Well, I've left it a bit later than usual, but I didn't want these awards to be tarnished within a sea of other awards - the Premiership Rugby Awards, Sky Sports Awards...yawn. This is the coveted sought after prize that, I'm sure, all professional players aspire to. If you're a lucky/deserved winner, please email me with your details and I will send you this year's prize - a raffle ticket to be in with a shot of winning a horse-riding experience in Dundee. *whistle* Team of the Year (involved cheating by moving players into other positions):
1. Joe Marler (Harlequins); 2. Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers); 3. Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs); 4. Samu Manoa (Northampton Saints); 5. Graham Kitchener (Leicester Tigers); 6. Thomas Waldrom (Exeter Chiefs); 7. James Haskell (Wasps); 8. Nathan Hughes (Wasps); 9. Joe Simpson (Wasps); 10. George Ford (Bath); 11. Chris Wyles (Saracens); 12. Kyle Eastmond (Bath); 13. Jonathan Joseph (Bath); 14. Ken Pisi (Northampton Saints); 15. Alex Goode (Saracens).
Player of the Year: Jonathan Joseph. Gets the nod ahead of Ford because he's come from right outside the international reckoning to being the first name on the England team-sheet. Electric, intelligent and solid in defence - he's probably the most dangerous centre in Europe right now. Plus he's one of the few players who can genuinely pull off a goose-step and not look like a complete tw*t.
Young Player of the Year: Henry Slade. Yes, he looks like he's arrived straight from choir practice, but the Chiefs 10 is as tough as they come and doesn't shirk the rough stuff - as he proved by tackling Rene Ranger with his face last year. But this season it's his vision, game management and ability to cruise through gaps that have seen him become one of the prized assets in English rugby, helping the Chiefs back into the European big time in the process. Tip of the cap to Elliot Daly, Maro Itoje and Jack Clifford too.
The "I told you so" Award for Surprising Excellence: Thomas Waldrom. Leicester let him go thinking that he was past his best, Waldrom responded by scoring almost as many tries as he has chins- levelling the try-scoring record for touchdowns by a forward in a Premiership season in the process (with 16). Smart lines, natural strength and uncanny footwork has ensured Waldrom, reinvigorated by his move south, remains one of the best number eights in the league.
This award could also be dished out to the Chiefs team as a whole, who defied a lot of sceptics to have a great season.
The Hold a Finger against your Buttock, Make a 'Tssst' Noise and say 'Still Got It' Award: Andy Goode. Ok, I need some better award names, but Goodey has been class all year. Not as fashionable as Charlie Hodgson or as clean cut as Mark Cueto, nor as suave as Nick Easter, Andy has led the Wasps revival with poise, creativity and deadly accuracy, all the while whilst looking like Friar Tuck. By all accounts, a top bloke as well. In my view, Wasps are bonkers to let him go.
Individual Performance of the Season: Andy Goode v Irish. Let's get this Goodey love-in out of the way - the Wasps man's record points haul of 33 in his club's first game in Coventry, his home town, was part of an almost flawless display. A well deserved record for the big guy.
Team Performance of the Season: Bath v Leicester, September. Of course, I could have picked the playoff game but 'black Saturday' (as I now refer to it) was just jaw-dropping, and not just because of Leicester's eye-burningly bright orange kit. To nil the Tigers is one thing, but to cut through them with the ease and ambition that Bath did was simply phenomenal.
Try of the Season: Joe Simpson. Bath scored some brilliant team efforts against Leicester and Saracens during the year but Simpson's effort was absolutely bonkers. It was like a rugby computer game where you have an unrealistically fast player and just use him to run sideways and around people...absolutely brilliant to watch.
Hit of the Season: Samu Manoa v Julian Salvi. Don't drift sideways when Manoa is around. The explosion of power is pant-browningly frightening.
Disappointment of the Season: I could say Leicester's attacking game but I didn't hold much expectation in the first place after they failed to get a reputable backs coach in. However, it has to go to London Welsh. I expected them to go down, but at least push a couple of teams close and show some guts in the process. Unfortunately Welsh were about as resilient as a wet paper towel - a shame for some of the talented players they had in their ranks.
