Saracens beat Leinster 20-10 to win Champions Cup – as it happened
Tries from Sean Maitland and Billy Vunipola helped Saracens rally from 10-0 down to win their third European title in four years 7.21pm BST That’s about all from me. Saracens are kings of Europe again, and if they play like that again next year, you wonder who on earth could stop them making it four in five years. Thanks for joining me, and goodnight. Related: Saracens’ Billy Vunipola bursts through to beat Leinster in Champions Cup final 7.17pm BST Saracens’ defence coach, Alex Sanderson, says Maro Itoje’s yellow card “woke us up”. He adds that the club’s ‘A’ team have a final here on Monday, so their plan for tomorrow is “an all-dayer in Newcastle”. Lovely stuff. 7.15pm BST Here’s Paul Rees’s match report from Newcastle: Related: Saracens’ Billy Vunipola bursts through to beat Leinster in Champions Cup final 7.10pm BST Saracens are heading up to collect their winners’ medals in an orderly fashion. It’s almost like they still can’t break ranks after that demonstration of discipline. Now the captain, Brad Barritt, has his hands on the trophy and the smiles start to break. He hoists it above his head, and the gold ticker tape and champagne flies! 7.08pm BST Maro Itoje is the official man of the match, which might irritate Leinster fans, given a couple of borderline tackles from the No 6 in the second half. There were immense performances from so many in red today. George Kruis, Owen Farrell, Sean Maitland and Alex Lozowski were all exceptional, and Vincent Koch impressed off the bench. 7.01pm BST Here’s Owen Farrell: “There was a little something holding us back, it didn’t feel like we were at full pelt. But we let loose after that. Coming here, being in a big occasion, and not holding back.” “In the big games, everyone has to put pressure on. Early on, we made too many errors, but we came out flying in the second half. We’re all one big team, that’s how we’ve trained this week, all year, and we’re getting better and better.” 6.58pm BST From 10-0 down late in the first half, Saracens produced a dazzling comeback, pegging Leinster back by the break and dominating the second half. It was supposed to be too close to call, but by the end they were in total command. Stay tuned for more reaction... 6.55pm BST They think it’s all over, but Leinster get a penalty for a knock-on. They play on, if only for pride, but Saracens win it back and Koch kicks into touch – just about. Saracens are European champions for the third time in four years! 6.52pm BST 78 mins: Leinster wrestle the ball back and fight to get out of their own 22. This game brings to mind England’s Six Nations win in Dublin – they have absolutely smothered their opponents in the second half, defeat by a thousand ferocious tackles. 6.50pm BST 77 mins: Williams leads the red wave to within five metres, with Koch once again driving Leinster back – he’s been excellent after coming off the bench. 6.49pm BST 76 mins: Leinster simply can’t get started – and Saracens, relentlessly swarming, turn the ball over again. Leinster have never lost a Champions Cup final, but that record will end shortly. 6.48pm BST 75 mins: Devin Toner trudges off, replaced by Max Deegan as Leinster look to go all-out for a try. 6.48pm BST 74 mins: Vunipola is off, replaced by Schalk Burger. There are no boos, just chants of ‘Billy’ from the Saracens fans. Putting his off-field comments aside for the moment, he may well be man of the match today. 6.46pm BST 73 mins: Saracens roll ominously towards the try line, Lozowski’s craft and Koch’s brute force getting them to within five metres – but a knock-on spares Leinster. 6.45pm BST 72 mins: Ringrose tries to kick-start a Leinster attack – but Vunipola is in the right place to intercept. He’s had a big second half, and no mistake. 6.43pm BST 70 mins: Vunipola controls the ball from another scrum, and Leinster are penalised as the tackles grow increasingly desperate. Farrell kicks to the corner. From 10-0 down, Saracens have been bloodless, ruthless and practically faultless. 6.41pm BST 69 mins: In the stands, Leinster’s Stuart Lancaster looks exasperated as a loose pass leads to a knock-on. Furlong heads off, replaced by Michael Bent. 6.39pm BST This time Billy Vunipola bursts from the back of the scrum and despite the efforts of four blue shirts, he gets the ball over the line! Farrell converts, and Fardy comes back on. Is it too late for Leinster? 