Premiership final: Saracens 35-25 Sale - Sarries win sixth title in Twickenham thriller
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Elliot Daly's decisive try - Saracens' third - restored their lead after Sale led for 15 minutes in the second half
Gallagher Premiership Final: Saracens v Sale Sharks |
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Saracens: (20) 35 |
Tries: Penalty, Malins, Daly, Van Zyl Cons: Farrell 2 Pens: Farrell 3 |
Sale: (13) 25 |
Tries: Van der Merwe, Roebuck, Rodd Cons: Ford 2 Pens: Ford 2 |
Saracens clinched their sixth Premiership title and their first in four years with a 35-25 win over Sale.
Two tries in four minutes in the final quarter from Elliot Daly and Ivan van Zyl sealed victory for the London side.
Victory was sweet for Sarries, who agonisingly missed out on the title last year after Freddie Burns' last-minute drop-goal for Leicester.
Play was briefly stopped in the first half as protesters from Just Stop Oil invaded the pitch before being removed.
This was Saracens' seventh Premiership final in the past 10 years, but their first title since 2019 following their relegation to the Championship for salary cap breaches in 2020.
Having missed out by the narrowest of margins a year ago, the win comes after a campaign in which the men in black dominated the league, finishing five points clear of Sale at the top.
The match was billed as a showdown between England number 10s George Ford and Owen Farrell and it started as such, with both fly-halves trading two penalties apiece in an even opening quarter.
There was little between the two sides when three protesters from Just Stop Oil suddenly invaded the pitch, throwing orange powder around and briefly stopping play.
When the match resumed, Sale seemed caught off guard by the disruption as they failed to deal with Alex Goode's kick, which he chased down into the in-goal area.
In a scramble to stop a try, Tom Curry tackled Max Malins off the ball and referee Luke Pearce instantly awarded a penalty try and sent the Sale flanker to the sin-bin.
Despite the man disadvantage, Sale reacted well and while Ford missed a penalty to reduce the deficit, they got their first try on the board.
Tom Roebuck's try launched Sale's fightback in the second half
Saracens collapsed a scrum, opening the door for Sale to kick to the corner. After a series of pick-and-gos, Pearce ruled Van der Merwe had been held up on the line but the television match official intervened and the try was awarded.
Having created Saracens' first try, the departing Malins got his name on the board to restore Saracens' lead minutes later, scorching onto Farrell's pass past two defenders to the line. Farrell's conversion made it a 20-13 lead at the break.
But after the interval momentum shifted Sale's way for the first time. Out of nothing, Van der Merwe broke through the defence and as Saracens failed to deal with his kick to the corner, Tom Roebuck dived acrobatically on the ball to score.
A third penalty from Farrell extended the gap to five points, but Sale boss Alex Sanderson rang the changes and they paid immediate dividends.
Replacement Bevan Rodd bundled over and Ford's conversion gave Sharks the lead for the first time. Suddenly their fans started to believe.
But Saracens are a team who know how to win big finals and that experience told in the final quarter.
With 14 minutes left Sale full-back Joe Carpenter's clearing kick was charged down in his own 22 as Saracens forced a turnover. The ball was moved out wide to Daly, who dived over at the left corner.
Ivan van Zyl's try - given after a TMO intervention - proved decisive for Saracens
Then with 10 minutes left, Sarries struck the decisive blow. Scrum-half Van Zyl appeared to have been held up by Carpenter on the line, but after more deliberations from the TMO, the score was awarded.
There was still time for replacement Saracens prop Robin Hislop to be yellow-carded for a dangerous clear-out but Sale could not capitalise in the frenetic closing stages as Sarries held to seal another Premiership title.
Saracens avenge last year's loss
Few would have argued against Saracens' and Sale's inclusion in the Twickenham showdown, with the two teams having led the way all season by some distance, finishing first and second in the table - 15 and 10 points clear respectively of their nearest challenger Leicester.
For Saracens, victory caps a return to English rugby's summit after their relegation to the Championship in 2020 for salary cap breaches, and rewards director of rugby Mark McCall and the array of international stars who stayed with the team during their season in the second tier.
The win also goes some way to erasing the memories of 12 months ago, when Freddie Burns' last-minute drop-goal handed Leicester the title. That defeat lingered in Saracens minds and only made them "hungrier' to get it right this season, said flanker Ben Earl.
Sale take big step forward despite defeat
Tom Roebuck scored for Sale as they fought back in the second half to take the lead
Despite defeat, Sale will take motivation from not just their performance at Twickenham but throughout the season, having reached their first Premiership final in 17 years.
The Sharks have been transformed into contenders under Sanderson since he took over in 2021, a coach who plied his trade under Mark McCall - who remains a good friend - at Saracens for 13 years, winning five titles with the team in the process.
After returning "home" to the team where he made played more than 100 matches in his own career, Sanderson guided Sale to a third-place finish last season, and now the final a year on.
They fell short this time but a host of homegrown talent has been bedded in - five of their starting line-up came through the academy - while the signing of Ford has made a big difference as they look to create a 'northern powerhouse'.
Saracens: Goode; Malins, Lozowski, Tompkins, Maitland; Farrell (capt), Van Zyl; Mawi, George, Riccioni, Itoje, Tizard, Isiekwe, Earl, Wray.
Replacements: Dan, Hislop, Judge, Hunter-Hill, Knight, De Haas, Taylor, Daly.
Sin bin: Robin Hislop (74 mins)
Sale Sharks: Carpenter; Roebuck, R Du Preez, Tuilagi, Reed; Ford, Warr; McIntyre, Van der Merwe, Schonert, J-L Du Preez, Hill, T Curry, Dugdale, Ross (capt).
Replacements: Ashman, Rodd, Oosthuizen, Beaumont, Ellis, Quirke, James, O'Flaherty.
Sin bin: Tom Curry (23 mins)
Referee: Luke Pearce.