Irritant of the Season: Stadium announcers blaring out irrelevant nonsense over the tannoy to try and pump the crowd up. I've only just accepted music being played at every opportunity after any mundane achievement, but I draw the line at fake drum beats and inane shouts like "Come on you Irish". To be fair though, at least that makes a modicum of sense, unlike the truly abysmal "Come on you Bath". The tannoy should be used exclusively for team announcements, substitution details and for telling the owner of the grey Nissan Sentra that his car is being towed with his wife still in it. It's not for grammatically nonsensical, classless war-cries.
The Danny Care Sh*t Haircut Award: Jack Nowell. In fairness, I don't think he straightens it any more but there simply has to be an intervention about that rat's tail.
Well, now that the dust has settled, I've had a break and, frankly, there is nothing to watch at the weekends any more, now's the time to take stock for our end of term report card for all the teams in the Aviva Premiership. So who's going home with a gold star and who's being bent over a desk taking 10 lashings? Read on...
NB I should point out that I don't advocate 1930's style caning as appropriate punishment for disobedient children. Hurling books at them is much more effective. Bath
Position: 2nd (Runners Up)
Grade: A-
Report: This could – and should – be a watershed moment for this young Bath side. With unrelenting panache, pace and style, they have lit up the Premiership with their fluent and exciting brand of rugby. That backline alone has had pundits dribbling in appreciation – not a pretty sight, particularly in Stuart Barnes' case, let me tell you – and to go from 5th place to 2nd is a big step. Their only blips have been where they've been bullied and strangled by the opposition – as they were in the first half of the Final – but that happened a lot less than last year, too.
Star Man: George Ford. He's getting insultingly good now. His vision, timing and acceleration are all second-to-none in Europe, and his game management has taken huge strides too. The real deal.
Next Year: Continue the development curve. The scrum still looks a bit shaky on the loosehead side so Paul 'Wetherspoons bouncer' James will need to be replaced – is Nic Auterac up to the job? The pack in general needs to be able to handle big, nasty packs like Saracens' – a big, nasty number 8 would help. Leroy Houston is a very decent player but he does tend to go missing in the big games.
Exeter Chiefs
Position: 5th.
Grade: A-
Report: Well, what the hell do I know. A lot of people, myself included, wrote the Chiefs off this year. Not enough quality brought in, too many "past-its" and kids to force themselves back into the Champions Cup. They showed that up as complete codswallop as they came within a whisker of the playoffs, and did so playing a brand of near-"total rugby", with 'kids' like Henry Slade running the show behind a pack that was increasingly a match for anyone in the league, particularly in terms of carrying.
Star Man: Thomas Waldom. The first two lines above could apply to the Tank Engine, who I thought had his best days behind him. But working with Rob Baxter revitalised the man with 6 chins, and the portly ex-England man was at his energetic, powerful and intelligent best as romped to a record-equalling (for a forward) 16 Premiership tries, one off the highest total ever for a season.
Next Year: Everything I was going to suggest, Rob Baxter has already done. That's why he's a head coach and I'm a part-time blogger. Replacement for Dean Mumm? See Geoff Parling. A Proper openside? Welcome Julian Salvi. It will be interesting to see how young Italian Michele Campagnaro develops, because the only real area that looks a bit thin is outside centre/wing.
Gloucester Rugby
Position: 9th
Grade: C+
Report: A difficult one to measure for the Cherry and Whites. On one hand, the summer signings of big, grumpy forwards seemed to have improved Gloucester's wet flannel of a pack, and they generally seemed more competitive, but they still finished in 9th spot. Of course, a cracking win in the Challenge Cup needs to be applauded – although they missed out on Champions Cup qualification by a whisker in the playoff – but they still seem to break too easily. When they’re hot, they're red hot, but it doesn't take too much to make their heads go down.
