The 2023 Gallagher Premiership Final takes place at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon with Saracens meeting Sale Sharks.
The top division of English rugby has had a turbulent season. It was rocked by financial chaos with both Worcester and Wasps going out of business and London Irish is likely to follow next week.
But the final remains the jewel in the premier league.
Here’s MailSport’s guide to the flagship home of English rugby.
When is the Gallagher Premiership final and who is playing?
The 2023 Gallagher Premiership Final will take place at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday 27th May, kicking off at 3pm. The match is between London’s Saracens and Manchester’s Sale Sharks, who are seeking their first domestic title since 2006.
Sale Sharks have not won a domestic title since 2006, when they beat title holders Leicester
Saracens topped the table this year, beating Harlequins to book a spot in the finals
Can I still buy tickets?
Ticket sales for this year’s final are slower than in previous years and many are still on sale.
As things stand, the match is unlikely to sell out. Tickets can be purchased here.
Where can I watch the match on TV?
This is the first Premiership final to be broadcast on both a paid subscription channel and regular terrestrial television.
The match will be available on BT Sport, the Premiership’s main broadcast partner, as well as on ITV 1. Nick Mullins will be the BT Sport commentator with Miles Harrison on microphone for ITV 1.
Which teams are there and who is the referee?
The teams and referee for the final are as follows:
Saracens: Alex Goode; Max Malins, Alex Lozowski, Nick Tompkins, Sean Maitland; Owen Farrell (captain), Ivan van Zyl; Eroni Mawi, Jamie George, Marco Riccioni, Maro Itoje, Hugh Tizard, Nick Isiekwe, Ben Earl, Jackson Wray
Replacements: Theo Dan, Mako Vunipola, Christian Judge, Callum Hunter-Hill, Toby Knight, Aled Davies, Duncan Taylor, Elliot Daly
Sell Sharks: Joe Carpenter; Tom Roebuck, Rob du Preez, Manu Tuilagi, Arron Reed; George Ford, Gus Warr; Simon McIntyre, Akker van der Merwe, Nick Schonert, Jean-Luc du Preez, Jonny Hill, Tom Curry, Sam Dugdale, Jono Ross (capt)
Replacements: Ewan Ashman, Bevan Rodd, Coenie Oosthuizen, Josh Beaumont, Tom Ellis, Raffi Quirke, Sam James, Tom O’Flaherty
Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU) – Pearce is one of English rugby’s best whistlers and will take on his first Premiership final. The 35-year-old was one of Wayne Barnes’ assistants during last year’s showpiece between Leicester Tigers and Saracens and now takes the overall lead.
Pearce, who took on his first Premiership game in 2011, is joined by Karl Dickson and Christophe Ridley with Tom Foley in the TMO chairman.
Sale will wear their maroon change kit to avoid a color clash for colorblind fans
What will the teams wear?
Interestingly, both sides will be wearing their change kits with Saracen in white and Sale in maroon.
They agreed to do this to help color blind fans. As the team that finished higher of the two during the regular season, Saracens would have worn their black home strip for the showpiece of English rugby with Sale wearing their maroon away kit.
But the combination of black and red is one of the combinations highlighted by Color Blind Awareness as a combination to avoid in order to benefit both spectators in the stadium and viewers at home. Saracens will therefore wear their white away kit to avoid a clash.
What are the main head-to-head battles?
Owen Farrell vs. George Ford: The battle between the two No 10s will be fascinating. They are good friends off the pitch and are likely to be England teammates at the World Cup later this year, but are rivals for 80 minutes at Twickenham.
Ford was a Premiership winner with Leicester last season but suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury in the final against Saracens. After a long absence, he plays good rugby for sale. His tactical kicks and awareness will be key.
The battle between Owen Farrell (left) and George Ford will be one of the most riveting
As Saracen captain, Farrell is the heartbeat of his side. Both players downplayed their individual struggles, but it’s no exaggeration to say whoever wins will likely help the team emerge victorious.
Ben Earl to Tom Curry: Even with his twin brother Ben injured, Tom Curry remains number 6 for sale. Earl of Saracens is open to his team wearing No. 7. Even playing in slightly different positions, both will be part of an intriguing back row battle.
Earl and Curry are both vying for a spot as a flanker in England’s World Cup squad and a strong Premiership final won’t help end that matter. Saracen and Sale have extremely physical packs and it will be an exciting battle to see who can top it.
Maro Itoje to Jonny Hill: There are a few other head-to-heads we could have picked out – for example, Alex Goode vs. Joe Carpenter, Jamie George’s fight with Akker van der Merwe, and Nick Tompkins vs. Manu Tuilagi. But our last battle is locked.
Itoje and Hill know each other inside out as England teammates. Itoje is a support for Saracens and Hill has become a similar totem for Sale after moving from Exeter. This is another one-on-one England head coach, Steve Borthwick, who will be watching with interest.
So, who’s going to win?
Saracens finished top of the regular season in the Premiership final, while Sale came in second, so both teams deserve to be in the final. There are so many intriguing subplots to the finale.
Rugby sales director Alex Sanderson (left) learned his trade under Saracen’s Mark McCall
Saracens will be out for revenge after losing last year’s final to Leicester Tigers
Farrell against Ford will be the headliner. But the struggles of rugby’s directors are just as captivating. Sale’s Alex Sanderson learned the trade at Saracens under the guidance of Mark McCall, so the pair know each other incredibly well. Sanderson did a fantastic job at Sale.
Saracens will say goodbye to loyal club mates Jackson Wray and Duncan Taylor after this final and will want to send them on a high.
MailSport predicts a brutally physical and tight encounter. Saracens are favored and supported to narrowly enforce procedures and make up for last year’s final defeat to Leicester. It promises to be a game and after a terrible off-field season the Premiership desperately needs an epic final.
Prediction: Saracens win.