Saracens determined to seize the moment

ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP FINAL/Leicester v Saracens: SCHALK BRITS is ready to complete a fairytale season in the grand manner tomorrow…

ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP FINAL/Leicester v Saracens:SCHALK BRITS is ready to complete a fairytale season in the grand manner tomorrow by helping Saracens win their first English Premiership title.

If Brits and company topple reigning champions Leicester, Saracens will become only the fifth club after Tigers, Wasps, Newcastle and Sale Sharks to secure Premiership silverware.

And bolstered by the return of fit-again club skipper Steve Borthwick – number eight Ernst Joubert retains the captaincy duties he has performed in Borthwick’s absence since March – Saracens know they must seize the moment.

It is 12 years since they last won a major trophy – the Tetley’s Bitter Cup, when players like Michael Lynagh, Philippe Sella and Francois Pienaar were in their pomp – but Saracens arrive at Twickenham after successive away wins against Leicester and Northampton (twice).

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The one notable absentee from the biggest day in their history is rugby director Brendan Venter, whose contentious 10-week match-day suspension and Twickenham ban mean his Saturday afternoon will be spent at home in St Albans.

“Saracens, not only as a team but as a club and as a family, have been waiting for this moment,” said South African hooker Brits, the recently-crowned players’ player of the year.

“Guys like (lock) Hugh Vyvyan, who have been there for ages, deserve to be in a final. It is going to be a great day for Saracens.”

Saracens’ recent expansive rugby has been in stark contrast to their conservative early-season approach. But their current game-plan is adventurous enough to cause any team problems, even Leicester.

“I knew when we were playing like that (conservatively) it was for the benefit of the side,” added Brits. “We didn’t lose. It wasn’t beautiful rugby, but it was the way the game was refereed at the time.

“Now we are attacking it gives the team a lot more confidence.”

Leicester outhalf Toby Flood believes Saracens’ league triumph at Welford Road three weeks ago gave Tigers a jolt they might have needed. The defeat ended Leicester’s 31-game unbeaten home record and England star Flood said: “I hope we have learnt lessons from that game because we went over it with a fine tooth-comb. . .”

“They (Saracens) are looking dangerous. Any team that goes to Northampton, Leicester, then Northampton again and wins deserves their place in the final.”

Leicester are unchanged from the side that beat Bath last time out, which means flanker Lewis Moody making his farewell appearance after 14 seasons with the club before joining Bath next term.

Moody is among eight England internationals in a starting XV skippered by fullback Geordan Murphy as Leicester target a ninth English title. Today represents the club’s sixth successive Premiership final appearance.

LEICESTER: G Murphy (capt); S Hamilton, M Smith, A Allen, A Tuilagi; T Flood, B Youngs; M Ayerza, G Chuter, M Castrogiovanni, L Deacon, G Parling, T Croft, L Moody, J Crane. Replacements: J Duffey, D Cole, B Stankovich, C Newby, B Woods, J Grindal, J Staunton, D Hipkiss.

SARACENS: A Goode; M Tagicakibau, A Powell, B Barritt, C Wyles; G Jackson, N de Kock; M Aguero, S Brits, P du Plessis, S Borthwick, H Vyvyan, J Burger, A Saull, E Joubert (capt). Replacements: F Ongaro, R Gill, R Skuse, M Botha, J Melck, J Marshall, D Hougaard, K Ratuvou.

Referee: Dave Pearson (Rugby Football Union). Assistant referees: Stuart Terheege and Robin Goodliffe (RFU).