London Irish’s hopes of reaching the Premiership playoffs were extinguished in brutal fashion by Saracens, who ensured they will finish top of the pile, all but confirming a home semi-final against Northampton in three weeks’ time.
Sarries were not at their best but in many ways it was a vintage performance, the kind they have served up so often in these parts, recovering from a slow start to grind Irish down before squeezing the life out of them with Owen Farrell to the fore.
Declan Kidney put on a diplomatic front but Irish supporters will feel aggrieved that, whereas Saracens fielded an almost full-strength side here, they were much changed in a defeat by Northampton the week previous and, whichever way you look at it, that squad rotation has contributed to Irish missing out on the playoffs.
“Saracens had earned the right, because of where they were in the league, to pick the teams they wanted for the matches they wanted,” said Kidney, the Exiles’ director of rugby, whose side were unbeaten in their previous three games against Saracens. “There’s lots I could say about it but there’s no point. We’d never use it as an excuse.”
It is nonetheless a promising season – certainly a second half to it – for Irish and they had some impressive performers here, none more so than the No 8 So’otala Fa’aso’o. They have a raft of young English talent to build around too and if they can secure off‑field investment to safeguard their future which, in this climate, is easier said than done there are grounds for optimism next season.
The final playoff place belongs to Northampton, however, after Friday’s thumping win in Newcastle and assuming Leicester do not slip to defeat by an unrealistic points margin – they have 63 to play with – in their final match of the season against Harlequins, it is Saints heading to do battle with Saracens next month. In the other semi, barring the miraculous, the Tigers will travel to face Sale.
It is a shame for Irish that they fall short having come so close to ending their 14-year wait for a playoff place and, in truth, it is a shame for the Premiership that as far as the regular season is concerned, all is essentially said and done with one round to go. European qualification is yet to be completely settled but there is little to celebrate about finishing eighth in an 11-team league. Put another way, it does not require the King’s coronation to upstage what will now be a lifeless final weekend of the season.
Saracens will not care in the slightest and they possess a steely determination to atone for last season’s defeat in the final. You suspect they will have to play better than they did here – certainly in the first half – but they finished at the kind of canter that means they will begin against Northampton as heavy favourites.
Irish began with admirable intention and raced into a 10-point lead thanks to a Paddy Jackson penalty and a try from their captain, Matt Rogerson, who forced the ball down after his strong carry had followed an equally robust charge from Fa’aso’o. Saracens, for their part, had not got going. They knocked the ball on too many times to build any momentum and needed Farrell to drag them back into the contest.
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He knocked over two penalties before Alex Goode struck on the stroke of half-time. It was his quickly taken lineout that sparked the move, even if it initially put Max Malins under pressure. From the ensuing ruck Saracens eventually recycled and Farrell fizzed a fine pass to begin the move that led to Goode going over.
Irish had a mountain to climb when Sean Maitland went over in the left-hand corner four minutes after the restart with the visitors down to 14 men at that point – Rob Simmons shown a yellow card for a high tackle on the Saracens hooker Theo Dan. Farrell’s conversion gave Saracens a 10-point advantage and while he and Jackson traded penalties, the home side twisted the knife thereafter with close-range tries from Dan and Eroni Mawi, both from driving mauls.
Farrell, who finished with 20 points, added another penalty before Mawi romped over for his second try, Mike Willemse’s late score mere consolation for vanquished Irish.
“The team dragged us out of a sticky period,” Mark McCall, Saracens’ director of rugby, said. “Owen was incredible – how he played, how he led so we are blessed with some brilliant senior players.”
