Normal service has been resumed. Saracens are back in the Premiership final. The mischievous had wondered whether they were a fading force, surrendering their Premiership title last season and suffering an unprecedented slump in the middle of this, but they have played their way back into form. Wasps were unable to cope.
The visitors managed five tries, some spectacular in a predictably exhilarating festival of running rugby, but they were 20-0 down in the first quarter and 30-5 down at the start of the second half, unable to deal with a Saracens masterclass. None was more masterful than Owen Farrell, who kicked 11 from 11 for a haul of 27 points, a record for a play-off. It was good news all round for Eddie Jones.
Saracens’ England contingent all looked a million dollars. On this form, England have every chance of turning round their own season too. Billy Vunipola looked punchy, but he was taken off at half-time, having received treatment on the half-hour.
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Wasps, meanwhile, lost Jack Willis with a nasty-looking knee injury, which may cost him his place on England’s tour of South Africa.
Saracens have made it their business of late to put sides away in the second half, winning their past four matches by an average of 54-11. Their form might have been explained away by the procession of opposition they have faced with little or nothing to play for, but here was confirmation it had not been flattering.
They did not wait until the second half to cut loose this time. They did not even wait till the end of the second minute. Farrell scythed between Joe Launchbury and Jake Cooper-Woolley after barely 90 seconds and found on his shoulder Alex Lozowski, who had run a brilliant supporting line, for the first try.
Wasps were all over the place around the fringes, and the Saracens runners, from sufficiently various angles to confound a far meaner defence, poured through. Questions have been asked of the wisdom of Mako Vunipola’s touring with England, but he looked unstoppable with ball in hand. That said, Richard Wigglesworth could take his pick of the forwards presenting themselves at pace.
Ten minutes later he chose Maro Itoje, another England player back in the swing, to crash through and Vincent Koch followed up for the try. Wasps thought they had replied almost immediately, Elliot Daly and Jimmy Gopperth combining spectacularly, but the latter’s arm was touch-in-goal before the ball was down.
Saracens kept coming, but they would not score another try until the start of the second half. Three penalties did accrue from the boot of Farrell, one from a scrum, another area of dominance. It was Wasps, rather, who scored the second quarter’s only try, Christian Wade and Juan de Jongh sending Willie le Roux over.
The game seemed over, though, two minutes into the second half, when Brad Barritt’s quick hands and Alex Goode’s draw-and-give put Chris Wyles over for a 30-5 lead. Surely curtains. Wasps had other ideas.
Daly was unlucky to be denied a try by the TMO a couple of minutes later, but Wasps had their second when Cooper-Woolley barged through Nick Isiekwe from an attacking lineout, before Wasps hit their highest note yet. Wade took an inside pass to cut Saracens to shreds and turn the ball inside for Thomas Young to gallop 35 metres to the line. Wasps were back to within 11 with half an hour to play.
It was then 10 with 20 to go. Farrell steadied Saracens with a couple of penalties, but Wasps struck again on the hour. Danny Cipriani sent Guy Thompson through a gap and the latter sent Le Roux to the tryline for his second and a 36-26 scoreline.
It was as close as Wasps would get. Saracens seemed exasperated by the way the visitors were now cutting them up, but they never seemed in trouble. They duly killed the game off with two tries in the next 10 minutes, Juan Figallo from short range after Shalk Brits had cut Wasps down the left, then Sean Maitland the right, and Itoje, who galloped home from rather further out.
The carnival feel continued with another try apiece, one for the electric Wade, one for Ben Spencer, but Saracens’ minds had already, no doubt, turned to Twickenham.
Willis faces nervous wait over knee injury
Eddie Jones would have enjoyed watching Saracens, such was the form of several of his key players in their 57-33 play-off win over Wasps, but it seems likely he will be denied the services of one of his most promising youngsters, Jack Willis, for England’s tour to South Africa next month. The Wasps flanker was helped from the field towards the end of the first half, having hyperextended his knee. The initial prognosis is not positive.
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“It’s not looking great,” said Dai Young, Wasps’ director of rugby. “He’s in a brace and on crutches and they think it’s serious enough for him to have a scan straightaway.”
Jones will also monitor closely Billy Vunipola’s status. He started the game, like his fellow England No 8 Nathan Hughes, the latter more surprisingly selected for his first Premiership start since October, but Vunipola left the field at half-time, having received treatment on the half‑hour.