Star Man: Johnny May. I know, I know, he looks like a rabbit in headlights at times and there are times when you wonder if even he knows where he is going, but that's all forgiven when he produces moments of genius like below on a semi-regular basis. Still wouldn't have him in the England team, though.
Next Year: It's hard to say, because they now have plenty of beef in the pack and pace out wide, but the fluency just isn't there. The team looks very decent in terms of personnel and, although I can't see their new signings adding too much (and Dan Robson's departure is a loss), if they can find that grit that has characterised Gloucester sides in past years, then they should push for a top 6 spot.
Harlequins
Position: 8th
Grade: D+
Report: I like Harlequins, and I'm a huge fan of Conor O'Shea, but how the West Londoners managed to escape criticism despite falling from the playoffs last year to outside the Champions Cup spots really does have me scratching my head. Yes, there were moments of razzle-dazzle and they weren't helped by a heap of unfortunate injuries, but these showcased a worrying lack of depth in some departments and, with key players like Danny Care misfiring this year, Quins lacked attacking incision and at times looked just too soft.
Star Man: Jack Clifford. The young ex-England under 20s skipper enjoyed a breakthrough year, taking advantage of injures to the back row to become one of the few real success stories for Harlequins this season. Athletic and powerful, the long term successor and clone of Nick Easter has been found - despite not sounding like he's just walked off the set of Only Fools and Horses.
Next Year: Quins desperately need some quality in and power in the centres and they've ticked both those boxes with the rather decent capture of Dr Jamie Roberts. Now if they can just add a top class hooker, tighthead prop and a lock then they may have the snarl to finally give guys like Marland Yarde and Charlie Walker a fair shot.
Leicester Tigers
Position: 3rd (semi-finals)
Grade: B-
Report: There is a chance that some people are will think I'm being a bit harsh on Richard Cockerill's side - after all, any side that misses the majority of its key players throughout the season but still finishes third deserves a decent amount of credit. But still, injuries don't account for the complete and utter abject lack of creativity out wide - a fall from grace for a side that used to top the try scoring charts most years but this season were second from bottom, only to London Welsh. They used to be a pleasure to watch, but at times it was as enjoyable as watching a turd in a microwave.
Star Man: Tom Youngs. The England hooker may have spent a solid proportion of the season injured but upon return he has been a bundle of energy. Reliable in the lineout, the man blessed with the physique of a geometrically perfect square gets through more work than anyone in attack and defence and was a rallying point for his side throughout.
Next Year: I'll be doing a full inquiry into the failings of the Tigers in due course, but the arrival of Aaron Mauger as a head coach should finally breathe some life into a talented but badly-coached backline. The introduction of Opeti Fonua at number eight will be worth a watch as well, as will Brendan O'Connor - the man charged with filling Julian Salvi's boots.
London Irish
Position: 10th
Grade: C+
Report: It's a slow rebuilding process at Irish since the majority of their prized assets seemed to be stolen away from them a couple of summers ago, but some smart recruits have seen a decent season of rebuilding. The likes of Tom Guest added experience and athleticism to a pack which rarely found itself bullied and Shane Geraghty is starting to find some of that form he had when he was last at Irish and one of the hottest prospects in the game.
Star Man: Alex Lewington. The Leicester Tigers reject enjoyed a breakthrough year as he proved himself to be one of the smartest poachers in the league, running in an impressive 12 tries. Ironically, Leicester couldn't score for love nor money so guess who's laughing now?
Next Year: In my view, Irish have done some of the best business of any of the sides heading into next year, as the additions of Ben Franks, Sean Maitland and Andy Goode amongst others add real quality and experience to a young side. If they can tighten up their set piece, they could make waves next year...
