English Premiership Rugby

Saracens were crowned the 2015 Aviva Premiership champions on Saturday as they downed Bath 28-16 in Twickenham's final.

Three first-half scores from Mark McCall's men saw them open up a huge 25-3 lead by half-time to get one hand on the trophy.

Bath came out positively in the second half and slashed the deficit, but they were never truly likely to catch Sarries, who eventually cruised to victory.

Premiership Rugby confirmed the result:

Man-of-the-match Owen Farrell highlighted the importance of his side's second-half resilience in seeing out the victory, per Saracens:

Saracens dominated proceedings from the off and opened the scoring after just seven minutes, with Farrell running in a try after a tremendous move.

A string of phases ended in an exchange of passes between Farrell and Duncan Taylor that opened up the Bath defence for the fly-half to run through and score, and he duly converted his own try.

Sarries continued to hammer the Bath defence, and David Strettle very nearly ran in a second score in the 12th minute, but he couldn't hold on to Farrell's cross-field kick.

However, hooker Jamie George did score Saracens' second try two minutes later, running in from 25 metres after intercepting Kyle Eastmond's pass. 

As noted by Rugby World's Owain Jones, it was impressive work from George, as Saracens moved into a 12-0 lead:

More bad news for Bath came just before the midway point in the first half, as Anthony Watson was officially replaced by Ollie Devoto, having been taken off for examination after a high tackle from Farrell, per Northampton Saints' Ben Foden:

Just after the half-hour mark, Sarries piled more pain on their opponents when Chris Wyles scored the third try of the afternoon after more terrific play.

Another interception saw Taylor snatch the ball, and Strettle used great imagination to keep the move alive, kicking the ball up to himself after a short pass. The ball was then moved out to the left for Wyles to go over the try line.

One George Ford penalty for Bath saw them go in at half-time 3-25 down, the biggest-ever deficit at the midway point in a Premiership final.

Bath looked to be positive on resumption, and Ford picked up another three points with a penalty early in the second half after another high tackle from Farrell.

In the 52nd minute, Bath finally found a five-pointer through Jonathan Joseph, who skipped and accelerated through the Saracens defence and ran in an excellent score.

On the hour mark, Ford kicked another penalty to see the deficit cut to nine, and Mike Ford's men were showing encouraging signs that they could pull off a miraculous comeback. However, Saracens pulled themselves together after some sloppy work early in the second half and controlled the final quarter to confirm a triumphant victory.

It was fully deserved after a blistering first-half performance and a fine response following their extra-time defeat to Northampton Saints in 2014's final.

Bath Rugby and Saracens will square off at Twickenham for the right to be crowned 2015 Premiership champions.

Both sides progressed after winning contrasting, but equally engrossing semi-finals. Bath were magnificent against Leicester Tigers in a 47-10 victory, cementing their spot in the showpiece for the first time in 11 years. By contrast, Saracens were made to work much harder for their victory, eventually edging out Northampton Saints 29-24.

The home of rugby always provides a spectacular backdrop to this unique occasion and there will be a host of players keen to make a big impression with the World Cup looming. Here’s all the key details on where to catch this one and a closer look at both sides in their quest for glory.

Date: Saturday, May 30

Time: 2:30 p.m. (BST)

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK)

Bath Bidding to End Premiership Trophy Drought

Supporters of Bath will tell you this final appearance has been long overdue. The team have flattered to deceive since their previous outing in the season finale 11 years ago, but under the tutelage of the astute Mike Ford, they’re a team that seem ready to make that final step.

It’d be the the first time since 1996 this side would have sampled the ultimate domestic prize, and although they’ve been mightily impressive as of late, it’ll be intriguing to see how the effervescent young squad Ford has assembled fares when the pressure bites on Saturday.

Bath’s England international prop David Wilson admitted a lack of experience could hinder them here, per the competition’s official website:

It's my first major final so it's going to be incredible to walk out there and take it all in. To be honest the fact that most of our squad haven't played in a major final might make a difference.

It's easy to get caught up in the moment, suddenly realise you're in a big game and choke. But I think our squad has taken a lot from the experience of playing a European final against Northampton Saints last year.

