Last Year Leicester sealed a dramatic win over Saracens courtesy of a Dan Hipkiss try at the death. The match finished Leicester 33 Saracens 27. Saracens will be hoping to avoid heartache for a second year running, whereas Leicester will be looking to add yet another Premiership title to their Trophy Cabinet.
It will be interesting to see how the Leicester Tigers approach this game. A lot has been written about Saracens’ pragmatic approach to rugby. Saracens will try and play efficient rugby, taking their chances at goal and perhaps popping up in the corner for a try after a period of sustained pressure. The Tigers are the more exciting side to watch. However, they can play simple rugby when required, a quality of championship-winning sides.
The Saracens try-line will not be breached easily. They have statistically the best defence in the league. This season they have only conceded 26 tries. The Tigers have defended well (as you would expect from the side that topped the table), but let in three more tries than Saracens. Leicester has scored nearly twice as many tries as Saracens with 67 throughout the regular season. It will be interesting to see if the two approaches balance out. I hope for the spectacle itself that the Tigers are not dragged into a lacklustre game without any attacking dynamism.
Leicester vs. Saracens Player Comparison
1. Marcos Ayerza vs. Matt Stephens
Ayerza is an excellent competitor in the scrum and brings aggression to the Tigers’ front five. He has already faced disciplinary action this season for a scrap with Joe Marler and will be fired up for the occasion. It has been fantastic to see Matt Stephens returning from his days in the wilderness following his ban for drug use. His reputation has been slowly rebuilt and he has put in some excellent efforts at club level. His efforts in the scrum and in the loose make him a dangerous member of the Saracens side. The game will not be decided solely by the forwards, but he is one member of the front five who will be looking to turn the screw on Leicester early on. The question is will Martin Johnson give him a chance to regain the rugby population’s respect in New Zealand?
2. George Chuter vs. Shalk Brits
These are highly contrasting hookers. George Chuter is built in the traditional mould of a hooker, strong in the scrum and confident throwing into the line-out. Brits is an entirely different player. He is fast, has great hands and has even been known to put the odd spiral kick downfield. A tremendous talisman for Saracens this season, expect him to be causing problems in the loose.
3. Martin Castrogiovanni vs. Carlos Nieto
Both packs are full of excellent ambassadors of the set-piece. Castrogiovanni has played consistently this season and will battle bravely in the scrum. Carlos Nieto has improved since leaving Gloucester and has won Saracens several vital penalties at scrum time. Both props are strong ball carriers and will be looking to give their team forward momentum.
4. Steve Mafi vs. Stephen Borthwick (Captain)
Mafi is one of many fine ball carriers in the Leicester squad. He has been a reliable squad member this season. He will not make the headlines on Saturday, but he will be working hard in the engine room. Borthwick is a highly experienced player and will lead his side with confidence. He was harshly yellow-carded in the Semi-Final vs. Gloucester and he will be wishing to put in a full 80 minutes. He has captained England and is excellent in the line-out. His performance will be crucial to allow Saracens quality possession. His leadership will be essential in a team with several young players.
5. George Skivvington vs. Mourtiz Botha
Skivvington captained the England Saxons last season. The Leicester squad is full of leaders and Skivvington will need to be in form in the set-piece to implement a Leicester victory. Botha adds a huge physical presence to the Saracens front five standing at 6”6 and weighing 112 kg. His Strength in the scrum and at the breakdown will be influential in deciding Saracen’s ability to win quick, effective ball.
6. Tom Croft vs. Kelly Brown
Tom Croft has been unfortunate with shoulder injuries recently, however he has put in some strong performances this season. Croft is an agile line-out jumper and hard working back-row forward who likes to pop up on the wing for the occasional try. Expect a strong performance from the British Lion on Saturday as he will want to affirm his place on the plane to New Zealand this autumn. Kelly Brown is a key member of the Saracens back-row unit. Saracens rely on their suffocating defence and competitiveness at the breakdown. The Scottish International will be looking to slow the ball down and prevent the Tigers from playing their backs in space.
7. Craig Newby (Captain) vs. Jacques Burger
Newby captains the Tigers at Twickenham. He has led the side well and will have his work cut out to compete with the Saracens’ back-row. Burger is a tremendous work-horse and the hard hitting Namibian will be looking to unsettle Toby Flood and Ben Youngs in the early exchanges. Burger is also another expert at slowing the ball down. For Leicester to be able to play their own game Newby and his colleagues will have to nullify the Saracens back row from scavenging their possession.
