Monday 1 June 2015 12:33, UK
Stuart Barnes pays tribute to Glasgow Warriors and Saracens after they responded to last season's final defeats in the best possible fashion...
Congratulations to Glasgow Warriors and Saracens. Both teams were deserving winners of their respective finals, albeit they came at the titles from different directions. Glasgow ran out top of the PRO12 table, while Saracens had to leave London Welsh humiliated one last time on the 22nd weekend of the Premiership season to clinch the fourth spot.
Thereafter, Saracens went into semi-final overdrive. The champions and table-topping Northampton Saints were formidable opponents but Sarries travelled to Franklin's Gardens and always played with an edge in terms of organised power.
What a contrast with Glasgow, whose Friday night victory at home to Ulster was just about as unimpressive as it gets. Fierce resolve and defensive shape aside, it took a terrific cameo from Finn Russell to save the day and send them into their second final.
Like Saracens, they had lost at finals stage last season; unlike Saracens, they had capitulated after looking competitive for long periods against Leinster. Inexperience did for them. Saracens had bounced back from a battering at the hands of the great Toulon side and took Northampton all the way to the 80th minute and the subjective decision of the TMO.
The losers linked arms as winners this campaign without ever vaguely resembling one another in style. Saracens' defence is a given, one of the wonders of the modern European rugby age. Glasgow's defence was immense against Munster but we were compelled to bring up the subject. It was not taken for granted.
Saracens' collective is much heralded, Glasgow's less so. By Saturday night, Saracens were praised for organisation and defence, Glasgow for the individual brilliance encapsulated in the form of the Fijian genius Leone Nakarawa.
Saracens are a better attacking unit than they are given credit for, while Glasgow are exceptionally well drilled. Neither final was a close contest, with both champions too good for their respective opponents, Bath and Munster.
In their differing ways, the managements of each club did a superb job but here it is worth singling Gregor Townsend out for his magnificent work in Glasgow. It is not a traditional rugby stronghold but the former Scotland fly-half is galvanising a city that could provide plenty of fresh rugby talent in the future, courtesy of the example his side are setting.
Saracens, for all the criticism they receive, are producing plenty of good English talent, spearheaded by Maro Itoje who had a stunning first season of Premiership rugby.
Both stadiums are small at around the 10,000 mark, but both make a great deal of noise. Glasgow's supporters in particular helped make the PRO12 final into quite an occasion with their presence in Belfast. I cannot comment on Saracens' supporters because I watched the Premiership final from the television trucks in Belfast but although outnumbered by Bath's supporters, I am sure they had quite some weekend of their own.
Saracens are a better attacking unit than they are given credit for while Glasgow are exceptionally well drilled. Neither final was a close contest with both champions too good for their respective opponents.
And a word of mention should be given to the No 10s. This has been George Ford's season but Saturday was Owen Farrell's. Having endured a loss of form and a prolonged spell of injuries, the Saracens fly-half came back to his very best when it mattered; that takes some doing.
Russell was good again - scoring, creating and kicking. His inspired moments in the previous fortnight gave his side the chance to grace the final and when that final kicked off, the other 14 turned up this time to offer some assistance.
Saracens' win was in some ways predictable, with experience a factor to the fore. The rotten experience of losing last year's final was also a formative part of Glasgow's readiness to right the wrongs of last season. Munster were favourites but were overwhelmed by what I thought was the finest display of PRO12 rugby I have witnessed this season. For that reason, coach and club get the utterly meaningless and prize-free award of 'Barnes' Coach and Team of the Season'. Saracens will have to settle for my profound respect.
Finally (and this is the final column until August and the World Cup warm-ups), what to make of England's 70 points plus performance after the Saracens show at Twickenham? The Barbarians were not, how should we put it, brilliant, but still this was a good day for Lancaster and his men. The team were sharp, clear in their aims and accurate in their execution for the greater part.
Joe Launchbury was good and left the field fit and healthy (three games to go, Joe), while Danny Cipriani strolled superbly through the proceedings playing the role of veteran decision maker to grand effect. The odds are against him making the 31 but strange things happen and the Sale man at the very least did plenty to promote his cause. The same applies to centres Henry Slade and Elliot Daly while Christian Wade provided a hat-trick and a nudge.
In the absence of Dylan Hartley, it was good to see Luke Cowan-Dickie produce fireworks all over the field. It was not so good to see so much loose throwing into the lineouts. The late inclusion of Jamie George into the squad and his eye-catching (and accurate) performance against Bath 24 hours earlier makes him the likeliest direct cover for Tom Youngs (whose set piece work is not a finished work).
But all that is in the future; there will be a myriad of twists and turns before the World Cup. For the moment, let's just dwell upon the present and congratulate Glasgow and Saracens, the differing but deserving champions of their respective leagues.
