Saracens will be back in the Heineken Cup next season after finally nailing
down the last English qualifying place with victory over Gloucester in Saturday's Zurich Wildcard final at Twickenham.
Saracens had missed out on automatic qualification through the Premiership by
just a point - they finished fifth behind Bath - and were forced to take the
long route into Europe's premier competition.
They overcame Worcester last week before condemning Gloucester, who had
finished 10 points behind them in the league, to a miserable end to a miserable
season this afternoon.
Gloucester were aimless in attack and soft in defence as Saracens worked tries
for Hugh Vyvyan and Ben Johnston to open a 17-6 lead by the interval.
Gloucester finally began to make use of all their possession after the break
and moved to within a point of Saracens with tries from full-back Brad Davies
and lock Adam Eustace.
But their comeback was wrecked by wayward kicking - Duncan McRae missed four
from six - and Tevita Vaikona who sprinted in for the try that sealed victory
eight minutes from time.
Saracens, after a five-year absence, will join Leicester, Wasps, Sale, Bath
and Powergen Cup winners Leeds in the Heineken Cup next season.
Much of the credit must go to head coach Steve Diamond, who took over from Rod
Kafer in December and turned around the club's fortunes. They lost only two of
11 Premiership games and secured the signing of Great Britain rugby league
captain Andy Farrell to boot.
Farrell will join up with the squad in the summer, when he has recovered from
a knee injury, and was at Twickenham to watch his team-mates earn themselves a
place on the biggest stage in European club rugby.
Diamond made two changes following last week's semi-final victory over
Worcester, with New Zealander Glen Jackson starting at fly-half and tough
Frenchman Raphael Ibanez returning at hooker.
Gloucester, whose remarkable injury count has hit double figures, featured
loose forward James Forrester in the centres again after his two-try display
against Newcastle in the semi-final and a patched-up back row.
Nevertheless, Gloucester made the better start and number eight Adam Balding
twice burst down the right flank as Saracens were forced onto the back foot.
Australian fly-half McRae kicked two simple penalties in the opening five
minutes to give Gloucester a 6-0 lead, though the Cherry and Whites will have
been kicking themselves that they wasted a clear overlap when winger Seti Kiole
knocked the ball on.
And it was indicative of their first-half display. Gloucester enjoyed vast
amounts of possession but lacked any real direction in attack and they were
punished by a Saracens side quick on the uptake.
On their first foray into Gloucester territory, scrum-half Mosese Rauluni
fired quick ball down the Saracens line and Vyvyan, the captain and number
eight, straightened through the gap and powered over for a try converted by
Jackson.
The former Waikato Chiefs stand-off extended Saracens' advantage to 10-6 and
McRae was unfortunate not to respond for Gloucester when his penalty rattled the
post and bounced down to the waiting Vyvyan.
Gloucester were creating very little and when James Bailey spilled the ball,
Saracens made full use of the gift.
Johnston carved across the field and then straightened, darting inside of
Wales hooker Mefin Davies to sprint from halfway and touch down under the
posts.
Gloucester replaced the hapless Kiole - who may be Jonah Lomu's first cousin
but played nothing like the big man - with Terry Fanolua and the Samoan made a
huge impact.
Gloucester, hindered by some woefully limp defending, somehow survived a
series of Saracens thrusts forward and then the fight-back kicked in.
They regained some shape and found a potency in attack. McRae picked out
Davies with a diagonal kick into the right corner to close the gap to 17-11 and
then Eustace ploughed over for a score that was eventually confirmed by the
television official Geoff Warren.
But Gloucester were undermining their own chances with a woeful kicking
display. After McRae had missed his fourth kick in six attempts, the Eustace
conversion was handed to Davies, who promptly shanked it right.
Just one of those successes would have given Gloucester the lead and might
have crushed Saracens hopes. Instead, the Men in Black were lifted as Thomas
Castaignede almost worked an opening and Vaikona then crossed to seal the
victory.
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