London Welsh
Position: 12th
Grade: Z
Report: Well, perhaps it's mean of me to kick a side when it's down but what more can you say about a side that is, officially, the worst side in Premiership history. Ok, Rotherham also lost all 22 of their games in the top flight 10 years ago but they at least managed to get within a score of the opposition on several occasions - unfortunately for Welsh, their average score was a 46 - 10 defeat, meaning they were humped more often than a particularly attractive leg presented to a particularly randy pack of adolescent dogs. Their main issue - well, one of many - is that they panic bought, partly due to the ridiculous Championship playoff system and partly due to an odd lack of faith in the men that got them promoted. A lack of cohesion between players and the failure of big names to perform, such as Piri Weepu, meant that Welsh were doomed before they started.
Star Man: Opeti Fonua. Well, there were players who probably worked harder than him and I would in no way criticise any player's efforts in that Welsh side, but for sheer impact Fonua stood out. One of the few players to make things happen, even against top teams. It will be interesting to see how the giant fares at Leicester when they get their fitness team onto him.
Next Year: Bouncing back will be hard, if not impossible for London Welsh. There will be low morale, many of their better players are being snapped up and now there is uncertainty over where they will be playing their home fixtures. They need to rebuild and find some solidarity next year, and not worry too much about the playoffs.
Newcastle Falcons
Position: 11th
Grade: B
Report: An 11th place finish after an 11th place finish the season before would not be classed an improvement by many, but those who have watched the Falcons this season will know that they have made big strides this year - playing with ambition, fluidity and precision. There's clearly still some work to do in their execution, since too many narrow defeats badly affected their league position, but with talent like Sinoti Sinoti, Tom Catterick and Will Welch coming to the fore, fans can be pretty pleased with the season just gone and cautiously optimistic about the future. Plus, thanks to Welsh's ineptitude, they weren't in a relegation scrap. Which was nice.
Star Man: Tom Catterick. It was strange that we were all expecting the battle for the 10 shirt to be between Rory Clegg and Phil Godman, but the emergence of Tom Catterick is a real bonus to the way Falcons play. The youngster has great acceleration, good vision, a sharp pass and a cultured boot - he fits right into the way Newcastle want to play. Dodgy haircut, though.
Next Year: More of the same really. There's not a huge amount of transfer activity going on - no really big names anyway - although the loss of Kieran Brookes is a big one. If they can tighten up their set piece without him and continue to nurture the talent they have whilst developing their gameplan, the luxury of mid-table obscurity is on the cards.
Northampton Saints
Position: 1st (semi-finals)
Grade: B+
Report: To be a Saints fan right now is to be very, very gutted. For the vast majority of this season they dominated proceedings at the top of the pile, playing with a power and pace - built on one of the best set-pieces in the country - that most teams couldn't live with; at times, they were unplayable. But Voldemort - sorry - Jim Mallinder's men did look shakey on the odd occasion a team managed to match them physically in the loose and in the set piece (see games against Clermont and Exeter) and injuries to key players like George North and Ben Foden left them vulnerable late on in the season. Saracens needed no second invitation.
Star Man: Samu Manoa. Good luck replacing this animal, lads. You could probably replace most Chuck Norris jokes with his name and they'd probably, if anything, become more pertinent. He was still the devastating defensive player he always has been but his carrying and fitness improved beyond recognition this season. A colossus.
Next Year: Smart signings such as Kieran Brookes, Jamie Gibson and Michael Paterson will add more beef to an already brutally efficient pack, but it's difficult to see what other areas obviously need improvement - if everyone is fit, of course. If they can manage that, they can count on another successful year - but with more silverware at the end of it.
Sale Sharks
Position: 7th
Grade: B
Report: A year of steady, rather than spectacular, improvement for the men from Salford, as they just missed out on a Top 6 place. They are capable of giving any side in the league for their money - especially at home - and with Danny Cipriani lighting up a solid back division behind one of the best turnover packs in the country, they could always pose a threat. But, just like their league position, they're only nearly a genuine contender. Their back division doesn't have quite enough guile or penetration outside the 10 shirt, the pack isn't quite solid enough in the set piece and isn't quite physical enough when playing the top sides. Surprising, considering their coached by a man who constantly looks like he's one sneeze away from starting an all-out brawl.
