The lessons from the Guinness Premiership final are many, and perhaps most notable of them all was that reports of rugby's demise as an entertaining game have been greatly exaggerated.
English rugby was heavily criticised in the early part of the 2009/10 season for the staid tactics being used by both the national team and the Premiership clubs. With hindsight this may come to be seen as a period of adjustment following the abolition of the ELVs, and although English rugby adapted more slowly than other nations, because of the innate conservatism of the league, last summer's Lions tour had already shown that good rugby could be played, whichever set of laws was being used, and in fact, the early part of the season was not all doom and gloom. All it would take was for one team to break the mould, and others would surely follow.
Brendan Venter's Saracens were the story of the season
The second half of the season, when referees changed their interpretation of the tackle law, saw the game open up across all competitions. In the first half the season, Saracens were the epitome of conservative rugby, and they received little credit for setting the pace before Christmas. Subsequently they lost their way in the middle of the season, as their limited game plan relied on stopping their opponents from scoring and then staying in front with the boot. This left them vulnerable to sides that could score tries, and they seemed to lack a plan b. However, later in the season, Brendan Venter's side unleashed their second incarnation, building a layer of attacking rugby on top of the platform of their powerful pack and defence. Schalk Brits typified the new Saracens, the hooker doing his his job at set pieces, playing like a centre in attack and a flanker in defence. Saracens' transformation summed up the entire season: staid but underrated early in the year, explosive in the latter part of the season.
The final itself proved that regardless of the style of rugby on show, knowing how to win is the most important skill of all, and although it was desperately close for Saracens, Leicester's coolness under pressure was remarkable, and made the difference. The Tigers have had no consistency at either head coach, or fly-half in the last decade, and yet they have continued to dominate, producing generation after generation of players who perform when it matters most. Saracens have an excellent team, but do not yet have a lasting winning culture like Leicester do. It also reinforced the concept that the best attacking rugby comes from quick ball at the the breakdown and offloading out of the tackle. The change in refereeing style only affected the former – there was no reason why teams could not pass out of the tackle in the early part of the season, and that realisation, combined with the improvement at the breakdown is what led to the improvement in the Premiership in 2010.
Leicester celebrate at the final whistle
The next step for the Watford-based club is to prove they are not a flash in the pan, like the good Sale and Gloucester sides of recent years, but that they are here to stay. The final proved that they can play, now they need to do it consistently. Leicester meanwhile, have to overcome the loss of a couple of key veterans in Ben Kay and Lewis Moody, but with a few less injuries next season, could be even better for a second full season under coach Richard Cockerill, who deserves credit for winning two league titles and appearing in one Heineken Cup final in only 18 months in the job.
The story of the Guinness Premiership in 2009/10 is one of redemption. It started with controversy: fake blood, drugs and foul play. It went through a spell in purgatory, when no-one seemed to believe that it was worthwhile any more. Yet it finished in style, with a spectacular final, the greatest since the playoffs began. There will be much to look forward to in 2010/11.
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