Saracens v Leicester: 5 takeaways as ‘brutal’ Tigers claim ‘play-off quality’ victory, while snubbed Englishman sends message
Here are the 5 key takeaways from Leicester's win over Saracens
Following Leicester’s 32-29 win over Saracens, here are our five key takeaways from an enthralling Premiership match-up at StoneX Stadium.
The top line
It was billed as a top-of-the-table clash, and it certainly played out that way in an entertaining meeting at the StoneX.
After a sluggish opening 10 minutes, a Handre Pollard three-pointer injected some much-needed life into the game, and things quickly snowballed from there.
Nick Tompkins crossed for the day’s opening try, as he ran a superb support line off Tom Willis to stroll in under the sticks. They weren’t ahead for too long, however, as Leicester stuck with a quick-fire double through Ollie Hassell-Collins and Izaia Perese.
Saracens couldn’t be held back for long themselves, and they regained the lead moments later. A superb carry from Juan Martin Gonzalez sliced through the Tigers defence, and he put the try on the plate for recruit Tim Swiel – who returned to the club earlier this month.
Swiel was back with another kick off the tee, but Leicester grabbed the lead through a penalty try, which also saw prop Alec Clarey sent to the sin-bin.
The Tigers were at it again at the start of the second-half too, as Julian Montoya flopped over from the base of a powerful maul to increase his side’s lead.
Leicester Tigers hold off spirited Saracens comeback to end StoneX hoodoo
Springbok Pollard grew his haul with another penalty, but yet again this resulted in Saracens coming back into the game. A quick-fire brace from Gonzalez and James Hadfield brought Saracens within three points in the final stages.
But, with the clock in the red, a crucial forward pass gifted possession back to Leicester, and Pollard duly smacked the ball into touch to send the visitors home with maximum points.
This latest victory now takes Leicester to second in the table and also makes it four wins on the spin.
Play-off quality on show
It’s clear from this game, even with the lack of England players, both sides will be well in the fight for the top four; and this had a serious play-off feel to it.
Despite the slow start, both sides oozed quality on both sides of the ball, but they also had the sort of intensity you would expect from a semi-final. Every contact had that extra bit of venom, every attack had an extra bit of fizz, they had that extra accuracy throughout – especially in the red zone – and overall everyone just had that extra bit of desire to get their team over the line.
It felt like a real showcase of where the teams are at in these early stages of the season, but more importantly, it felt like both teams wanted to lay down a marker for the rest of the league heading into the international break.
Bath thump Sale in 14-a-side thriller while Gloucester put Newcastle to the sword
We’re only six games into the season, but it would take a brave person to bet against either side making the top four.
Brutal Leicester pack
The Tigers pack were absolutely brutal in almost every facet at the StoneX. They dominated Saracens at the scrum, and this played a key role in them getting the upper hand across the game as a whole. Nicky Smith was right at the heart of this, with a tremendous showing in the set-piece.
It was also in great touch around the park too. In attack, their mauling masterclass got them plenty of change and directly helped score 12 of their 32 points with Montoya going over from the base in the second-half, as well as the penalty try at the end of the first. Elsewhere in attack, Leicester’s red-zone efficiency comes from their quality carrying in the tight, and especially their pick-and-goes.
Exeter’s dominant team from 2016-2020 adopted a very similar style when they got into the opposition’s five-metre, but Leicester have taken their own spin on it and it’s getting them over the line. Montoya, Smith and Olly Cracknell – to name a few – are serious operators in this area for the Tigers, and they were once again superb at the StoneX.
They also fronted up in defence when needed, and whilst Saracens did notch a bonus-point towards the end, they could easily have scored a hatful more with the amount of chances they created.
I’ve said it before, but Leicester are definitely returning to the style of play that made them so successful for so many years, but they are using that as a platform rather than the be all and end all now. They are using their solid foundations at the set-piece and in the tight to then allow their backline to flourish. It’s very impressive, and it could take them far in the title race.
Superb Tom Willis
How on earth is he not in the England squad? Despite the defeat, the Saracens number eight was simply superb; and clearly channelled his England omission into a positive for his club side.
He was imperious with ball-in-hand, leading the way with 23 carries to his name over his shift, and also chipped in with a mega 93 metres as well. Willis also packed a serious punch in defence, chalking up 10 tackles and winning one turnover in the process.
This is the latest in a long line of brilliant performances from the one-cap England international, and his continued omission from the England squad raises some serious eyebrows.
You have to feel his showing tonight sent a message to Steve Borthwick.
International watch
Outside of Willis, another forgotten man showed some serious class. Ollie Hassell-Collins has seemingly been discarded by Borthwick, but tonight was another reminder of his true attacking quality. He could have also proved a point to Warren Gatland too…
Joe Heyes was another player overlooked by Borthwick for the Autumn Nations Series, but he produced a seriously impressive scrummaging display which would have caught his attention. As mentioned above, the Leicester scrum was so dominant throughout the game, and Heyes was a crucial part of that, as was Welsh prop Smith.
Former Wallabies star Perese was also fantastic in the win, and arguably had his best game in a Tigers shirt. Welsh duo Tommy Reffell and Cracknell were also fantastic for the Tigers, with Cracknell proving he is ready to take the next step if called upon.
For the hosts, Gonzalez continued his superb Rugby Championship form with another brilliant showing for Saracens. He was at the heart of most things his side did well, and he chipped in with a try and an assist in the process. Tompkins was also on top form despite the defeat, notching a nice try in the first-half.
