Ex-Saracens scrum-half Kyran Bracken has tipped Leicester to win the Premiership final against his former club this weekend.
Former Saracens scrum-half tips Leicester to take the Premiership title
Former Saracens scrum-half Kyran Bracken is backing Leicester to win the Aviva Premiership final this weekend.
The 39-year-old, who is currently coaching at the Tigers on a part-time basis, thinks both teams are capable of victory but admits his former club may not have quite enough to take the title.
Bracken, who won a total of 51 England caps before retiring from international rugby in 2004, said: "It's probably the two best teams in the Premiership this year, they've been vying for the top spot quite a bit.
"I think Leicester have the edge in the sense that they've been there before so many times in finals and last year I thought that game would be won in the last moments. But you never can count these sides out because they're like the Manchester United of rugby. Leicester have got this knack of winning.
"Saracens have got a great team spirit, they've got some great young players who've come through like Owen Farrell and they look like a team who are very resilient.
"Whether they'll do it on the day, it's going to be very close and I know that it may boil down to who kicks best, Owen Farrell kicking his goals, Toby Flood kicking his goals.
"If I had to bet a pound on it I'd go for Leicester."
Threat
Despite Saracens facing a team without key threat Manu Tuilagi, Bracken believes Leicester will not be overtaken at the top of the table where they currently sit two points clear of their opponents.
And the 2003 World Cup winner is confident Tuilagi - who is serving a five-week ban for punching Chris Ashton during Leicester's semi-final victory over Northampton - will bounce back.
He said: "I think Leicester will find it hard without Tuilagi. A five-week ban is pretty reasonable in respect of what happened in the incident but it's a shame because he's a great player.
"He is going to go on and do great things for Leicester and of course I think for England in the World Cup and it's going to be a tough five weeks for him missing out on the final but I'm sure he'll be in many more."
And with split loyalties, Bracken admits it is not an easy decision who to support but regards himself as winning whatever the outcome.
Bracken added: "It's difficult for me. Some people will say I can't win or I can't lose having played for Saracens for 10 years, coached there for a couple of years and now involved on a part-time basis at Leicester coaching Ben Youngs and the scrum-halves there so I suppose if either team win I win."
