Aviva Premiership Final - Bath v Saracens

Owen Farrell inspired Saracens to a 28-16 win in the Aviva Premiership final as they bounced back from defeat at the same stage last season to lift the trophy.

The club, who were defeated in the last minute of last year’s final against Northampton Saints, became the first team to earn victory in the final without finishing in the league’s top two during the regular season.

Meanwhile, Bath – who have played some of the division’s best rugby this year – will feel aggrieved after an excellent year, but may blame themselves after some poor mistakes in dangerous areas presented their opponents with numerous opportunities early on. We take a quick look at Saturday’s action and give our thoughts on Bath’s chances of responding and going one better next year. For more Aviva Premiership news, or information ahead of the upcoming Rugby World Cup, you can find out more here.

The damage was done in the first half

Saracens raced into a 25-3 half-time lead and the regular season’s runners up failed to come back from the biggest advantage in a Premiership final. Farrell opened the scoring after selling a wonderful dummy before Jamie George and Chris Wyles also went over as Saracens scored three unanswered tries in a dominant first 40 minutes. England international George Ford converted a penalty late in the half to present Bath with some hope but they faced a real task as they headed into the break 22 points behind.

A spirited Bath side couldn’t fight back

England centre Jonathan Joseph went over as Bath rallied but they ultimately fell short as their first half mistakes ensured that Saracens would lift the Premiership trophy for the second time. The experienced Farrell kept his composure and dominated the kicking game during the latter stages, squeezing as many seconds off the clock as possible, before perfectly placing a penalty over to keep Saracens’ advantage at 12 points. Although Bath continued to press until the very end, they just couldn’t reduce the deficit enough but will be proud of their second half efforts.

Can Bath win the title next year?

Bath’s captain Stuart Hooper was clearly disappointed after Saturday’s encounter but remained positive about their chances next season – and rightly so. They have an excellent, young squad who could dominate English rugby in the coming years. With players like George Ford and Jonathan Joseph in their ranks, they possess two of the most influential players in the sport and will continue to compete for trophies in the near future.