8. Jordan Crane vs. Ernst Joubert
Crane was man of the match in last year’s Grand Final. He is another excellent ball carrier for Leicester with pace to match. Crane famously converted the winning kick in the historic Heineken Cup semi-final shoot-out against Cardiff Blues in 2009. The three time England cap is very capable of performing under pressure. Joubert is a key leader in for the Saracens having captained the side at the end of last season. He is destructive in the loose and a handy line out co-ordinator.
9. Ben Youngs vs. Neil de Kock
Youngs has been criticised of late, but there is no doubt he can be a match winner on his day. His 1st try for England providing the grounds for victory over Australia away in the 2nd Test last summer is a testament to that. Youngs will snipe around the edges and try and find gaps, but he will do well to find them with the powerful presence of the Saracens back row. Saracens rather unconventionally chose their starting scrum-half based on the toss of a coin. Richard Wigglesworth will be disappointed not to have won the toss but will be eager to make an impact from the bench. Neil de Kock brings control and experience to proceedings. His experience makes him a useful partner to youngster Owen Farrell at fly-Half.
Key Battle: 10. Toby Flood vs. Owen Farrell
This is a delightful match up for those interested in the future of English fly-halves. It is strange to think that Flood is the experienced player now. He has accomplished a great deal in his career to date. Flood will be confident, having led England well in the Six Nations this year. We know what to expect from him now, he will kick his goals and offer a serious attacking threat. Owen Farrell has an opportunity to stake his claim perhaps prematurely to the England no.10 Jersey. Farrell will need to kick his goals if Saracens want to give themselves a shot at the trophy. I fear for his sake if Leicester repeat the tactic they used in the 2007 Premiership Final vs. Gloucester when they threw Alesana Tuilagi down Ryan Lamb’s channel at every given opportunity.
11. Alesana Tuilagi vs. James Short
Alesana Tuilagi does not need much of an introduction. He is the top try scorer in the Aviva Premiership with 13 tries and is huge physical threat. Saracens will have to make sure they tackle the big Samoan around the ankles and before he gets up to full pace. James Short is a relative unknown compared to his opposite number. However, the 21 year old has performed well for his club this season scoring 5 tries. His kick chase will be crucial; he must put Scott Hamilton and the rest of the Leicester back three under pressure.
12. Anthony Allen vs. Brad Barritt
Anthony Allen has significantly improved his game since leaving Gloucester. Now he is a better-rounded professional. Allen burst onto the scene at Gloucester Rugby after signing from Millfield School. He was given a chance on the International scene but was perhaps too young at the time to hold onto to a regular place. His creativity, intelligent running lines and strong defence make him a potential candidate for a World Cup place. He has been consistent this season for Leicester and as a result was voted Leicester Players’ Player of the Season. Brad Barritt is not a very dynamic inside centre; however he does his job well. He defends well and can put significant pressure on opposing centres.
13. Matt Smith vs. Chris Wyles
There will be no Manu Tuilagi this week after his altercation with Chris Ashton two weeks ago. He was rightly banned for his actions and hopefully he will learn from this experience. Leicester will miss his physicality but in Matt Smith they have an excellent back-up. Smith was a try-scorer in last year’s Grand Final and will be keen to take his opportunity. Wyles, the American International will have his work cut out defending against Allen and Smith. He will be looking to release speedster David Strettle into space at any given opportunity.
14. Horacio Aguilla vs. David Strettle
Aguilla has not been in try-scoring form this season and has been overshadowed by the Tuilagi brothers. However he has the speed and agility to cause defences problems. Strettle has suffered with injuries over the years and has missed out on several England caps. However this man is a very dangerous runner. He has topped the statistics list this season in the premiership with the top amount of defenders beaten (43) and he has scored 5 tries for the men in black. Some suggest he might have an outside chance of a call up to the England Squad, but he faces tough competition from the likes of Chris Ashton, Delon Armitage and Mark Cueto.
15. Scot Hamilton vs. Alex Goode
This is another great match up; Goode perhaps lacks the attacking flair of his Kiwi opponent. But he can be dangerous in space. Hamilton covers well and is good under the high ball. He has scored 7 tries this season. Farrell will try and put him under pressure as Hamilton has conceded the 5th highest amount of turnovers in the league this season. He will have a busy day collecting ‘bombs’ and avoiding the fast kick chase from Strettle and Short.
Prediction: Leicester to win by 10. Their experience of winning previous Grand Finals will be vital and I think Leicester will not be drawn into the negative, defensive approach of Saracens.
No comments:
Post a Comment