Saracens vs Gloucester LIVE: Reigning champions through to another Premiership final with crushing win
Follow the latest updates from the Premiership semi-final at Allianz Park
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Your support makes all the difference.Saracens will defend their Premiership title after defeating Gloucester 44-19 in a dominant display to book their place in next weekend's Twickenham showcase.
Gloucester briefly threatened an upset by scoring the first try of the match just three minutes into the semi-final through Ben Morgan, but the response from Saracens was emphatic as Sean Maitland, Ben Spencer and Liam Wiliams scored before the break.
The best was saved for the second half though, as Nick Tompkins came on to score a 28-minute hat-trick, with Gloucester scoring late consolations through Ruan Dreyer and Lewis Ludlow. Re-live the action below.
What time does it start?
Saracens vs Gloucester kicks off at 1:30pm on Saturday 25 May.
Where can I watch it?
The Premiership semi-final will be shown live on BT Sport 1 from 12:45pm.
What is the other semi-final?
Premiership table-toppers Exeter Chiefs take on Northampton Saints at 4.30pm.
Odds
Saracens: 1/6
Gloucester: 11/2
Draw (after 80 minutes): 25/1
What happens if it’s a draw?
There will be a five-minute break followed by a period of extra time of ten minutes each way, with a one-minute interval. If the scores remain equal, then the winner will be the team which has scored the most tries in the game (including extra time).
If the scores are level and the number of tries scored is equal, then there shall be a place kick competition. Each team nominates three kickers who will attempt to slot the ball through posts from six designated positions on the 10 and 22-metre lines. If the scores are tied after the six kicks for each team, it will go to “sudden death” from the middle of the 10-metre line. The three kickers must have been playing at the final whistle of extra time.
Teams
Saracens: Goode; Williams, Lozowski, Barritt, Maitland; Farrell, Spencer; Barrington, George, Koch; Skelton, Kruis; Itoje, Wray, B Vunipola.
Replacements: Gray, Adams-Hale, Judge, Isiekwe, Rhodes, Wigglesworth, Tompkins, Strettle.
Gloucester: Woodward; Sharples, Twelvetrees, Atkinson, Marshall; Cipriani, Heinz; Hohneck, Marais, Balmain; Slater, Mostert; Ackermann, Kriel, Morgan.
Replacements: Sherry, Rapava Ruskin, Dreyer, Savage, Ludlow, Polledri, Vellacott, Purdy.
Welcome to The Independent's live coverage of today's Premiership semi-final between Saracens and Gloucester, brought to you from pitchside at Allianz Park.
With kick-off at 1:30pm this afternoon - the first of a semi-final double as Exeter vs Northampton gets underway at 4.30pm - we'll be kicking off our full coverage from 12:30pm.
It's a beautiful sunny day in Barnet where the Gloucester team have just arrived to a warm reception, as good numbers have travelled down from the West Country for what is the club's biggest match in eight years.
Before we begin with our full build-up, the teams have just been confirmed by both sides and there's no chnges to report. With that in mind, here's how they line up this afternoon:
Saracens: Goode; Williams, Lozowski, Barritt, Maitland; Farrell, Spencer; Barrington, George, Koch; Skelton, Kruis; Itoje, Wray, B Vunipola.
Replacements: Gray, Adams-Hale, Judge, Isiekwe, Rhodes, Wigglesworth, Tompkins, Strettle.
Gloucester: Woodward; Sharples, Twelvetrees, Atkinson, Marshall; Cipriani, Heinz; Hohneck, Marais, Balmain; Slater, Mostert; Ackermann, Kriel, Morgan.
Replacements: Sherry, Rapava Ruskin, Dreyer, Savage, Ludlow, Polledri, Vellacott, Purdy.
Plenty of the focus of today's match centres around the battle at 10, with Owen Farrell going up against Danny Cipriani.
11 months ago the two were lining up together for England against South Africa, but that was the last time Cipriani wore the red rose and many believe this is his chance to get back in it.
However, there is plenty more to this game than what it means for England...
With the teams out warming up, they're surrounded by a sea of black, red and white, as the many Cherry and White jerseys on display blend in with the flags that Saracens have surrounding the pitch in. It all looks rather picturesque right now.
Gloucester leave it late to head in from the warm-up, with just eight minutes to go until kick-off as Billy Twelvetrees leads his side past the roaring West Stand. Saracens are well and truly underway with their final preparations after disappearing some five minutes ago, evidently happy with how they're shaping up for the match.
Gloucester get a huge reception as they run out, and you'd be forgiven for thinking we're in the heart of The Shed, such is the travelling support.
The Sarries chants quickly pick up though, and here come the reigning champions!
Led out by David Strettle on his final appearance here before retirement, Saracens have given it the works - flamethrowers, fireworks, flags and an emormous shirt on the pitch.
Here we go!
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