6.38pm BST 66 mins: Sarries push forward, but Vunipola can’t keep the ball under his feet and Leinster break away – but the penalty inevitably comes. Farrell could kick the three points, but Saracens can smell blood here... 6.36pm BST 64 mins: Might this be the moment for Saracens? From the scrum, the red shirts pour forward again with Lozowski leading the charge. As with Maitland’s score, Leinster get pulled in and leave space on the left. They regroup, but Saracens win a scrum five metres out... 6.34pm BST 63 mins: Changes for both sides – Nick Isiekwe replaces the immense Will Skelton, while for Leinster, Jack McGrath and James Tracy replace Healy and O’Brien. 6.33pm BST 62 mins: Leinster press forward with 14 men, but Billy Vunipola pounces to snatch the ball away from Sean O’Brien. Wigglesworth clears, and Larmour shanks into touch under pressure. 6.31pm BST 61 mins: Itoje at the heart of things again, drawing jeers from the crowd after another high challenge. Penalty, but no second yellow card. 6.29pm BST 60 mins: Saracens have used pretty much every trick in their book to turn this game round. They’re 20 minutes from a third title in four seasons, but Leinster aren’t done yet. 6.28pm BST Farrell kicks the regulation three points, and Saracens lead for the first time! 6.27pm BST Garces says no try, but as in the first half, a No 6 is offside. This time it’s Leinster’s Scott Fardy, and Saracens have a man advantage! 6.26pm BST 57 mins: ...now Saracens do find a gap, only for Kearney to put in a crunching tackle on Jamie George! Sarries come again, and Itoje lunges for the line – it’s ugly, physical stuff, this. He’s held up, but Koch presses the ball against the post. TRY? We’ll find out! 6.24pm BST 56 mins: Leinster scrum, from which the champions try to break downfield. It descends into another forward battle, with Itoje pulling Fardy’s shirt clean over his head in a bid to break through... 6.22pm BST 55 mins: Richard Wigglesworth, who has been at the heart of so many Saracens successes, comes on for Ben Spencer. 6.21pm BST 54 mins: Saracens earn and win a scrum, and work through the phases – but Fardy pounces to pry the ball loose! He can’t hang on to it, but Lozowski, quieter in the second half, knocks on. 6.17pm BST 51 mins: Replays show Itoje riding a tackle from Sexton – but leading with his arm as both men went to ground. He’s pushing his luck, having already been in the sin-bin. For Leinster, James Tracy replaces Sean Cronin. 6.16pm BST 50 mins: Vunipola breaks beyond the gain line as Saracens barge their way into Leinster territory. With the tide turning against them, the champions force a penalty! These defences are ridiculously good. 6.14pm BST 48 mins: ...but Williams comes up with a brilliant steal at the vital moment! Saracens clear away and relieve the mounting pressure. 6.13pm BST 46 mins: Leinster’s backs flip the ball this way and that, creating pockets of space for their forwards to hurtle into. It’s mesmerising stuff, both tricky and technical and bone-shakingly brutal. They’re closing in on the line, with numbers on the overlap... 6.11pm BST 44 mins: Eek, a close call for the defending champions here, as Vunipola deflects a Ringrose pass. Williams gathers and races away – but Garces calls him back for a knock-on! 6.09pm BST 43 mins: Saracens hold firm so their opponents change tack, Sexton finding Lowe who charges infield. There’s no way through, and Leinster are forced back outside the 22... 6.08pm BST 42 mins: Saracens concede a penalty from an early lineout, and Sexton kicks clinically into the corner. Sean O’Brien is positioned at scrum-half, suggesting Leinster will try to start a rolling maul... 6.05pm BST Farrell kicks off. What a half this could be... 6.04pm BST Did you know? Tadhg Furlong has given himself the nickname ‘The Jukebox’ – because he plays all the hits, apparently. Not because he is the size and shape of a jukebox. Related: Tadhg Furlong: ‘Mako’s a good craic but he’s an horrendous snorer’ 6.02pm BST If Saracens go on to win, this might prove to be the pivotal moment. With momentum swinging Leinster’s way, two huge tackles stopped them in their tracks. Five minutes later, their 10-point lead was gone. Look at the intensity from Saracens! Two MASSIVE hits to force a penalty to get them on the scoreboard pic.twitter.com/VHJwcKo70b 5.53pm BST Half-time entertainment Here’s Guardian contributor Ugo Monye in jeans and shoes, kicking a ball into the River Tyne for some reason: Still got it @ugomonye Strolls up in jeans and boots and kicks a rugby ball halfway across the Tyne pic.twitter.com/c4MmyhIoeA 5.51pm BST Farrell adds the conversion from a tight angle, and somehow, Saracens end the half level. Game very much on! More soon. 5.49pm BST How big a moment might this be? Leinster get sucked into the forward battle and Farrell switches play in a flash, finding Sean Maitland in acres of space! 