So, I ask you after today's performance from two stalwart back rowers on opposing sides - "Hill or Holah?". I know dear readers, who I'd choose.

On a day that Saracens finally made me cry for the right reasons, I can only marvel at the turnaround from the Millennium Stadium a short 15 days ago and salute 22 heroes. Ok, Cencus didn't get on but so what.

At the end of 80 of the most pulsating minutes of rugby seen at VR, Saracens deservedly overturned the drubbing the Ospreys handed out in Cardiff, and sent the majority of the sell-out crowd of over 18,000 into raptures. The Welsh contingent will have to console themselves with a trip to Twickenham for the EDF Final. Sarries move on to the more prosaic confines of the Ricoh Arena in Coventry to face the might of the bottom left corner of Ireland. Again, I know which I'd prefer.

But I get ahead of myself - lets rewind from the euphoria for a moment and consider the basics and declare the combatants.

Saracens, with a full squad to choose from, barring long term injured Andy Kyriacou and Chris Jack, went into the game with just 10 of the starting line-up from the previous encounter. Kevin Sorrell made a welcome return to partner Andy Farrell at centre, who may have been a trifle fortunate to keep Adam Powell out of the team. With no time for sentiment from Mr Gaffney, Kameli Ratuvou replaced Dan Scarbrough after his best game for a long while last week, and Francisco Leonelli dropped to the bench after his Leeds hat-trick. Dan was the unlucky man to miss out on the matchday 22 altogether. Up front Matt Cairns also made a welcome return, and Kris Chesney moved to second row to replace Jack. The main shuffling in the pack was in the back three where only Ben Skirving remained, to be joined by Paul Gustard, and aiming for one last crack at silverware glory, Richard Hill.

Ospreys also made a number changes from the Cardiff starting 15, with the most notable being the obvious replacement of the injured scrum-half Mike Phillips with Justin Marshall. Not a bad replacement - a seasoned All Black for a Grand Slam winner. The other changes were in the pack, with a re-shuffled front row seeing Hibbard and James dropping to the bench to be replaced by Duncan Jones and Huw Bennett, and Ian Gough returning to oust Ian Evans at 4. So if Sarries were to come out on top up front, it would be a clear case of keeping up with the Joneses, as Ryan, Alun, Adam and Duncan of that ilk made up half of the pack.

Ten of the Ospreys line up featured in the Welsh Grand Slam starting team last month, and 3 more were on the bench. Not to be outdone, Sarries could name as Grand Slam winners - erm, well just Richard Hill really.

Cap count?

Ospreys 519, Sarries 128.

Sarries 128, Hill 71. Ok - sounds about fair to me.

So, after overnight snow the VR pitch looked in good condition, and had been cleared of the white stuff by hovercraft, which must be a first. The same vehicle also delivered Sarrie the Camel to the pitch, and the yellow fella was in fine form. Just check out his little wave to Gavin as he arrived at the ground on the Sky coverage if you can - priceless!

The Ospreys started as they left off in Cardiff, and after an early foray into the Sarries 22, Gus was pinged at the breakdown and James Hook put over one of his easier three points.

2 minutes - 0-3 Hook (pen)

The next few minutes featured some fairly nervous and aimless kicking as both sides sought an advantage, but on six minutes Ches wrapped up the Ospreys in the tackle, and after a good touch kick from the resulting penalty, Sarries went through a number of phases before Alan Lewis blew in our favour and Glen made it 3-3 with an easy kick, passing 100 HC points in the process.

10 minutes 3-3 Jackson (pen)

Ospreys came back hard and Ches was once again penalised, but this time Hook went for touch when the three points seemed nailed on. Arrogance? Maybe, but from third phase play, Kameli ripped the ball from the tackle and the ball ended up over the Sarries line and touched down but Lewis signalled an off the ball tackle on de Kock and Sarries cleared.

Sarries forced another turnover, in what was to become the theme of the afternoon, and Holah was pinged in front and Glen made it a 3 point advantage to the home team.

16 minutes 6-3 Jackson (pen)

Sarries continued to defend everything Ospreys could throw at them and Hill and Vyvs forced more turnovers, before Cobus began his slow, steady and merciless shredding of Duncan Jones. Unfortunately, Glen was short with his effort from 45m when the hapless Jones was pinged for the first time, but it was clear that Sarries were so far ahead up front from the Cardiff game that the Welsh side must have been wondering what had hit them.

They responded well however, but every time Sarries thwarted them with magnificent defence, and they also let themselves down with forcing the ball, a clear sign that Sarries were in the ascendancy. When a Faz kick was charged down into dead ball, Kameli took a quick tap and kicked into the opposition 22, but Marshall retrieved and set the Ospreys on their way only for Holah to drop the ball again.

Around the half hour mark it looked as if the game was up for Sarries when both Brent Russell and Andy Farrell went off in quick succession. The former was after a promising break into Ospreys territory set up by Neil de Kock and Richard Haughton, but the Faz injury looked far more serious at the time, and has been since diagnosed as a bad shoulder tear and is a season ending injury. It's bad news for the injury hit Farrell, but in all honesty it may have been the turning point of the game, as his replacement Adam Powell had a very significant influence on the game. Francisco Leonelli replaced Russell, with Haughton moving to fullback.

Ospreys had some further good moves but were again snuffed out, and on the stroke of half time Sarries appeared to have either scored a try or at least  would go in with a penalty under the posts. Lewis called a penalty, and when Gus was held up just short of the line, he called advantage over and blew for half time. Not quite sure how a 2 phase, 12 second advantage was over at that stage, but that is Mr Lewis for you. Sarries went in 6-3 in front, and probably deserved a bigger lead.