Star Man: Danny Cipriani. Right up to last week when he was arrested on suspicion of (but not charged with) drink driving, we hadn't seen Danny in the headlines at all - apart from glowing reports of his on pitch contributions. He still has a box of tricks and the ability to create something out of nothing, but the nuts and bolts of his play - his place and tactical kicking - have also really helped Sale this year.
Next Year: I have to admit that I can't really see Sale progressing unless they bring in some real quality to inject something extra into key areas, but I haven't seen anything to raise many eyebrows yet. They will continue to push many teams close and the continued development of guys like Mike Haley and Josh Beaumont will be worth watching, but otherwise a season of stagnation may be on the cards.
Saracens
Position: 4th (Champions)
Grade: A
Report: This time last year Saracens were in Northampton's shoes - having led the table for what seemed like all season, only to be pipped by a team that finished below them. This time, Sarries timed their form to perfection. At times, through the middle leg of the season, the men in black seemed to be playing within themselves, but when the pressure was on they pulled some brutally efficient performances out of the bag. Their defence is rightly revered as arguably the best in Europe, but their attacking game doesn't get enough credit - they work hard to create space and then they have the speed and brains to exploit it. Their final display against Bath, particularly in the first half, was the perfect example of what Saracens are all about.
Star Man: Chris Wyles. Guys like Billy Vunipola and Dave Strettle had great seasons and get the headlines, but the American Wyles is probably the most underrated and reliable performers in the league. Solid under the high ball, strong and pretty clinical - touching down for 13 tries in his best season in a black shirt.
Next Year: Sarries fans have every right to be cheerful - they're Premiership Champions and, with the coming of age of Maro Itoje and Jamie George, the future is very bright. My only concern would be in the back division - nobody has really come in and starred with any threat in that 13 shirt and the loss of Dave Strettle will hurt. Without a couple of class additions, I wonder if they will have enough guile to kick on?
Wasps
Position: 6th
Grade: A-
Report: A rollercoaster season on and off the pitch saw Wasps move to Coventry half way through to widespread criticism and finish the year with the move being heralded as one of the best decisions by a professional club. There's no doubt that from a business side it's the right move, and that increasing optimism has been reflected by some scintillating displays on the pitch that pushed Dai Young's men to within a whisker of a playoff spot. As it turned out, they've had to settle for a top 6 spot but, with their team playing some of the best rugby in the league, and with talents like Joe Simpson, Elliot Daly and Nathan Hughes looking at home on the biggest stage, there's plenty of reasons to be happy as a Wasps fan. Unless you lived next to the ground in Wycombe. In which case the move to Coventry is still probably irking you.
Star Man: Joe Simpson. To be fair I could have picked any from Daly, Hughes, Haskell and Johnson, but I've gone for the scrum half because he's gone from being written off as a prospect to being arguably the form 9 in the Premiership. His electric pace remains, and his kicking and service are now top drawer on a pretty consistent basis.
Next Year: What's not to be happy about as a Wasps fan? A great brand of rugby, an impressive new home, a shed load of cash (according to the CEO) and some exciting youngsters (such as Daly or Alex Lozowski) should make next year an exciting one for Wasps. But if they are to kick on and challenge for the title they need a tight 5 that can match the bullies of the Premiership - I don't think they've brought in the players to do it, but let's see how they go.
