It’s been a while, but the formerly powerful Leicester Tigers are roaring again. Not since 2013 has the former English superclub been crowned English national champion and the joy – and relief – at the final whistle was indicative of the long and tortuous walk they have had to take to regain their former status. .
And when he arrived, the release could hardly have been sweeter, a last-minute goal from relay Freddie Burns that got a contest that bubbled like molten lava. The game seemed destined for overtime, with the Tigers under 14 men, only because Ben Youngs swept the ball to his half almost in front of the posts. The flight of the ball was low and flat but it passed over and the Saracens sank.
What a triumph it was for Steve Borthwick, who has done a great job of giving life to a proud old institution. The Borthwick side has many of the distinctive features of the gnarled packs of ancient tigers, further reinforced by a South African steel outer shell. If the attempts of the first half by Hanro Liebenberg and Jasper Wiese were not the only reasons for Leicester to emerge victorious, they perfectly reflected the muscular energy that nailed the Saracens to a reluctant submission.
They also highlighted the defensive excellence maintained by the Saracens, who are usually so good at keeping the score going, especially at a distance. Not once have they been able to cross the Tigers rehearsal line, but they were confused with two familiar faces. Borthwick and Richard Wigglesworth, the latter at the age of 39 the biggest player to appear in a Premiership final, know exactly what makes the Saracens work and used that knowledge to build an inflexible tactical antidote.
Yes, there were many kicks involved, but anyone remotely familiar with these two parts could have predicted it. Not everyone loves these finalists or faints for the way they play, but fans of the other 11 clubs in the league can hardly claim to have slipped into Twickenham through the back door. Leicester led the regular season race from start to finish and the Saracens looked impressively strong in winning their semi-final against last year’s winners, the Harlequins.
But who could deliver when it mattered most? On a gray, humid afternoon, the feeling of anticipation was real enough. It was heavy and thunderous and that was just the time. Leicester were last in a final in 2013 and that weight of expectation was tangible. Solid Freddie Steward even dropped his first high ball which is virtually unheard of.
Freddie Burns (second left) shows his joy after seeing his winning goal drop sail. Photography: Alex Davidson / Getty Images
Leicester needed some encouragement, and after Owen Farrell gave his side an early lead with a penalty for a late entry to Nick Tompkins, it came in the form of two small but major misjudgments from the Saracen midfield. , Aled Davies. He first threw a high throw from Wigglesworth and then, shortly after, put his teammate Alex Goode in a lot of trouble on his own line.
He gave a five-meter attack with Leicester and the entire East Midlands licking his lips. If they could push Sarries back, it would suddenly become a different game. How poignant it was, then, when it was considered that both Tigers’ accessories had tightened under pressure and the promising position was not rewarded.
Worse, apparently, followed when George Ford, after narrowly missing a penalty shot on goal, went to the ankle after eluding Davies’ entry right in front of the east stand. It was a sad way to close the Tigers ’half-fly race, but it offered Burns a chance sooner than expected to make a difference.
Soon after another turn, Davies saw the yellow card for a high shot over striker Julián Montoya. The Tigers were properly energized and immediately took advantage of their numerical advantage, Steward making good ground before Liebenberg approached from a short distance. Burns did the angle conversion and the initiative was suddenly with Leicester.
With Goode forced to deal at No. 9, the Tigers didn’t think about conceding an unnecessary ruck penalty that allowed Sarries to pass a while and earn three points with Elliot Daly’s booming left boot. The suspense turned out to be only temporary, a cleverly executed touch-and-go movement from five yards out that ended with Wiese firing unstoppably into the corner to record another valuable five-pointer.
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The subtle change of angle and momentum had Borthwick’s fingerprints everywhere, and on either side of the break, Leicester were also showing a handful of the breakdown where Montoya was once again a constant threat. The changes were ruining the Saracens’ momentum, and another of them resulted in a large territorial gain and a prolonged siege of Leicester.
Three times, however, the whistle of referee Wayne Barnes signaled defensive penalties that brought the margin to six points until another penalty from Farrell at the other end put the 12-9 with 15 minutes to go. . When Leicester took the lead again four minutes before the end, it gave Farrell a chance to tie the score, with Matt Scott also receiving a yellow card for making head contact on a Billy Vunipola loaded. Then came the burns and total delirium.