Some time passed, but the once mighty tigers of Leicester roared again. Not since 2013 has the former England Superclub been crowned England’s domestic champions, and the outpouring of joy – and relief – at the last referee’s signal was indicative of the long and winding road they had to take to regain their old status.
And when it came, the release could hardly have been sweeter, a goalless drop in the last minute by substitute Freddie Burns, who won a race that boiled like molten lava. The game seemed destined for overtime, with the Tigers reduced to 14, only for Ben Youngs to return the ball to his own half almost in front of the crossbar. The flight of the ball was low and flat, but it passed over him and the Saracens had sunk.
What a triumph it was for Steve Bortwick, who did a great job of bringing fresh life to a proud old institution. The Borthwick country has many of the distinctive features of Tiger’s backs from the old ones, further reinforced by a steel South African outer hull. If the first half attempts of Hanro Liebenberg and Jasper Wiese were not the only reasons why Leicester won, they perfectly reflected the muscular energy that made the Saracens reluctant to obey.
They also pointed out the excellent protection that the Saracens maintained, usually so good at keeping the dashboard ticking, mostly at arm’s length. Not once could they cross the Tigers’ triline, but they were confused by two familiar faces. Bortwick and Richard Wigglesworth, the last 39-year-old, the oldest player in the Premiership final, know exactly what makes the Saracens tick, and they used that knowledge to create an unwavering tactical antidote.
Yes, there was a lot of kicking, but anyone familiar with these two countries could have foreseen this. Not everyone likes these finalists or faints from the way they play, but supporters of the other 11 clubs in the league can hardly claim to have slipped into Twickenham through the back door. Leicester led the race for the regular season from start to finish and the Saracens looked impressively strong in winning their semi-final against last year’s Harlequin winners.
But who could deliver when it’s most important? On a gray, damp afternoon, the anticipation was real enough. It was heavy and thunderous, and that was just the weather. Leicester were last in the final in 2013 and this weight of expectations was palpable. The stable Freddie Steward even missed his first high ball, which is practically unheard of.
Freddie Burns (second from left) shows his pleasure after seeing his winning goal sail away. Photo: Alex Davidson / Getty Images
Leicester needed some encouragement, and after Owen Farrell gave his team the lead at the start with a penalty for a late game against Nick Tompkins, it came in the form of two small but significant miscalculations from the Saracen clash, Aled Davis. First he made a high shot from Wigglesworth, and then, shortly after, he put his teammate Alex Good in a bunch of problems on his own line.
This led to an offensive five-meter fight, with Leicester and the entire eastern Midlands licking their lips. If they could push Sari back, the game would suddenly be different. How insulting it was when both Tigers props were thought to have twisted under pressure and the promising position remained unrewarded.
The seemingly worse came when George Ford, after missing a hair from a penalty kick to the door, crossed his ankle after escaping Davis’ blow right in front of the east stand. It was a sad way to end the Tigers’ half-career, but it offered Burns an earlier-than-expected chance to make a difference.
Soon there was another twist, Davis correctly saw yellow for a high shot on striker Julian Montoya. The Tigers were well-energized and immediately took advantage of their numerical advantage, and Steward made a good position before Liebenberg made his way at close range. Burns made an angular transformation, and the initiative was suddenly Leicester’s.
As Good was forced to stand at number 9, it was a vague thought for the Tigers to allow an unnecessary penalty for cancer, which allowed Saris to soak up some time and earn three points through Elliott Daly’s thriving left boot. The postponement turned out to be only a temporary, intelligently executed move of five meters outside, ending with an unstoppable explosion of Wiese around the corner to register another valuable rooster.
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The subtle change of angle and momentum left Bortwick’s fingerprints everywhere, and on both sides of the half, Leicester also proved to be a handful in the run-up, where Montoya was again a constant threat. The revolutions destroyed the Saracens’ momentum, and another led to huge territorial gains and a prolonged offensive siege of Leicester.
However, three times the whistle of the referee Wayne Barnes signaled penalties in defense, which led to six points, while another penalty by Farrell at the other end made 12-9 after 15 minutes until the end. When Leicester were offended again under the crossbar four minutes later, it offered Farrell a chance to equalize, with Matt Scott also receiving a yellow card for a head-on shot from striker Billy Wonipola. Then came Burns and total delirium.
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