The second half started in bizarre fashion, when Sarries turned over the restart, but were then penalised. Hook went long, but Kameli kept the ball in play. Jackson and de Kock then contrived a horrible position under the posts, and NdK went for a chip. It looked to be a disaster waiting to happen, but it was touched in flight, and while everyone dithered Adam Powell picked up the loose ball and sent Leonelli on his way down the wing. Now Leo is not the fastest winger on the planet, but even he can show Ryan Jones a clean pair of heels, and once he had rounded the no 8, even Shane Williams was not going to deny him in the corner. Glen added the tricky extras from the right touchline as VR went ballistic and began to believe.

43 minutes - 13-3 Leonelli (try) Jackson (con)

After a few more skirmishes, Paul Gustard, playing one of his finest games for the club was also forced off with what again looked like a serious shoulder injury. Sarries pressed again, and Hugh was convinced he had scored after a number of close forward plays but the TMO adjudged that he was held up. Sarries squandered the 5m scrum when Cobus was penalised but why he would have needed to bore in on Jones at that stage, only Mr Lewis can answer.

Then came one of the defining moments of the game, and certainly one of the finest moments so far in the career of one A .Powell. Lining up Mr Church in midfield, Adam hit Henson so hard that the Welsh glamour boy did such severe damage to his latest haircut, that he decided that discretion was the better part of valour and limped off, to take no further part in the game. The fact that Sky played it back about six times speaks volumes for Adam's tackle. Hard, fair and utterly devastating. The boy has a future.

As Sarries pressed again, Lee Byrne cut out a pass from Jacko to Haughts with a deliberate knock on, and saw yellow. Glen slotted the penalty to make it 16-3.

57 minutes 16-3 Jackson (pen)

The next ten minutes were spent in midfield, with both sides forcing turnovers, and the Sarries back row eclipsing their much vaunted opposition on every occasion. Leonelli was the latest Sarries injury victim, and with only Mosese Rauluni on the bench as a backs replacement, Neil de Kock went onto the wing to mark Shane while Mosese went to 9. His start was inauspicious as he knocked on with his first touch. Come on Mosese - you had the easy task!

With ten minutes left Ospreys were in desperation and throwing everything at Sarries, who managed to repel each attack, but it was clear that they visitors would be narrowing the gap soon. Sarries kept them out for five minutes as the white tide stormed the line, until Ryan Jones drove low and set up Paul James for a close range try. After referring two Sarries tries to the TMO, I hope Mr Lewis has nightmares as he sees James knock on over the line and then gives the try without reference to the tv ref. And this after telling Hugh on his referral "it's what we have tv for." Sorry, but the man is a disgrace as an international referee. That sort of arrogance has no place in officaldom.

76 minutes - 16-10 P James (try) Hook (con)

We steeled ourselves for an Ospreys backlash and broken dreams, but they tried to run the kickoff and Shane knocked on. Five phases later Sarries were keeping it tight and running down the clock, which at that stage seemed to be stuck in treacle. But we went wide while all in the stands were screaming at them to keep it up the jumper. But Glen had different ideas. He set himself from a drop from 25 yards, and it has to be said it was one of the scruffiest, dirtiest, nastiest, but ultimately most beautiful of drop goals you will ever see. Like the tatty little mongrel that only it's owner can love, only a true Sarries fan can really love that goal, but I will love it until my dying day. It's not number one - Jonny did that one, but until Glen wins us the HC with a DG, it's firmly no 2 on my all time list of drop goals.

78 minutes 19-10 Jackson (dg)

There was time for a final Shane run, but the Welsh laddies knew the game was up. The final whistle was accompanied by scenes never seen at VR as the crowd erupted in relief, the replaced guys ran on and the team embraced. What a difference two weeks can make. The back five tackled themselves to a standstill, the backs gave Williams no room to move and overall Sarries deserved the win. Even Mr Barnes had to admit they were all heroes. He gave the MoM to Hilly, and Will Greenwood eulogised his old teammate, but it could have been anyone. They were heroes all.

FULL TIME Saracens 19 Ospreys 10

The reaction of the players said everything - they'd righted a wrong. And if a certain Mr Hill was seen smiling at the end, then they must have done something special.

Hill or Holah? No contest. Thirteen Grand Slammers? Nah, one will do!

Thanks boys - you did us proud today.

I never thought I'd ever say this, but God, I'm looking forward to Coventry.

Scorers: Saracens: Try: Leonelli (42min). Conversion: Jackson. Penalty goals: Jackson 3 (10, 16, 59). Dropped goal: Jackson (78). Ospreys: Try: James (75). Conversion: Hook. Penalty goal: Hook (3).

Scoring sequence (Saracens first): 0-3, 3-3, 6-3 (half-time), 13-3, 16-3, 16-10, 19-10.

Saracens: B Russell (rep: F Leonelli, 30; rep: M Rauluni, 68); R Haughton, K Sorrell, A Farrell (rep: A Powell, 32), K Ratuvou; G Jackson, N de Kock; N Lloyd, M Cairns (rep: F Ongaro, 76), J Visagie, H Vyvyan, K Chesney (rep: T Ryder, 76), P Gustard (rep: D Barrell, 53), R Hill, B Skirving. Not used: C Johnston.

Ospreys: L Byrne (sin-bin, 58-68); J Vaughton (rep: A Brew, 65), S Parker, G Henson (rep: A Bishop, 58), S Williams; J Hook, J Marshall; D Jones (rep: P James, 53), H Bennett (rep: R Hibbard, 53), A Jones, I Gough (rep: I Evans, 59), A-W Jones, J Thomas (rep: F Tiatia, 48), M Holah, R Jones. Not used: R Webb.

Referee: A Lewis (Ireland).

Attendance:18,214.

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