Premiership Final Preview: The Full Record

Next Saturday's Premiership final against Northampton will be Tigers 30th final in all competitions since their inaugural John Player Cup final, a 6-3 defeat to Gloucester in 1978.  30 finals in 35 years is an incredible record that everyone associated with the club should take great pride in.  You often here the London based media snottily disregard what a great achievement it is to get to so many finals, often battling through without our best players available, instead focusing on our alleged poor record at those finals.  Tigers have won 15 of their finals.  If we actually had managed to win all those titles these "experts" would surely just find something else to whinge about and would probably be campaigning to have us banned to give the other teams a chance.  

This will be our 24th visit to the RFU's headquarters for a final, winning slightly under half visits with 11 wins and 12 losses so far.  We've played Premiership Finals, Knock Out Cup Finals, Anglo-Welsh Finals, an Heineken Cup Final, a "Championship Final" and a Wildcard Final at Twickenham rather guttingly it seems the only competition we will fail to win at the Cabbage Patch will be the greatest of them all, unless the Heineken Cup gets an 11th hour reprieve.

36 players have scored 52 tries for the Tigers in those various finals with club legends Neil Back and Leon Lloyd jointly holding the individual record for 4 tries.  It is fitting that the two scorers from the Paris final hold that record.  Not that I'd be complaining at a Ben Youngs hat trick come the 25th!

Tigers remarkable recent consistency in reaching finals is reflected by Andy Goode being head and shoulders above his nearest rival as Top Points scorer.  Goode slotted 80 points (1 try, 1 drop goal, 9 conversions, 18 penalties) in 10 games compared to Dusty Hare's 49 in 5 (1 try (worth 4 points then), 2 drop goals, 11 penalties, 3 conversions).  Toby Flood has scored 36 points (10 penalties, 3 conversions) in 2 games and needs another 7 to overtake Tim Stimpson in third place, Flood has missed 4 finals in his short time at the club already otherwise he would be pushing Goode for the top place on current form.

George Ford's lack of first team action is amply demonstrated by only be 4th on the all time scoring list ahead of such no names as Les Cusworth, John Liley and Joel Stransky, at the ripe old age of 19 he clearly can't let himself rot playing finals at Tigers all his life so needs to move on.