There is an art, I've discovered, to commenting on a rugby game, and the art is to simplify, simplify, simplify - something you will have noticed, whilst wading through pages of my waffle, I am not very good at. But pundits love to say "it all boils down to", and "it's power versus pace" and other broad, sweeping statements that read like good slogans but don't actually tell us anything. That said, it was impossible not to get carried away with the Premiership Final, which saw two very different sides going head to head, in Saracens and Bath. Even me, a grumpy cynic, found myself falling into the trap of brainless pish-posh like "it's invention vs precision", or "game awareness v game management". Terrible stuff. But, like a lot of people, I got excited about the fact that the game was apparently going to come down to George Ford v Owen Farrell. Two young, talented tens, friends through rugby and now battling for the 10 shirt - one a creative genius, the other a dead-eye assassin. This stuff writes itself. And all eyes were on the battle of the 10s as the teams ran out at Twickenham on Saturday. It was Owen Farrell who had the biggest great impact - literally - in the opening stages, clumsily clobbering Anthony Watson with a high tackle and luckily escaping without the yellow card it arguably warranted. Watson was briefly unconscious and clearly shaken up, having to be replaced just 7 minutes into the game - but not before Farrell had made his mark again, albeit this time in more positive fashion. After Saracens had killed off early Bath possession with a couple of monstrous hits from one Mr Jacques Burger, Sarries gained field position and, after good surges from Dave Strettle and Billy Vunipola, Farrell chucked a dummy to coast through a gap to dot down in the corner. For the fly half who is supposed to be 'unable to play off the cuff', it was an impressive bit of vision and he followed it up with a typically dead-eye conversion.
It was quickly becoming clear that Saracens were getting on top with their defence - the line speed was intense, to the point where the usually composed George Ford and Kyle Eastmond were starting to force passes that weren't really on, and the support runners, perhaps panicking, we're starting to fluff their lines. That was never more evident when, just 5 minutes after Farrell's score, Ross Batty overran an Eastmond pass, giving Jamie George the chance to pick up the loose ball and gallop over from 30 metres, showing impressive speed for a human truck and celebrating his England call up in style. Farrell missed the conversion, but Sarries were 12 - 0 up after just 15 minutes.
To make matters worse for the West Country outfit, Dave Wilson was starting to loose his battle against Mako Vunipola in the scrum, and from another infringement Farrell added another 3 points. Bath did strike back quickly though, with Ford adding a penalty of his own after Alex Goode blocked Semesa Rokodugini's kick chase following an electric break by the one-cap wonder.
It was a brief respite. Soon afterwards, after another Bath move had broken down in the middle of the field, Duncan Taylor picked off a lazy pass from Wilson to break free and chuck an offload to Dave Strettle, who brilliantly chipped the ball into his own hands before being hauled down by an equally superb last-ditch tackle from Jonathan Joseph. The damage was done though, and when the ball was swung left, Jamie George - who had clearly decided that one try was quite enough for the day - fed Chris Wyles for the simplest of finishes.
Farrell added the conversion and then added another penalty to put the score at 25 - 3 at half time. Game over? Well, yes, particularly against a defence where the likes of Burger and young Maro Itoje were regularly weighing in with eye-wateringly big hits. But nobody told Bath, who - to their credit - came out fighting.
Ford got them rolling early with 3 more points after Farrell was penalised for another high tackle in his 22 - although this was one was a bit unlucky, and not worth any cards. Bath were certainly starting to fizz a little bit in attack, with Ford making a couple of smart breaks and Joseph starting to threaten with the ball in hand - and it told 10 minutes into the second half, as Eastmond darted to within inches of the line before Joseph skipped past Taylor to touch down for a brilliant score. Ford nailed the conversion, and suddenly Bath were within 12 - another score would make it very interesting.
Sarries' defensive line speed might have been tiring, which was giving Bath the space to attack, but the hits were still weighing in and Bath could not quite make the most of their field position that they were earning. In truth, they were not helped by Rob Webber's disintegration at the line out, the England man seeing his form - and, in all likelihood, an England squad spot - desert him, giving away promising positions time after time. Ford and Farrell exchanged penalties, but in the final stages of the game it was Saracens - aided by the cultured boot of Charlie Hodgson - who controlled the territory, who calmed the game down and killed Bath's spirit. The final whistle went and Saracens had won 28 - 16, banishing those extra-time demons from last year's final.
As they lifted the trophy, somebody remarked they were the first team to win the Premiership having finished outside the top 2, having finished fourth in the league. with that in mind, are they really the best side in England? Academy league winners, A-league winners, LV=Cup winners and now Premiership Champions. Yep, I'd say they've earned that title.
Bath Player Ratings
Anthony Watson - 5 - No chance to have an impact. Would he have made the difference though?
