Owen Farrell feels Saracens return to the Premiership final a different team
Owen Farrell insists the Saracens return to the Gallagher Premiership final with more chances due to heartache at Twickenham last year.
Leicester were crowned champions at the expense of the Saracens and although it was a narrow 15-12 defeat, a disappointing performance prompted a tactical rethink that has led to a greater emphasis on attack.
Now they face the ultimate test of their progress against Sale on Saturday.
“After last year’s finals it took us a while to figure out how to get the best out of ourselves because we didn’t do that in this game,” Farrell said.
“What happened probably allowed us to change a bit more than we normally would after a final. It made us look at ourselves a little more than usual.
“Just because we were nowhere near our best and we weren’t the best version of ourselves.
“Of course Leicester played a big part in that, but we don’t want to leave the pitch with that feeling again. Those 80 minutes got us looking at everything and thinking how we can get better.
“Everyone is talking about us now as if we have become a team that plays attacking rugby this year alone. We won stuff before we played good rugby.
“We’ve always had a solid base behind us and we still have that, but there were times throughout the year and sometimes in big pressure games where we tried to stay in the fight, while now we’re taking chances and making good decisions want to meet.”
“Part of that could be staying in the fight – we want to be good at that – and part of it could be moving the ball. It could be anything – kick, pass, run.
“We want to be good enough to play the way the game asks of us and we feel like we’ve made a step forward with that this year. Hopefully that plays a big role in what we’re going to do on Saturday.”
A crucial fight that will mark the competition is Farrell’s fly-half duel with George Ford, his longtime friend and former England team-mate who has been a major influence on Sale since returning from an Achilles tendon injury.
“I have known George since I was a child. When you play him, the first thing you know is that you’re playing against a quality player,” Farrell said.
“You know you are playing against someone who knows what they are doing and as he has shown since coming back to the Sale team he has been outstanding.
“He’s in a good position, he seems calm, he seems to be in control and I’m sure he’s a big driver behind this Sale team so I’m looking forward to that.”
