This could work against Tigers as Saracens may well have developed a bunker mentality of the world being against them having been recently  sanctioned by the RFU for misconduct and condemned by a section of the rugby public for the cash, management and players imported from South Africa in pursuit of the silverware that has eluded the Hertfordshire club since the last century, in spite of the considerable financial support from Nigel Wray and as a consequence of having had a playing staff that reads as a pantheon of rugby greats.

The English rugby public are sometimes an insular and naturally suspicious group of people and I think it fair to say that the way the game is played, managed and supported in the land of its creation is initially somewhat alien to those from the southern hemisphere and that this, more than anything else, has led to the disconnect between some of the Saracens’ management and the game as a whole.

Tigers on the other hand are, I suggest, the epitome of the traditional English rugby ethos still having strong local ties in both the playing squad and its management and so the two clubs this weekend come at Saturday’s  match from somewhat different philosophical directions.

I watched both the semi finals a couple of weeks back and Saracens played with pace, aggression and conviction and after a hard fought contest against Saints, who played displaying the same qualities, the home side were defeated.

In the end though I thought Saints unfortunate to lose as the deciding score came from a decision by Wayne Barnes that no matter how many times I watch the replay I cannot fathom and once again the curse of inconsistent and incomprehensible refereeing of the breakdown decided the outcome of another key fixture.

At Welford Road a closely fought first half gave way to a decisive second half when, in spite of some typically inconsistent officiating at the scrum by Chris White, Tigers dominated the set piece and Bath saw little possession, so offered little threat in the closing stages.

In many ways Saracens in the second half of the season have exhibited similar qualities in the loose that are lauded when displayed with such aplomb by Bath.

The Saracens have shown great dynamism led by Schalk Brits, who not only shows considerable skill but also admirable and prompt contrition when he misbehaved himself at Welford Road a few weeks ago.

His bosses in the meantime seemed unwilling to follow his example and instead were disingenuous and insulting, seemingly more concerned at whether Dr Venter should have been eating biscuits at his disciplinary hearing – a tip here – in England sweetmeats are often provided at such events, they are provided as a courtesy to the visitor in the expectation that the miscreant will not contentedly munch his way through them while being adjudicated upon.  This is another piece of English etiquette which maybe needs education at a rural prep school for one to be aware of – although I was educated at a comprehensive.  In any eventI commend the adage “When in Rome do as the Romans....”  to the Saracens duo.

Like Bath, Saracens have some issues with their line out looking vulnerable, although this will be helped by the return of Steve Borthwick who will return after a long absence so I don’t expect him to play for the full duration.  Their pack, for all its excellence in the loose, generally has lacked steadfastness in the set pieces.

Saracens, through their back row of Joubert, Burger and Saull in concert with Brits, have a great ability to deconstruct the game, while Tigers work their game plan from a bedrock of possession at the set piece.

Tigers in their pack have players equally adept at exhibiting dynamism in loose play with Parling, Croft, Moody and Crane in particular likely to match the threat brought by their opponents in this area.

I see the exchanges here being close but in the set piece I see the Tigers likely to dominate.

Dave Pearson officiates this Saturday and it will be important that he does not emasculate the Tigers’ scrum as he will have doubtless had the Saracens coaching staff bending his ear before the match as to what scallywags the Tigers’ front row are.

Similarly at the breakdown it is to be hoped that he is at least consistent and that Brendan Venter is left less satisfied that the latest interpretation of the breakdown laws favours his team. 

Candidly I find his assertion that this change in interpretation of the laws at the breakdown explains the difference in Saracens playing style witnessed of late as risible.  I believe that the answer lay more in admirable pragmatism by the South African, insofar as when Plan A, used with great, albeit stultifying, effect in the opening months of the season, stopped working his talented charges had the ability to switch to Plan B with some success, the only strategic criticism can be that the change of plan came a little late to enable his side to win the league as they were positioned to do earlier in the season.

When Saracens recently won at Welford Road, against a slipshod and vaguely disinterested Tigers’ side, I didn’t feel they looked likely to score a try of their own volition even though at times Tigers looked have their minds elsewhere and it was instead left to Alex Tuilagi and Ben Youngs to gift wrap two tries for the visitors.  Tigers in the meantime scored two tries of their own making, only being denied victory by the usual esoteric and inconsistent refereeing of Andrew Small.

Saracens took their simple opportunities well and all credit to them for doing so after all they could only play what was in front of them.

The real problems for Tigers that day were behind the scrum where, with Toby Flood missing, the Tigers’ back division looked too far behind the gain line and lacked any real shape in attack, giving the visitors far too much room to play their game of choice. I think it will be a different looking format from Tigers at Twickenham now that the incumbent England #10 is returned.

Saracens with deKock and Jackson have a half back combination of great experience and skill and the contest between them and Tigers’ halfbacks will be pivotal, much depending on the Tigers’ pack being able to move the Saracens eight around to reduce the opportunities for the Saracens loose forwards to attack the Tigers pairing and at the same time expose Saracens’ halfbacks to Tigers back row.

 South African born Brad Barritt is one of the picks for me at centre this season and if he gets good service from his half backs then he’ll be very dangerous, however in Tony Allen Tigers’ have a vastly improved player who is now showing the sort of form that once brought him to the notice of the international selectors, what he does need to do is continue working on his kicking game.

Adam Powell is a reliable and talented player who does sterling support work and who selflessly puts his colleagues in great positions and he’ll face Matt Smith who mixes pace with amazing strength on the ball whether in attack or defence and so I see the centres being very evenly matched.

On the wing I expect to see Chris Wyles the USA international paired with Michael Tagicakibau, the latter is often at the heart of all that’s good about Saracens back play as he comes off his wing and hits great lines through the opposition midfield causing deconstruction of the opposition defence thus allowing the Saracens’ loose forwards, with Schalk Brits in close support, to come into play.

 A really key issue for Tigers is to stop Saracens’ players at the first tackle for if it’s missed there’ll be trouble.  Alex Goode presents a very similar threat and while perhaps a surprise exclusion from the Summer touring party to the Antipodes I suspect this arises from the likelihood that with Jackson’s retirement looming Saracens will employ the talented youngster at Fly Half next term, which is an area where there are already a number of claimants for the #10 England shirt.

If Goode indeed converts to what I think would be his best position and given his intelligence and pace then he will have an opportunity to stake his claim.

In terms of pace I guess the promising and talented Noah Cato has the edge over Tagicakibau and Wyles but I can’t see his defensive frailties being risked against Tuilagi et al.

Doubtless there will be comment about Tigers’ vulnerability on a wide pitch, such as that at Twickenham, given the more modest confines of Welford Road and in Tagicakibau, Wyles and of course Alex Goode, Saracens have players able to exploit the wide open spaces and who are used to playing on a more generously proportioned soccer pitch.

I personally feel though that the potency of Tuilagi, Hamilton and of course the Irish magician Geordan Murphy in this type of environment is undervalued by Tigers’ detractors and the back threes on both sides will need to be on absolutely top form defensively.  Tigers’ in particular will have to be more focussed on the danger of high kicks, delivered with the accuracy of a laser guided smart bomb,  from Jackson than was the case at Welford Road the last time the sides met.

As usual the result will depend on the platform that the forwards provide and I think it is here that Tigers will have the edge and so I am forecasting a Tigers’ win but not by much and that Saracens will need to keep the celebratory Biltong feast for another day.

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