Saracens vs Gloucester LIVE: Reigning champions through to another Premiership final with crushing win
Follow the latest updates from the Premiership semi-final at Allianz Park
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Louise Thomas
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Saracens will defend their Premiership title after defeating Gloucester 44-19 in a dominant display to book their place in next weekend's Twickenham showcase.
Gloucester briefly threatened an upset by scoring the first try of the match just three minutes into the semi-final through Ben Morgan, but the response from Saracens was emphatic as Sean Maitland, Ben Spencer and Liam Wiliams scored before the break.
The best was saved for the second half though, as Nick Tompkins came on to score a 28-minute hat-trick, with Gloucester scoring late consolations through Ruan Dreyer and Lewis Ludlow. Re-live the action below.
What time does it start?
Saracens vs Gloucester kicks off at 1:30pm on Saturday 25 May.
Where can I watch it?
The Premiership semi-final will be shown live on BT Sport 1 from 12:45pm.
What is the other semi-final?
Premiership table-toppers Exeter Chiefs take on Northampton Saints at 4.30pm.
Odds
Saracens: 1/6
Gloucester: 11/2
Draw (after 80 minutes): 25/1
What happens if it’s a draw?
There will be a five-minute break followed by a period of extra time of ten minutes each way, with a one-minute interval. If the scores remain equal, then the winner will be the team which has scored the most tries in the game (including extra time).
If the scores are level and the number of tries scored is equal, then there shall be a place kick competition. Each team nominates three kickers who will attempt to slot the ball through posts from six designated positions on the 10 and 22-metre lines. If the scores are tied after the six kicks for each team, it will go to “sudden death” from the middle of the 10-metre line. The three kickers must have been playing at the final whistle of extra time.
Teams
Saracens: Goode; Williams, Lozowski, Barritt, Maitland; Farrell, Spencer; Barrington, George, Koch; Skelton, Kruis; Itoje, Wray, B Vunipola.
Replacements: Gray, Adams-Hale, Judge, Isiekwe, Rhodes, Wigglesworth, Tompkins, Strettle.
Gloucester: Woodward; Sharples, Twelvetrees, Atkinson, Marshall; Cipriani, Heinz; Hohneck, Marais, Balmain; Slater, Mostert; Ackermann, Kriel, Morgan.
Replacements: Sherry, Rapava Ruskin, Dreyer, Savage, Ludlow, Polledri, Vellacott, Purdy.
25 mins: Cipriani this time judges a clearance kick nicely to find touch on the Saracens 22, with the bounce doing for Saracens full-back Goode to prevent the quick lineout.
26 mins: Saracens deal with the lineout nicely, winning a penalty advantage from the driving maul. Farrell decides to play with it, finding Goode who floats a flat pass to Maitland, and he kicks up field. The chase is on, and although Morgan is back there to cover, he slices the ball into touch on his own 22. Saracens attack with the lineout, but cough the ball up on the Gloucester line and Cipriani tries to counter from behind his own line. The referee says that's advantage played when Cipriani gets dragged into touch by Vunipola, and that seems slightly harsh.
Injury-enforced changes for both sides, as Ed Slater is replaced by Tom Savage and Saracens captain Brad Barritt limps off with a hamstring injury as Nick Tompkins comes on in the centre.
30 mins: Brilliant from the Saracens forwards. Vunipola gets a half-break through the line and wriggles the ball free to offload to Itoje. The England lock gallops clear, and bamboozles Heinz with an outrageous dummy before popping the ball off to Ben Spencer to score. Farrell converts from in front of the posts. 15-7
34 mins: Gloucester win a penalty off the kick-off for taking the man out in the air and from the resulting lineout, Cipriani puts Sharples through, The wing has two men outside him and he tries to find Sharples, but knowing that it's a 3-on-1, Goode gambles and intercepts! What a pivotal moment.
35 mins: Again, within a minute Saracens march up the other end and win a penalty when Spencer is taken out at the ruck, handing Farrell another shot at goal.
36 mins: Farrell this time gets the kick and Saracens extend the lead. 18-7
37 mins: Absolutely brilliant stuff from Lozowski. Much like they did in their European wins over Leinster and Munster, Saracens are looking to challenge their opponents aerially more than anywhere else. Spencer first puts up the box-kick that Liam Williams taps back, then Farrell follows up with a catchable cross-field effort that Lozowski takes superbly. He is able to sprint on and commit last man Heinz, before popping the ball up for Williams to sprint on to and score. Farrell can't convert as the wind gets hold of the conversion, but the lead is looking rather daunting now. 23-7
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