Post by bluetornados on Jun 18, 2022 20:32:21 GMT
Freddie Burns' last-minute drop-goal winner against Saracens clinched Leicester Tigers' 11th Premiership title and first for nine years.
Victory completes Tigers' return to English rugby's summit, having avoided the drop two years ago after Sarries were relegated for salary cap breaches.
Despite losing George Ford to injury, Hanro Liebenberg and Jasper Wiese tries put Tigers 12-6 up at the break.
Owen Farrell then levelled the scores with two penalties before Burns won it.
The game appeared to be heading for extra time at Twickenham before Ford's replacement Burns nailed his kick from 25 metres with just seconds left against a Sarries side that was finishing strongly and had a one-man advantage following Matt Scott's sin-binning.
Glory for the East Midlands club comes at the end of a season which they dominated, having topped the table at the end of every regular-season round.
In emotional scenes at the end of the game, outgoing captain Ellis Genge - who now leaves to join Bristol - held the trophy aloft with former skipper Tom Youngs, who retired from rugby weeks before his wife Tiffany passed away this month.
Line-ups
Leicester Tigers: Steward; Ashton, Moroni, Porter, Potter; Ford, Wigglesworth; Genge (capt), Montoya, Cole, Chessum, Green, Liebenberg, Reffell, Wiese.
Replacements: Clare, Leatigaga, Heyes, Wells, Martin, Youngs, Burns, Scott.
Saracens: Goode; Malins, Daly, Tompkins, Maitland; Farrell (capt), Davies; M Vunipola, George, Koch, Itoje, Isiekwe, McFarland, Earl, B Vunipola.
Replacements: Pifeleti, Mawi, Clarey, Wray, Christie, Van Zyl, Taylor, Lozowski.
Victory completes Tigers' return to English rugby's summit, having avoided the drop two years ago after Sarries were relegated for salary cap breaches.
Despite losing George Ford to injury, Hanro Liebenberg and Jasper Wiese tries put Tigers 12-6 up at the break.
Owen Farrell then levelled the scores with two penalties before Burns won it.
The game appeared to be heading for extra time at Twickenham before Ford's replacement Burns nailed his kick from 25 metres with just seconds left against a Sarries side that was finishing strongly and had a one-man advantage following Matt Scott's sin-binning.
Glory for the East Midlands club comes at the end of a season which they dominated, having topped the table at the end of every regular-season round.
In emotional scenes at the end of the game, outgoing captain Ellis Genge - who now leaves to join Bristol - held the trophy aloft with former skipper Tom Youngs, who retired from rugby weeks before his wife Tiffany passed away this month.
Line-ups
Leicester Tigers: Steward; Ashton, Moroni, Porter, Potter; Ford, Wigglesworth; Genge (capt), Montoya, Cole, Chessum, Green, Liebenberg, Reffell, Wiese.
Replacements: Clare, Leatigaga, Heyes, Wells, Martin, Youngs, Burns, Scott.
Saracens: Goode; Malins, Daly, Tompkins, Maitland; Farrell (capt), Davies; M Vunipola, George, Koch, Itoje, Isiekwe, McFarland, Earl, B Vunipola.
Replacements: Pifeleti, Mawi, Clarey, Wray, Christie, Van Zyl, Taylor, Lozowski.