5.48pm BST 42 mins: Saracens win the lineout and surge for the line. Jamie George is held up inches short, but there’s an overlap on the left... 5.47pm BST 41 mins: An awkward kick from McGrath is snaffled by Vunipola, and Saracens get a penalty as James Ryan fails to move away. It’s kicked to the corner, and Saracens have an unexpected chance here... 5.45pm BST Farrell is in no rush with half time approaching and Itoje almost ready to return. Eventually, he slots the kick to bring Saracens within a score. 5.44pm BST 37 mins: Saracens strike back, Maitland slamming Conan to the turf – and Kruis follows up with a fierce tackle on Sexton! Leinster are rocked, and concede a penalty. Farrell with the chance to get Sarries on the board... 5.43pm BST 36 mins: Leinster have the momentum, stopping a Saracens attack with almost dismissive ease as McGrath and Ryan go to town on Vincent Koch, who gets isolated up front. 5.41pm BST 35 mins: Saracens held out for the best part of 10 minutes there, but they restart 10 points and a man down – and with concerns over Mako Vunipola, who’s putting ice on his knee on the bench. 5.40pm BST The pack race out to support Conan, and Tadhg Furlong, on his 100th Leinster appearance, forces his way over. Sexton converts, and Leinster have some breathing space! 5.38pm BST 32 mins: Leinster scrum, and Conan bursts around the back. He’s held up, but surely Saracens can’t hold out much longer... 5.37pm BST 31 mins: Worse news for the English side, as both Mako Vunipola and Titi Lamositele have to go off with injuries. Richard Barrington and Vincent Koch come on. That’s a considerable triple blow to the Saracens defence... 5.36pm BST Garces can’t see that the ball has been grounded – it looked like Kruis was underneath it. There’s bad news for Saracens though – Maro Itoje was offside twice in that defensive effort, and is sent to the sin bin! 5.34pm BST 29 mins: After an almighty scrap underneath the posts, Cian Healy makes a crafty dart for the line. He doesn’t look convinced himself, but Garces will check with the TMO... 5.32pm BST 28 mins: Sexton spies Lowe in space on the overlap, but his throw is a touch too high and Saracens can cover it. Leinster keep pushing, and have an advantage... can Saracens possibly hold on here? 5.31pm BST 27 mins: ...and Rob Kearney finds the gap with a sidestep and a burst of speed! He’s held up five metres out, but Leinster rebuild... 5.30pm BST 26 mins: Another Leinster attack is slowly ground down by the Saracens defence, and after an exchange of kicks, James Lowe leads another blue wave forward... 5.27pm BST 24 mins: It will take a spark of creativity to break open either defence – and Ben Spencer’s crafty reverse pass to Maitland almost catches Leinster short. Leinster force the turnover though, and there’s a break as the American prop, Titi Lamositele, receives treatment. 5.24pm BST 23 mins: Leinster end up going backwards, and Saracens pick up the turnover through sheer force of will. 5.24pm BST 22 mins: Leinster work their way through the phases – the tempo has slowed slightly in the last few minutes – but the red wall ahead of them is unrelenting... 5.22pm BST 20 mins: From a scrum, Saracens swing the ball left with Billy Vunipola trying to force a gap – but Leinster holds firm and the crowd whistles as Saracens slow the ball up. Barritt is penalised at the breakdown, and looks rightly annoyed with himself. 5.18pm BST 17 mins: Farrell’s risky overload under pressure finds Lozowski, and Saracens edge forward with Maitland wriggling repeatedly into space... 5.16pm BST 16 mins: A slower spell of Leinster possession ends with a knock-on, but Farrell strays offside and is penalised. He is, naturally, straight in Garces’ ear and letting him know his thoughts. 5.14pm BST 15 mins: A ferocious opening from the defending champions, who seem to have the more vocal backing from the stands. There have been moments of encouragement for Saracens too, however. 5.13pm BST 12 mins: Leinster are very much up for this, and McGrath wrestles the ball from Alex Goode to set up a counter attack. Larmour kicks downfield, sprints past Vunipola down the line, but can’t gather the ball with the try-line beckoning! Ringrose does collect it, but Garces whistles for a knock-on. 5.11pm BST 11 mins: For all the talk of a game of chess beforehand, this has been a fast and frenzied opening spell. 