With his bow as England captain on the horizon, Owen Farrell has a fateful appointment on familiar turf to contend with first and foremost.
The 26-year-old, named skipper by head coach Eddie Jones for England’s summer tour of South Africa next month, will be in action at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday as Saracens attempt to dethrone reigning champions Exeter Chiefs in the Premiership Rugby Final.
Fly-half Farrell booted a record 27 points in Saracens’ semi-final victory over Wasps earlier this month to help inspire his team to a seventh major final in the space of five years.
The 2016 and 2017 European Rugby Champions Cup winners have tasted victory the last six times they have played at Twickenham and will be bidding to win the Premiership title for the fourth time in their history, having claimed the title in both the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – both teams have adopted that mantra when it comes to selection, with both Saracens and Exeter naming unchanged sides from their respective semi-final triumphs over Wasps and Newcastle Falcons.
Farrell is joined in the Saracens team by England player of the year Mako Vunipola at prop while Jamie George, Nick Isiekewe and Maro Itoje in the forwards, with Billy Vunipola at No. 8.
Alex Lozowski, another man that will be representing England against South Africa, is named at outside centre while Sean Maitland, who played for Scotland in the 2018 NatWest 6 Nations, starts on the wing.
Ben Spencer and Nathan Earle are on the bench.
Sam Simmonds scored two tries for England in their Championship-opener against Italy in February and he starts for Exeter at number eight.
Luke Cowan-Dickie is named at hooker for the reigning champions, with Jonny Hill at lock, while Henry Slade begins the game at outside centre.
Prop Tomas Francis is the only Welsh international involved at Twickenham – however, his involvement rules him out of representing his country in their two Tests in Argentina in June.
The Chiefs will be attempting to become only the fourth side to retain the Premiership title.
They are featuring in their third successive final and claimed the crown last time out by defeating Wasps 23-20 after extra-time.
