Leicester Tigers face Saracens in first Premiership final in nine years

Thousands of rugby fans will be heading to Twickenham today as Leicester Tigers take on Saracens in the Gallagher Premiership Rugby final.

After a thrilling season, the Tigers are just 80 minutes away from glory as victory will see them crowned champions for the first time in nine years.

With 20 wins over the course of the season, giving them a total of 94 points, the team topped the league standings heading into the semis.

It hasn't all been plain sailing for the team though as they had to come back from behind in their semi-final against Northampton Saints to book their place in the final.

Now fans bedecked in a kaleidoscope of green, red, white and black will be heading to the capital to cheer on their team as they look to secure their first title since 2013.

The game begins at 3pm in front of a capacity crowd.

Saracens

Standing between Leicester Tigers and glory are north-London outfit Saracens.

They finished second behind the Tigers in the table, earning a total of 87 points.

They had to overcome Harlequins in their semi-final and will be a tough test for the Tigers at Twickenham.

The teams have met twice over the course of the season, with one win apiece.

Tigers took first blood with a 13-12 win over the Saracens in October, but Saracens then got revenge in March, beating the Tigers 34-27.

Captain’s farewell

Leicester captain Ellis Genge has described Saturday’s match as the biggest game of his career.

Genge, who has won 36 England caps and been part of a World Cup squad, will make his Tigers farewell at Twickenham before moving to Bristol.

The 27-year-old said: “It has been a lot of hard work and a lot of good people putting a lot of time in away from the scenes, outside working hours, to get us where we are.

“I made a pact a long time ago that I would never leave Tigers if they were in a dark hole."

He adds: “I had all sorts of offers in 2017, 2018 and 2019 to go elsewhere when we were bottom of the pile, and I said I wanted to stick it out and see brighter days.

“So, I can hopefully leave on Saturday with my head held high.

“I want to be with my family. I just want to be accessible for my family. I am at peace with it (his move to Bristol).

“I’ve still got my stuff in the changing rooms. I haven’t packed up, I still live up here, and I’ve got the biggest game of my career on Saturday, and I will wait until after that for thinking about that stuff.”

Table-topping Leicester Tigers

Genge has been one of European rugby’s form players this season, a rampaging prop whose tireless work-rate in the loose matches his scrummaging power.

Tigers head coach Steve Borthwick’s decision to appoint him as skipper proved a master-stroke, with Genge leading a side that won all their Premiership home games this term and were table-toppers for the entire domestic campaign.

It is all a far cry from recent struggles when Leicester’s top-flight status came under genuine threat.

"It’s probably easier to lose than it is to win, especially when you are on a massive losing streak, no-one expects you to do anything,” Genge added.

"Part of it is changing the habit and starting to win, which we have obviously done this year.

"We haven’t been in this situation (as a club) for a long, long time, although we are quite fortunate that we’ve got a lot of people in the room that have been competing for trophies and in finals for the last few years.

"We’ve got a wealth of winners around us, so it is reassuring to have those boys there." 

We will be keeping you updated with all the action from Twickenham on our website and social media platforms.