Nonetheless, provided Bath repeat the levels they showcased against Leicester last time out, they’ll be tough to repress.

That landslide victory was emblematic of the engrossing style of rugby they have played under Ford, with the incision, intensity and ingenuity too much for a usually solid Tigers team to cope with. The midfield triumvirate of George Ford, Kyle Eastmond and Jonathan Joseph in particular were thrilling to watch.

Former England international Mike Tindall had high praise for the team’s flair players, suggesting they should all be involved in the national setup:

They are coming up against savvy opposition in Saracens here, though. Going to Northampton and winning was a measure of their fortitude, showcasing the kind of spirit required to go all the way in this competition. After losing the final last year to a heartbreaking last-minute try, this group clearly feels they have a score to settle too.

While Bath are fluid and pleasing on the eye, Saracens are a little more pragmatic in their approach. This means we should see an absorbing clash of styles. As noted by sports journalist Charlie Morgan, this is a classic case of a quality attack up against an exceptional defence:

There are a couple of key areas to keep an eye on in determining who will triumph at Twickenham. Firstly, Bath’s Anthony Watson is a dynamic full-back and stopping his bursts from deep will be so important to Saracens’ chances; the youngster makes Bath a major threat on the counter-attack.

The other is between the two centres. Bath’s pairing of Eastmond and Joseph are in brilliant form, but Brad Barritt is a defensive centre who is as well equipped as anyone to nullify the pair’s impact. Expect the Saracens man to have the edge in that scrap and his wily, battle-hardened team to sneak this one.

Prediction: Bath 15-18 Saracens

Rhys Priestland, the Welsh international fly-half, confirmed his move to Bath Rugby from the Scarlets on Tuesday.

Priestland will join up with the club after the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England. But from both Bath’s point of view and Rhys Priestland’s, the move will prove to be a big mistake.

Bath already have a very good fly-half in George Ford who, at 22, is five years younger than Priestland and already a better player. In addition, Ford’s creativity and distribution make him a better fit for Bath’s expansive style of play than Priestland, who is a more conservative No. 10.

Ford has also been one of the reasons that Bath have improved so much in the past two years. As such, there was no need to sign Priestland. While it can be argued that adding another good player to the squad is reason enough, it could impact Bath’s fluidity in attack.

Neither would it be wise for Bath to rotate Ford and Priestland, as is sometimes the case with scrum-halves (Kahn Fotuali’i and Lee Dickson, for example, at Northampton).

The fly-half is the general and needs to provide the direction for the back line, arguably the whole team. Consistency at 10 is needed to allow the backs to flourish and for the team to settle on a game plan. Bath won’t succeed if they chop and change between Ford and Priestland.

If Bath wanted another fly-half to cover for Ford while he is away with England during the first half of the 2015-16 season because of the 2015 Rugby World Cup and future international fixtures, they should have opted for a 10 who would have been available to begin in September and who is not on his national team’s radar.

Rhys Priestland has fallen out of favour with Wales coach Warren Gatland and a section of the fans took to booing him in the Autumn Internationals.

It is understandable that he might want to leave Wales for rugby reasons, but moving to Bath is a big mistake for him. Priestland, we assume, wants to play for Wales after the World Cup but is moving to a club where he will likely be second choice and where his rival for the 10 jersey is the head coach’s son.

As former Bath player Jeremy Guscott commented on BBC Sport: "If I was a player of his calibre, Bath would not be the club I would join."

But if Priestland’s form is good enough (as Bath no doubt hope) for him to be in Wales’ squad beyond 2015, Bath will be faced with both their fly-halves being absent at the same time due to international commitments.

The one shining light for Bath (but not for Priestland) is that, under changes announced in August, by leaving Wales, Priestland would have to be deemed an exceptional circumstance by Warren Gatland in order to be picked for Wales.

However, the times when Bath really need to be at full strength—fixtures in the European Cup and the Premiership play-offs—they will be able to call on Ford.

Trophies are not won in the international window. If they wanted cover for Ford, it would make much more sense for Bath to sign an experienced fly-half no longer in the frame for international selection.

