Gallagher Premiership Rugby FInal 2022

LEICESTER TIGERS V SARACENS
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
for improvement on a 50% record in 2020-
21 – 11 wins and 11 losses.
Tigers’ marked inconsistency last year
was exemplified by the fact their longest
winning run in the league was just two.
But with supporters welcomed back en
masse to Mattioli Woods Welford Road for
the first time in 18 months, unreliability
quickly became a distant memory for the
10-time champions.
Tigers kicked off the campaign with a
bonus-point 34-19 home win over Exeter
Chiefs, full-back Freddie Steward, fresh
from his first England cap, getting the ball
rolling with an early try.
The result meant Leicester finished Round
One top of the table, a position they
would never relinquish.
A trip to Gloucester Rugby brought
another bonus-point win with newlyappointed
skipper Ellis Genge crossing for
his first score of the season in a to-and-fro
contest under the lights at Kingsholm.
It was a challenging battle and a staunch
Tigers defence held firm in a nervy final 10
minutes.
But a sterner test was to follow at the
start of October, when they hosted today’s
opponents Saracens in a rain-soaked
match that ended with fireworks.
Mark McCall’s team opened up a 12-3 lead
courtesy of four Owen Farrell penalties,
but Ford’s 75th minute penalty set up a
pulsating finale.
With the clock on zero, referee Christophe
Ridley awarded a penalty try when a maul
edging towards the whitewash collapsed,
sparking jubilant scenes inside Mattioli
Woods Welford Road.
Leicester won their next four to complete
an unbeaten October, including a seven-try
visit to a sold-out Saints when the bonus
point was wrapped up before the break.
In fact, Borthwick’s side would close
out the calendar year with a staggering
14 games won without defeat in all
competitions.
However, the Tigers’ 100% record lived
a charmed life on Boxing Day when they
travelled to Ashton Gate.
Bristol narrowly led 26-23 with seven
minutes remaining after Jasper Wiese was
yellow-carded while attempting to charge
down Callum Sheedy’s kick, the latter
taking advantage of the resulting penalty.
One last scrum was awarded to the visitors
in added time and, after a patient buildup,
replacement Guy Porter finally seized
the chance to run in on the right to snatch
the points.
The Tigers machine rolled on in the
opening match of 2022, posting 31 points
without reply at home to Newcastle
Falcons.
But their remarkable 15-game winning
run in all competitions came to an end the
following week, old rivals Wasps denying
them with a 16-13 shock victory.
Their loss total would be doubled before
the end of January with another away
defeat, this time Sale Sharks putting on
a stunning second-half display to turn a
13-point deficit into a 35-26 win.
The back-to-back defeats represented
the lowest ebb of the league season for
Borthwick’s team, with that Sale visit the
only game they’d emerge from without
any points.
February saw a return to full form, with
successive wins over Worcester Warriors,
Northampton Saints, Bath Rugby and
Gloucester Rugby.
The final seven matches of the regular
season began with a losing bonus point
away to Saracens, cutting Leicester’s lead
at the top.
But successive league wins at home to
London Irish and at Exeter Chiefs came
before a fourth and final defeat of the
league programme at the hands of
defending champions Harlequins.
Three comfortable triumphs rounded
off the season with Leicester already
confirmed of a semi-final berth before
Round 24.
And the East Midlands derby semi-final
did not disappoint with the game finely
poised and the score level at half-time.
Second-half tries from Ford and Steward
punished Saints’ wastefulness and sent
Tigers back to Twickenham. Today, they
hope to complete a dream campaign.
/premrugby /PremiershipRugby /premrugby /PremiershipRugby
37