Saracens 35-25 Sale Sharks: Sarries claim first Gallagher Premiership title since 2020 relegation for salary cap breaches

Saracens came from behind to clinch the 2023 Premiership crown - their first title since 2019

Saracens turned things around from a second-half deficit to seal a first Premiership title since 2019 and their 2020 enforced relegation for salary cap breaches, beating Sale Sharks 35-25 at a roasting hot Twickenham. 

Sale, appearing in their first final since their only title success back in 2006, came from seven and five points down to lead by two until 13 minutes to go, but a charge-down on full-back Joe Carpenter proved pivotal, as Elliot Daly scored for a lead Sarries would not surrender again.

Wings Max Malins and Daly, and scrum-half Ivan van Zyl scored for Saracens, who were also awarded a penalty try for an off-the-ball tackle on Malins by Tom Curry, while skipper Owen Farrell added three penalties and two conversions.

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For Sale, hooker Akker van der Merwe, wing Tom Roebuck and loosehead Bevan Rodd scored tries, with George Ford kicking two penalties and two conversions in an entertaining, seesaw final.

The 20th minute saw two Just Stop Oil protestors invade the pitch and throw orange powder onto the playing surface, with the RFU later confirming both individuals had been arrested in what is now a police matter.

Just Stop Oil protestors entered the pitch in the 20th minute of the 2023 Premiership final

The title success - Saracens' sixth (2011, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023) in history - draws Sarries level with Wasps and Bath in second for the all-time list, shy of just Leicester Tigers' 11 title successes - Saracens' conquerors in the final last season.

Saracens' title success was their sixth in history, first since their 2020 relegation, and fifth in the last nine years

Story of the final

Saracens took the lead early in the final, as after flanker Ben Earl came within a metre of a try under the posts in an attack set up by superb Farrell and Nick Tompkins offloads - the captain kicking over for 3-0 inside five minutes once Sale were penalised for offside.

Aided by a Maro Itoje knock-on from the restart, the Sale response was perfect, as they recovered possession to probe around the Saracens 22, before Farrell lay on the wrong side of a ruck long enough to convince referee Luke Pearce to award a penalty. Ford made no mistake on a slight angle to level matters.

Exceptional Saracens defence in their own half, with Farrell stripping the ball from a rampaging Manu Tuilagi and Malins executing a wonderful 50:22, set the platform for the next points, as Farrell struck from the tee again after Sale lock Jonny Hill was penalised for needlessly flopping off-feet to seal the ball off.

More good Saracens defence saw Sale's Jean-Luc du Preez surrender a turnover at the breakdown, but as Itoje and co looked to counter, ref Pearce got in the way of the ball. To Saracens' acute annoyance no doubt, Sale forced a penalty against the head at the resulting scrum, with Sarries' Italian tighthead Marco Riccioni singled out for his angle, allowing Ford to draw the Sharks level again.

Owen Farrell and opposite number George Ford traded penalties in the early stages

Less than a minute after the disruption of the protestors, Saracens struck for the opening try as Alex Goode and Malins attacked at pace down the right wing - the former kicking down the line - and once a scrambling Sale rear-guard of Carpenter and Arron Reed made a mess of clearing up the loose ball, Malins grubber-kicked forward and Curry took out the Sarries wing as he went in search of the ball in-goal. It left Pearce with a simple penalty try and yellow card call, and one he made instantly.

Max Malins was tackled off the ball by Tom Curry to stop him scoring in a clear penalty try decision

Ford should have narrowed the Saracens gap four minutes later from the tee, but surprisingly struck wide. Once the Saracens scrum granted Sale access again, though - with Riccioni penalised once more - hooker Van der Merwe pounced for a close-range try with Curry still in the sin-bin, leaping and just reaching the line, as confirmed by TMO Tom Foley.

Akker van der Merwe forced his way over for Sale's opening try of the final

Ford levelled again at 13-13 with the conversion, but Saracens responded with a second try within three minutes: a penalty conceded on halfway was lashed deep into the 22 out of hand from Daly, giving Saracens an ideal opportunity, and after attacking towards the middle of the pitch, a slaloming run from Goode and a superb delay-and-pass from Farrell released Malins sprinting in to score.

Malins sped in for Saracens' second try after lovely playmaking from Farrell

Sale narrowed the gap five minutes into the second period, when wing Roebuck produced a stunning effort to score following a Van der Merwe initial linebreak and hacked kick towards the corner. From there, Roebuck picked the pocket of the crouching Daly to twice kick on and somehow dive and reach the ball in-goal, which was inches from going out.

Ford struck just wide to leave Sale behind, and a difficult couple of minutes for Daly got no better when he had a try disallowed for taking a Farrell pass with his foot planted on the touchline.

Sale wing Tom Roebuck scored a stunning try at the beginning of the second half to get the Sharks back into the game

A scrum penalty deep in the Sale 22 saw Farrell choose to take the points and extend the lead to five points, but within two minutes, replacement prop Rodd scored after three spectacular involvements, originally creating the chance with a gorgeous cut-out pass to Curry on the wing, before picking up first at the ruck, dummying an offload and powering past defenders to score.

Bevan Rodd's brilliant try and Ford's conversion put Sale in front for the first time

When Ford converted from out wide, Sale led for the first time, but after Daly missed a penalty to the right from halfway, the Sharks failed to add to their lead despite twice kicking into the corner - Itoje doing well to read a low Sale lineout delivery to the front to produce a critical steal metres from the try-line.

Sale were made to rue that period when Carpenter was charged down in his 22 by Duncan Taylor and Daly was soon in for a try in the corner on turnover ball.

After a tough couple of moments, Elliot Daly scored Saracens' crucial third try in the corner for the lead with 13 minutes to go

Farrell's conversion slipped wide, leaving Saracens three ahead, but a Sale knock-on outside the Sarries 22 and Van Zyl's try with nine minutes to go proved decisive, with the score originally ruled held up after a sensational effort in defence from Carpenter to get his arm under the ball, before a TMO review proved the point of it just touched the grass before disappearing under bodies.

The TMO was called to confirm a try for Saracens scrum-half Ivan van Zyl, with the tip of the ball just touching the grass

Farrell converted for a 10-point lead which was insurmountable from a Sale perspective, and left Sarries to celebrate a fifth league success in nine years.