Bath also need to be wary of breaching financial fair play. Given the stringent salary cap in English club rugby, and the lucrative £500,000 deal reportedly given to rugby league convert Sam Burgess as per the Daily Telegraph, signing Priestland may detrimentally affect who Bath will be able to recruit in the future.

Bath, what is more, could have spent the money better on a position that they needed to strengthen. Their backs have great chemistry and their tight-five is powerful.

What they lack is back-row support for South African Francois Louw. Their proposed moved for Toulon’s Steffon Armitage, which fell through for financial reasons, would have been perfect.

Bath and Rhys Priestland have both made a big mistake.

At the turn of the year and the mid-point of the regular Aviva Premiership season, it is an appropriate moment to assess which teams are best placed for an assault on the title in 2015.

With the top four teams from the league playing off, current league standings and form are not of monumental importance, but they do give an indication of the state of the title contenders.

Northampton Saints, the reigning champions, are the team to back for the Aviva Premiership again this year. Saracens and Bath in particular have a lot of quality across the squad, but Northampton have key additional ingredients in greater abundance than their rivals: team spirit and mental strength.

The match last week against Leicester Tigers was evidence again of their resourcefulness. Reduced to 14 for 60 minutes and 7-0 down against their east midlands rivals, Northampton dug deep to win, as they did in last year’s Premiership semi-final against the same opposition, when they were also down to 14.

Part of this mental fortitude stems from having big names for big games. In the pack, they can rely on Courtney Lawes and Samu Manoa in particular, while George North leads the cast of powerful runners in the backs.

Indiscipline could yet be Northampton’s undoing, but they are the best at coping with it and with a full complement of players, they are the best team in England.

At this stage in the season, Bath look like Northampton’s nearest challengers and the two head up the Aviva Premiership standings going into the new year.

Bath combine a powerful scrum and maul with a back line possessing arguably the best chemistry in the league.

In the forwards, they have a particularly enviable set of front-rowers. With Rob Webber at hooker. He is joined by Wales’ Paul James and England’s best player of the past year, David Wilson. Support is provided from the bench in the form of Nick Auterac and England-capped Henry Thomas. Behind them, Dave Attwood and South African Francois Louw offer forceful carrying options.

Bath’s back division is conducted by George Ford, with Kyle Eastmond as the first violin. Their understanding with Jonathan Joseph brings an elegant range of moves to Bath’s attack. In the back three, Semesa Rokoduguni and Anthony Watson are lively runners, while Matt Banahan or Horacio Agulla provide the power.

Add in Sam Burgess, who by May will hope to have matured significantly in union, and Bath’s credentials look formidable.

However, despite playing great rugby for much of the season, in contrast to Northampton, mentally they have looked frail, particularly at critical points in Europe, where the match intensity equals Premiership semi-finals and finals. A heavy defeat in Glasgow was the result of not coming out of the blocks quick enough, while away against Montpellier they were unable to secure the crucial bonus point they looked set for at half-time.

Perhaps Sam Burgess’s most important contribution could be to instil the belief and attitude he was famous for in rugby league.

Saracens have made an unusually slow start to the season, but the club machine should kick into gear in time for April and May. In the last two years Saracens have topped the regular season but not matched it with performances in the semis and final. In order to challenge Northampton and Bath, Billy Vunipola and Owen Farrell will have to recover from their recent dips in form.

Leicester Tigers have also suffered from a slow start in the Premiership, but given their catalogue of injuries to key players, their indifferent form is more understandable. With Tom Youngs, Dan Cole and Tom Croft all back, and Manu Tuilagi on the mend, the Tigers will roar in 2015.

Featuring Youngs, Cole and Croft, not to mention the Premiership’s stellar openside flanker, Julian Salvi, Leicester have a formidable pack. As important as these names is Marcos Ayerza, the world-class Argentine loosehead prop. Leicester have the pack to win the Premiership, but do they have the backs? Manu Tuilagi aside, they can’t match Northampton or Bath in this area, which will be their undoing.

Expect Northampton and Bath to top the Premiership, win their home semi-finals, and then play out a cracker at Twickenham. Going into 2015, the smart money would be on Northampton winning the Premiership final.