Top Ten Points and Try Scorers in Finals

Tigers Finals Record

Opponent	Result	Tigers Scorers	Competition	Date	Venue
Harlequins	L 23-30	T: Allen, Mafi; C: 2 Ford; P: 3 Ford	Premiership	26/05/2012	Twickenham
Northampton	W 26-14	T: Mafi, Hamilton;          C: 2 Ford; P: 4 Ford	Anglo-Welsh	18/03/2012	Worcester
Saracens	L 18-22	P: 6 Flood	Premiership	28/05/2011	Twickenham
Saracens	W 33-27	T: M.Smith, B.Youngs, Hipkiss; C: 3 Flood;  P: 4 Flood	Premiership	29/05/2010	Twickenham
Leinster	L 16-19	T: Woods; C: Dupuy;  P: 3 Dupuy	European	23/05/2009	Murrayfield
London Irish	W 10-9	T: Crane; C: Dupuy; P: Dupuy	Premiership	16/05/2009	Twickenham
Wasps	L 16-26	T: Varndell, Ellis;  P: 2 Goode	Premiership	31/05/2008	Twickenham
Ospreys	L 6-23	P: Goode; DG: Goode	Anglo-Welsh	12/04/2008	Twickenham
Wasps	L 25-9	P: 3 Goode	European	20/05/2007	Twickenham
Gloucester	W 44-16	T: 2 A.Tuilagi, F. Murphy, Moody, Jennings, Corry, Goode; C: 3 Goode;  P: Goode	Premiership	12/05/2007	Twickenham
Ospreys	W 41-35	T: 2 Varndell, A.Tuilagi, Kay, Croft; C: 4 Burke, Goode; P: 2 Goode	Anglo-Welsh	15/04/2007	Twickenham
Sale	L 20-45	T: Moody, Hamilton; C: 2 Goode; P: 2 Goode	Premiership	27/05/2006	Twickenham
Wasps	L 14-39	T: Bemand; P: 3 Goode	Premiership	14/05/2005	Twickenham
Sale	W 48-27	T: 2 Lloyd, 2 Back, Gibson, Healey;  C: 3 Goode; P: 4 Goode	Wild Card	29/05/2004	Twickenham
Saracens	W 27-20	T: West, Back; C: Stimpson; P: 4 Stimpson; DG: McMullen	Wild Card	31/05/2003	Northampton
Munster	W 15-9	T: Healey, G.Murphy; C: Stimpson; P: Stimpson	European	25/05/2002	Cardiff
Stade Francais	W 34-30	T: 2 Lloyd, Back; C: Stimpson; P: 5 Stimpson	European	19/05/2002	Parc des Princes
Bath	W 22-10	T: Johnson, Healey, Stanley; C: 2 Stimpson;  P: Stimpson	Premiership	13/05/2001	Twickenham
Sale	W 9-6	P: 3 Stransky	Cup	10/05/1997	Twickenham
Brive	L 9-28	P: 3 Liley	European	25/01/1997	Cardiff
Bath	L 15-16	T: Malone, Poole; C: Liley; P: Liley	Cup	04/05/1996	Twickenham
Bath	L 9-21	P: 3 Harris	Cup	07/05/1994	Twickenham
Harlequins	W 23-16	T: Potter, M. Johnson; C: 2 Liley; P: 2 Liley;  DG: Harris	Cup	01/05/1993	Twickenham
Bath	L 6-10	P: 2 Hare	Cup	29/04/1989	Twickenham
Bristol	L 22-28	T: Evans, I.Smith; C: Cusworth; P: 4 Cusworth	Cup	30/04/1983	Twickenham
Gosforth	W 22-15	T: Barnwell, Kenney, Hare; C: 2 Hare; P: 2 Hare	Cup	02/05/1981	Twickenham
London Irish	W 21-9	P: 4 Hare; DG: Hare, 2 Cusworth	Cup	19/04/1980	Twickenham
Moseley	W 15-12	T: Kenney; C: Hare; P: 2 Hare; DG: Hare	Cup	21/04/1979	Twickenham
Gloucester	L 3-6	P: Hare	Cup	15/04/1978	Twickenham

This will be Saints 11th final in all competitions and the 7th time they go to Twickenham.  In 4 Knock Out Cup finals at Twickenham they returned potless each time, losing their debut final in a thrilling match with Quins which required extra time before finishing in the Londoner's favour.  Defeats against Wasps, London Irish and Gloucester were to follow.  Squeezed between these final defeats was Saints' greatest day; the 9-8 Heineken Cup Final victory over Munster in May 2000.

Under Jim Mallinder they boast a record of 3 finals  victories to 2 defeats making him Northampton's most decorated coach; winning the EDF Trophy whilst in National League Divison 1 (now the Championship)in 2008, the Amlin Challenge Cup against Bourgoin in 2009 and completing three trophies in three years after sealing their first top tier domestic trophy with the LV Cup win against Gloucester at Sixways.

Heartbreak was to follow though as Leinster over turned a massive 16 point deficit at half time to win by 11 points in Cardiff, holding the Saints scoreless in the process, and denying Northampton a second European crown.  Northampton's most recent final was last season's LV Cup final against our good selves in Worcester.  And we all know how that turned out.  

Saints Finals Record

Opponent	Result	Comp	Date	Venue
Leicester	L 14-26	Anglo-Welsh	18/03/2012	Worcester
Leinster	L 22-33	European	21/05/2011	Cardiff
Gloucester	W 30-24	Anglo-Welsh	21/03/2010	Worcester
Bourgoin	W 15-3	Euro Challenge	22/05/2009	Stoop
Exeter	W 24-13	Trophy	12/04/2008	Twickenham
Gloucester	L 22-40	Cup	05/04/2003	Twickenham
London Irish	L 7-38	Cup	20/04/2002	Twickenham
Munster	W 9-8	European	27/05/2000	Twickenham
Wasps	L 23-31	Cup	13/05/2000	Twickenham
Harlequins	L 13-25 A.E.T.	Cup	04/05/1991	Twickenham