Aviva Premiership final: Saracens v Exeter Chiefs preview

Gareth Steenson and Brad Barritt go head-to-head in the battle to lift the Aviva Premership trophy

All the team news ahead of Saturday's Aviva Premiership final between Saracens and Exeter Chiefs.

Mark McCall has kept his faith in the side that recorded a 44-17 semi-final victory over Leicester Tigers as Saracens look to add domestic honours to their European title.

In the front row, England prop Mako Vunipola will make his 100th appearance for the club, in a pack that also boasts European player of the year Maro Itoje and England duo George Kruis and Billy Vunipola. 

Saracens have been boosted by the naming of Owen Farrell at fly-half, after the club were left sweating over his fitness after the 24-year-old sustained a rib injury in the semi-final win.

European player of the year Maro Itoje is named at lock for Saracens

Alex Goode, the newly-crowned Aviva Premiership player of the year, starts at full-back and joins Chris Wyles and England squad absentee Chris Ashton in the back three. 

On the bench, hooker Jamie George continues his return from a bicep injury sustained during the Six Nations. He is joined by the Premiership's all-time leading points scorer Charlie Hodgson, who will be looking to bring his career to a close with a third Premiership title.

"Exeter are a top side and they've proven that over the course of the season," said a wary Saracens boss McCall, paying tribute to the Devon club that finished second in the regular-season Premiership table.

"It's going to be a really good game, two very good sides, two hard-working sides going toe-to-toe and we know what is at stake.

"It promises to be a great final."

Buoyed by last weekend's semi-final victory over Wasps at Sandy Park, Baxter has named an unchanged starting 15 for their trip to the home of English rugby.

Jack Nowell will start on the wing for the Chiefs as they look to secure their first Premiership title

The only changes come on the bench where injuries to Thomas Waldrom (knee) and Sam Hill (hamstring) see the inclusion of Kai Horstmann and Michele Campagnaro on a historic day for the club.

Damian Welch returns to the side after recovering from a knee injury that forced him from the field in the Chiefs' impressive 62-24 victory over Harlequins in round 22. Ollie Atkins drops out of the match-day squad to make way for the lock.

This season's top points scorer Gareth Steenson continues alongside Will Chudley in the halves, the scrum-half being cleared to play by a RFU disciplinary panel after he was cited for illegal contact with the head area of Joe Launchbury in the semi-final victory. 

Since Exeter's promotion to the Premiership the two sides have met a total of 12 times, Saracens taking the head-to-head battle with 8 wins to four, however Chiefs boss Rob Baxter remains adamant the Chiefs can cope with the big-game pressure in their maiden Premiership final.

"Saturday is not the end of our journey as a club," said Baxter.

"Yes we are a relatively new Premiership club with a relatively young team, but this is just a step along the way for us.

"As a club we want to be in a lot more of these big games. We want to be a better team in Europe that we are, so this is not the end of the line for us, it's just another step along the journey and that's how I want the lads to approach it this weekend.

"I don't think we'll be a team who will just be going there to walk around Twickenham in the sun. We are going to turn up, and I know if we turn up we will make it a very interesting game."

Will Chudley is named at scrum-half after being cleared to play by a RFU disciplinary panel this week

Saracens: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Duncan Taylor, 12 Brad Barritt, 11 Chris Wyles, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Richard Wigglesworth, 1 Mako Vunipola 2 Schalk Brits, 3 Petrus Du Plessis, 4 Maro Itoje, 5 George Kruis, 6 Michael Rhodes, 7 Will Fraser, 8 Billy Vunipola. 

Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Richard Barrington, 18 Juan Figallo, 19 Jim Hamilton, 20 Jackson Wray, 21 Neil De Kock, 22 Charlie Hodgson, 23 Marcelo Bosch.

Exeter Chiefs: 15 Phil Dollman, 14 Jack Nowell, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Ian Whitten, 11 Olly Woodburn, 10 Gareth Steenson, 9 Will Chudley, 1 Ben Moon, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3 Harry Williams, 4 Mitch Lees, 5 Geoff Parling, 6 Dave Ewers, 7 Julian Salvi, 8 Don Armand.

Replacements: 16 Jack Yeandle, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Tomas Francis, 19 Damian Welch, 20 Kai Horstmann, 21 Dave Lewis, 22 Michele Campagnaro, 23 James Short.