Harlequins vs Leicester – Final Aviva Premiership – Match Preview
The final of the Aviva Premiership, the top tier of English rugby will take place between Harlequins and Leicester Tigers, on Saturday May 26. Both teams come on the back of excellent form and but the Tigers will have the edge due to their pedigree.
The Harlequins have led the Aviva Premiership since round 3 of the League and finished on top of the table after a gruelling 22-game season. However, Leicester has reached the final for the eighth straight time, and they will start as favourites for this
crucial tie with the bookmakers.
In place of Toby Flood, George Ford will start for the Tigers at fly-half. Richard Cockerill, the head coach of Leicester had suggested that Flood will start if he is fully fit but it seems that Ford will get the nod, with Flood taking a place on the bench.
The International Rugby Board young player of the year, Ford, will get a chance to shine on the highest stage of the domestic game, and he produced a Man of the Match performance against the Saracens in the semi-finals.
Cockerill is buoyed about the final, especially considering the poor start of the team, when a majority of their players were on international duty. However, Cockerill was not concerned and he knew the team would improve once all the players got back.
He said, "You just have to do it day by day. There is no magic formula. It's good players and good people and they all work very hard. The quality of our squad has come through, and the quality of the people behind the scenes - who you never hear about -
has been outstanding.”
The Quins will be feeling confident ahead of the final, as they boast the services of Chris Robshaw, the current Premiership Player of the Year and Nick Evans, who was recently named the Rugby Professional Association Player of the Year. The Londoners can
also call upon Joe Marler, Joe Gray, George Lowe, Jordan Turner-Hall and Mike Brown, all young English players who are on the brink of an international call up.
Robshaw was confident ahead of the final. He said, “Our record isn't particularly good against them and it's about making sure we perform for the full 80 minutes and if we get a chance, we've got to take it. It's about making sure we take care of our processes.”
It is going to be a thrilling final, with the Tigers going for their 10th title, and the Quins would want to achieve their first Premiership title.
LINE-UPS:
Harlequins: Brown, Williams, Lowe, Turner-Hall, Monye, Evans, Care, Marler, Gray, Johnston, Kohn, Robson, Fa'asavalu, Robshaw (capt), Easter.
Replacements: Buchanan, Lambert, Collier, Vallejos, Guest, Dickson, Clegg, Hopper.
Leicester: Murphy, Agulla, M Tuilagi, Allen, A Tuilagi, Ford, Youngs, Ayerza, Chuter, Cole, Skivington, Parling, Mafi, Salvi, Waldrom.
Replacements: T Youngs, Mulipola, Castrogiovanni, Kitchener, Newby, Harrison, Flood, Hamilton.
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