes v Ed Slater.  Two of the standout English locks go head to head in just one of many fascinating battles taking place all over the park, but the thought of two of the most physical and powerful players in the business going head to head gets my vote as the key battle.  Quite aside from a close and hard-fought battle in the lineout, these two will be monumental forces at the breakdown and in the close exchanges, where Lawes can display superior athleticism but Slater holds the trump card on the power-packed carries.  Both men get through a hell of a lot of work, and I get the feeling that the man who gets through the most will be a deciding factor in a bone-jarringly physical encounter.

 

Prediction

I've changed my mind approximately 42 times on this one.  Everything in my head seems to say that Saints will win – they seem more inventive, they have the players to match Leicester, they're confident, and they're desperate for revenge.  The Tigers, on the other hand, still have a fantastic side despite the fact that key men like Anthony Allen are missing, but are yet to really motor this season even though their displays have certainly improved.  That said, they are the only side who do not fear Franklins Gardens and they always seem to raise their game against their bitter rivals – and, simply, they know how to win these big games.  Expect a physical game, expect an entertaining game, expect a brilliant game.  Expect a Saints win.  I think.  Saints by 2.

 

And in the other semi-final:

Saracens v Harlequins:  It's hard to see anything other than a home win, even though Quins have all the momentum of winning high-pressure games behind them.  Saracens, though, have taken it to another level and their physicality will be too much for the west London side. Saracens by 8. 

You can also read my interview with Chris Robshaw and Owen Farrell on The Rugby Blog