Why Owen Farrell was the difference in the Premiership final

Mako Vunipola was awarded the man of the match for his physical dominance in the 2018 Aviva Premiership final, but the play of another Saracens superstar proved to be the difference – Owen Farrell.

Exeter’s carry game was all but shut down by the imposing Saracens wall. Defence coach Alex Sanderson told the commentary team he wanted to put the “fear of God” into the Chiefs forwards. The Chiefs couldn’t get their screen passes going and release their multi-positional backs. Phase after phase, they were stuck in a perpetual cycle of ruck purgatory – making carries but seeing no impact as the Saracens line soaked it all up.

Exeter asked a lot of the Saracens defence but it was always the same question. Without a genuine playmaker they had no Plan B. Exeter’s distributors mainly play from the second level, awaiting front-foot ball from behind pods. That never came.

Saracen’s on the other hand, showed that having a quality playmaker can make all the difference. Owen Farrell played an instrumental in his side’s first three tries and had his boot to the throat of Exeter on many more occasions. It wasn’t a perfect display, but the dangerous Farrell constantly threatened to open up the Chiefs.

After barely touching the ball for the first fifteen minutes, Farrell banana chip-kicked back in behind the ruck deftly for Brad Barritt to hack and regather for a 45-metre gain. On the next play, he sprayed a cross-field kick to his winger. Four phases later Billy Vunipula crashed over for the first try as the pressure proved too much. Farrell’s lead-up play with the boot played a crucial part.

He played flat regularly and sought touches at first receiver often, taking the ball to the line to test defenders. With signs of weakness on Jack Nowell’s edge, he played a perfect sleight of hand to release fullback Alex Goode with a three-on-one that led to a try in the corner.

With barely three minutes of possession, Farrell was heavily involved in constructing 12 Saracens points with purposeful and direct attack.

Another strike beckoned shortly after but Farrell’s long cutout sailed into touch, missing an overlap again on Exeter’s right edge. A testing grubber into the in-goal, again by Farrell, almost had the elusive third and surely decisive try. The only team stopping Saracens were Saracens themselves it seemed.

His control and decision-making finally led to the third try early in the second half. After scrambling back to recover loose possession, Farrell drove Exeter down to their own five with a perfectly weighted kick. After Exeter’s failed box kick contest, Farrell called the shots and facilitated ball, waiting for the optimal time to shift wide. Winger Chris Wyles crossed untouched for his second and the game was all but over.

He was subbed in the 66^th minute after suffering cramps and Saracens lost a bit of potency. They still had control, but had less cohesion in attack. It didn’t matter as the damage was done.

The Saracens pack as a whole deserve credit for setting the platform up front, but it was Farrell, not Vunipula that made the difference.

157 – In 157 appearances for @Saracens since his @premrugby debut in 2009/10, @SchalkBrits tops the charts for hookers for tries, carries, metres, breaks, defenders beaten, offloads, assists, tackles, throws and throw %. Swansong. pic.twitter.com/bLfcnWJ4aB

— OptaJonny (@OptaJonny) May 25, 2018