Five takeaways as Finn Russell's 'masterclass' : Planet Rugby

Following Bath’s 23-21 victory over Leicester Tigers in the Premiership Final at the Allianz Stadium, here’s our five takeaways.

The Top Line

Bath Rugby deservedly became Premiership Champions, Treble Winners and conquerors of all they faced this season as they overcame Leicester Tigers by two points in a match that went right down to the wire.

It was a match of brutal Tigers power and of Bath nuance; one that saw Bath using every trick in the book to gain position and possession, whilst Tigers simply trucked up the channels of close contact they have known so well and for so long.

Tigers won the try-scoring battle, with Jack Van Poortvliet, Solomone Kata and the brilliant Emeka Ilione all getting their names on the scoreboard.

Bath replied with efforts from Thomas du Toit and Max Ojomoh, but the pressure of their back-row saw Finn Russell take the chance to grab three key penalties, something that Tigers didn’t have a chance to reply to, given the excellence of the Champions’ defence.

For the humble Johann van Graan, it’s the culmination of a dream that started in June 2022 and a fulfilment that sees Bath once again the premier team in England. Best of all, it could not have happened to a nicer guy.

Bath end 29 years of hurt to see off spirited Leicester Tigers in Premiership final and complete remarkable treble

Back Row Giants

The performance of Bath’s back-row in this game award was nothing short of staggering. To a man, any of the three could have take the Player of the Match, but it was Guy Pepper, magnificent around the fringes and breakdown, that stole the award as he gave everything in a brilliant performance. Both sides of the ball they won the battle, with Miles Reid the key man in link attack, taking his form to the very next level.

With Ted Hill’s amazing athleticism seeing him charge around the pitch to pressure the Tigers backline for a breathless 80 minutes, there’s little doubt that all three Bath men are worthy of a call-up to the Americas tour with England, with Reid surely Bath’s MVP this season?

But, amongst the Bath glitterati in the breakaways, we saw a youngster come on and almost change the course of a final single-handedly. Ilione showed he’s going to be a star of the Green Red and White for some years to come. He was everywhere, breaking tackles, creating breakdowns, making opportunities, and above all scoring tries. This is a player that steps up for the big occasion and yet again he had a massive, if ultimately unsuccessful impact.

Leicester Tigers player ratings: Handre Pollard blows ‘white hot and ice cold’ as Dan Cole’s splendid career ends on ‘heart-breaking low’ with costly error

Half-Back Keys

The difference between these two sides in this match was the quality and the game plan around the half-back combinations and especially the contrast between the electric passing Ben Spencer and the glacial hesitancy of Leicester’s Jack van Poortvleit.

Tigers had the upper hand in straight-line power in both backs and forwards, but they play predominantly off nine pop passes. Against a side with the intellect of Bath Rugby, it’s only a matter of time until that strategy gets you into trouble and early in the second half, yet another wet lettuce delivery from the Tigers nine, van Poortvliet, saw Finn Russell pick off Pollard’s ensuing pass with ease, going the length to score himself, until he offloaded a magnificent 30m pass to Max Ojomoh to ensure Bath scored directly under the posts. Van Poorvleit left the field shortly after, flopping yet again on the Twickenham turf.

Russell, after one of his characteristically shaky starts, purred in attack like a man warming up for a Lions tour. Bath are unusual amongst Premiership sides in that they play both off nine, Spencer and ten, Russell. The interplay and variety between the pairing in attack saw some wonderfully complex loop moves look like child’s play as two masters of their craft simply took the match by the scruff of its neck. A feature was the stretch passing of Russell; not content with just hitting his man, the Scot wanted to get his receiver running onto the ball at fingertip contact, thus ensuring no break in stride and no slowing of momentum. It was the detail in his passing that was the most impressive thing, a true masterclass of test quality distribution.

Tigers’ other halfback, Pollard, had never lost a final of any description in his career from junior level, but with Bath’s back row, led by the magnificent Reid, pressuring the life out of the Bok ten, forced Pollard’s kicking game deeper and deeper into the pocket.

With an England tour to USA approaching, England cannot afford to look past Spencer yet again. He and Russell were the key forces, alongside Reid, in the Bath team and those players are the reason Bath are Treble Champions tonight.

Bath player ratings: ‘Mesmeric’ Finn Russell ‘grabs game by the scruff of the neck’ while ‘mercurial’ England hopefuls impress

So Long, Farewell

Tigers left Twickenham beaten and bowed. But more than that, the game saw some of the fiercest Tigers to have ever graced the shirt leave the pitch for the very last time.

Nobody has given more to the club than the magnificent Ben Youngs. His arrival after 55 minutes reignited the Leicester dynamic as he showed that he is still the master craftsman of scrum-half play. It was Youngs’ persistence that saw Kata crash over for a try that almost changed the last quarter.

Michael Cheika, a Leicester intern for a year, has had the biggest imaginable impact, as has his best mate and favourite cohort, the brilliant Julian Montoya, a man that surely deserved something from his brilliance for Leicester.

However, for all the noise, the revelry, the fireworks, the loudest cheer of the day was one that united every fan in the stand; the welcome the truly great Dan Cole received as he lumbered onto the pitch he’s graced so many times for the last time. Sadly Coley Bear fluffed his lines, failing to bring his readers for the script and crashed into Finn Russell after attempting a charge down. Karl Dickson sent Cole to the bin to a cackle of boos and jeers, as desperate Dan walked off cursing his luck. Props eh? The Premiership might change, but let’s hope they never do.

A Real Event

Amongst the news that the Prem is now officially…well, ‘The Prem’, this was an event managed to highest standard of arena entertainment and one that really demonstrated the long-term vision of the competition organisers.

The prematch fireworks, the walk outs, were all staged wonderfully and with some lovely attention to detail that saw captains come out to lead, the players named as packs and back- points of differentiation that some might score but that might just resonate with and assist the newer watchers of the sport. And then we had the magnificent Sam Ryder, dive-bombing and fret-tapping his Black Explorer to a shredding rendition of God Save the King that was far more Black Sabbath than Prem Saturday.

Above all, Prem Rugby delivered a spectacle that ensured a deafening, passionate sell out crowd; one divided by loyalties but united by great football. The Gallagher Prem might have a new name, and today it celebrated its rebrand launch by delivering a wonderful spectacle, both in match organisation and of course, competition on the pitch.

READ MORE: ‘Dan Cole’s face says it all’ – Sam Ryder’s rendition of God Save the King polarises fans before Premiership Final

Click here to read article