Semesa Rokodugini - 7 - Some lovely footwork once again and seems to be recapturing his spark. A constant menace.
Jonathan Joseph - 7 - Grew into the game but had to work hard for any space. Brilliantly taken try.
Kyle Eastmond - 5 - A couple of promising darts but otherwise he was well shackled and threw a couple of errant passes. Didn't react quick enough to the dropped ball for the first try.
Matt Banahan - 5 - Very quiet after his hat-trick heroics. Didn't work hard enough and barely saw him off his wing.
George Ford - 6 - Some rare moments of indecision but he still looked sharp when he did get to go forward. Kicked well off the tee.
Peter Stringer - 6 - A thankless task behind a struggling pack but didn't let Saracens' hungry wolves get to him.
Paul James - 5 - Struggled in the scrum but tackled pretty well. A difficult day at the office for the Welshman.
Ross Batty - 5 - His overrun led to the first try and was penalised a couple of times. Worked hard and carried well though, but not up to his standards this season.
Dave Wilson - 3 - A terrible day at the office for Wilson. Destroyed by Mako Vunipola at the scrum and threw a horrible interception pass to kill off the game in the first half.
Stuart Hooper - 5 - Battled manfully but lost the physical confrontation. Also guilty overrunning key passes.
Dave Attwood - 7 - Arguably Bath's best forward. Chimed in with some brutal hits to match up to Saracens' own and carried aggressively.
Sam Burgess - 6 - A couple of knock ons detract from a very decent display in difficult circumstances - some huge tackles and always keen to carry the ball to good effect.
Francois Louw - 5 - Was surprisingly manhandled in contact several times and struggled to slow down Sarries' ball. Tackled well though.
Leroy Houston - 5 - Did nothing wrong but didn't contribute much either. Far too quiet for a number eight.
Subs - 4 - Rob Webber was good around the park but awful in the lineout, Olly DeVoto couldn't offer the same in attack as Watson.
Saracens player ratings
Alex Goode - 7 - Another composed and intelligent display from the full back, kicking superbly throughout.
Dave Strettle - 7 - Always a threat when involved, with one great bit of skill setting up position for the third try - but surprisingly quiet otherwise. Kept Banahan quiet too, though.
Duncan Taylor - 6 - May have been left for dead by Joseph but made a great intercept for the third try and helped lead a ferocious defensive effort.
Brad Barritt - 6 - A typical Barritt display, total commitment in the midfield, not giving an inch. Not too much going forward though.
Chris Wyles - 6 - Rounded off a great season with a try and was good under the high ball - although he was beaten a couple of times by Rokodugini.
Owen Farrell - 8 - Reminded us why he is international class - managed the game superbly and was deadly accurate when going for goal. A man for the big stage.
Richard Wigglesworth - 6 - Typically smart, reliable and unfussy from the England 9. Enjoyed silver service from his pack.
Mako Vunipola - 7 - Enjoyed a great day against Dave Wilson reminding us all of his scrummaging improvements.
Jamie George - 9 - Superb. He was everywhere in the loose, reliable at the set piece and took his try magnificently. Man of the match.
Petrus du Plessis - 7 - An unsung hero for Sarries. Contribute fully to a powerful scrum effort.
George Kruis - 7 - His reputation as a physical enforcer continues to grow as he undertook the dirty work in spades.
Alistair Hargreaves - 7 - Like his second row colleague, was accurate in defence and in the clearout, until he had his day cut short by a head injury.
Maro Itoje - 8 - A big step up by the young man but boy did he take it with ease. Superb presence around the field and unleashed some brutal hits, too, as well as acting as a reliable source of possession in the lineout.
Jacques Burger - 6 - Started well and no doubt his energy rattled Bath. However, over-enthusiasm led to missed tackles and allowed Bath to build momentum in the second half.
Billy Vunipola - 7 - He is now an 80 minute man and carried with purpose to good effect all game. A go-to guy.
Subs - 6 - Hodgson and De Kock added control at the end of the game when it was needed most.
