Leicester match winner Freddie Burns has admitted he could hardly believe the sensational conclusion of the Premiership final which saw him shoot the winning goal to deny the Saracens in the last minute of the match.
Burns had to play a more prominent role than he expected when George Ford came out limping in the first half, after having managed to revive his professional career in Leicester after a stay in Japan. “I’m incredulous right now. I usually don’t miss a word, but I can’t believe I’m sitting here. I managed to show it off, it was like a dead duck, but I don’t care. It happened.
“We have been a team of fighters all year and we have shown it in many games. I don’t think people have given us much of a chance. Everyone was talking about the great Saracen players, but I wouldn’t have traded any of our guys for theirs. We kept fighting and got to the right end. Giving fans this moment and rewarding their support means everything to everyone in Tigers. “
His coach, Steve Borthwick, also hailed the quiet way in which his players designed Burns’ chance to prevent the game from pouring into overtime. “The composure to put yourself in a better position was phenomenal,” Borthwick said. “Thinking as clearly as they did so far in a very tough match was very impressive. I looked at him [Freddie Burns] hit those balls yesterday on the training ground … he has nerves of steel, right?
The recent death of the wife of former club captain Tom Youngs, Tiffany, sparked additional excitement for everyone involved with the first Leicester title in nine years. “Everyone at the club has worked hard to get to that position,” Borthwick said. “I’m delighted with everyone. Everyone at the club is still suffering from the Youngs family. It was very elegant in the end for Tom Youngs and Ellis. [Genge] to pick up the trophy together.
“If you’re very clear about what you’re going to do, sometimes this can happen. You want to win rugby matches, but you have to make your family proud of yourself, and your friends to be proud of you.”
Saracen rugby director Mark McCall admitted that Leicester, who finished first in the regular season table, had deserved their success. “They caught us in the middle for long periods of time and backed it up with a brilliant defense,” McCall said. “It was very frustrating, but a lot of it was them. Today we were a little suffocated. It was hard to break them. Fair play for them, they did it brilliantly.”
The Breakdown – Sign up and receive our weekly rugby email.
McCall also refused to blame his players for opting for a late penalty short distance instead of going on a potential try to win a match against 14 men. “It’s hard to know what to do. I don’t disagree with the decision at all. I don’t think this was the game, they deserved to win.”