5.11pm BST 10 mins: A loose pass halts the charge, and Kearney sends a quick kick in behind, in the hope that Larmour can pounce. Saracens regroup, but turn it over as Henshaw strips the ball out. 5.09pm BST 8 mins: Leinster scrum, from which Jack Conan snaffles the ball and tries to break away. McGrath’s clearing kick is high but straight into Williams’ hands, and Saracens can go again... 5.07pm BST 6 mins: Time for Saracens to mount an attack, led by Liam Williams with a jinking run. The Welshman is eventually hauled out of touch 10 metres out. 5.06pm BST 5 mins: Jamie George has the ball on the ground, and Leinster power forward – they’ve started far more aggressively. Maro Itoje does well to get over the ball and force a penalty. 5.05pm BST 4 mins: Sexton gets Leinster back on the attack with a looping run, but Larmour’s grubber down the right flank is mopped up... 5.04pm BST It’s a fair way out but central, and Sexton isn’t going to miss in such clement conditions. Great work by Leinster to turn Sarries’ line speed against them, and eke out an early lead. 5.02pm BST 2 mins: Oof, Vunipola almost intercepts an attempted kick-through from the lineout – but Saracens had been caught offside moments before. And Sexton is going for the posts... 5.01pm BST 1 min: Saracens gather and Ben Spencer sends his first kick downfield. It’s gathered by Rob Kearney. Leinster kick again, Goode takes a mark and sends a solid clearing kick into touch. 5.00pm BST Leinster are in royal blue, Saracens in their all-red change strip. Lovely colour combo. Sexton kicks off... 4.58pm BST Almost time for kick-off, St James’ Park filling up nicely and festooned with blue, black and red flags. 4.55pm BST As part of the pre-game warm-up, Mako Vunipola is stretching his neck with this rather medieval-looking contraption... 4.52pm BST This game is available free-to-air – although I’ll still expect you to read along, naturally. It’s live on Channel 4, who bolster their live sport portfolio, adding to the 2005 Ashes, the Paralympics, a few random grands prix, and Kabaddi. 4.50pm BST Sexton & Farrell = Statler & Waldorf? John makes a fair point; the referee will be under pressure from the get-go. @niallmcveigh titanic match ups all over the park. Way too close to call but as a Leinster man I have faith that we’ll win a 5th title. Gotta feel sorry 4 Garces who is going 2 have 2 of the crankiest blokes ever in ear 4 the full 80. Statler & Waldorf haven’t a patch on JS & OF pic.twitter.com/2Gn1x888Ee 4.34pm BST Plenty of top-notch content to get your teeth into here: Related: Alex Goode and Jackson Wray offer insight into Saracens’ alchemy Related: Tadhg Furlong: ‘Mako’s a good craic but he’s an horrendous snorer’ Related: Champions Cup final could be the making of Saracens scrum-half Ben Spencer | Ugo Monye 4.24pm BST Billy Vunipola was greeted by boos as he arrived at St James’ Park. The Saracens No 8 received a similar welcome from Munster fans in the semi-final, after his public support for Israel Folau. Plenty of boos for Billy Vunipola as he makes his way into St James Park pic.twitter.com/gxzAA2F2In 4.18pm BST Leinster topped a tough-looking Pool 1 ahead of Toulouse, Bath and Wasps, winning five games and losing 28-27 in France. Saracens powered through Pool 3, winning all six games against Glasgow, Cardiff Blues and Lyon. In the quarter-finals, Leinster were pushed all the way by Ulster before back-up fly-half Ross Byrne kicked a winning penalty despite struggling with cramp. Saracens conceding a first-minute try to Glasgow in their last-eight game – but rallied in style to win 56-27. 4.08pm BST Leinster: Kearney; Larmour, Ringrose, Henshaw, Lowe; Sexton (c), McGrath; Healy, Cronin, Furlong, Toner, Ryan, Fardy, O’Brien, Conan. Replacements: Tracy, J McGrath, Bent, Ruddock, Deegan, O’Sullivan, Byrne, O’Loughlin. 2.14pm BST What makes the perfect final? For starters, it helps to have the two best teams in the competition – and we surely have that here today. Leinster are the defending champions, but Saracens took the trophy in the two seasons before that. The Irish side are the reigning Pro14 champions; the Londoners are the Premiership holders. Both teams are in the hunt for a double, but their paths collide in Newcastle today. Continue reading...
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