An exciting Gallagher Premiership comes to an end this Saturday. Bath and Leicester Tigers will clash, and only one will leave the Allianz Stadium a champion.
There will be a tremendous amount of talent on the pitch. The rugby world’s attention will quickly turn to the British and Irish Lions tour, as well as other internationals.
England will head to South America to take on Argentina. With many English players committed to the Lions tour in Australia, the door is open for others to stake their claim to the famous jersey.
With Alex Mitchell unavailable, it will be interesting to see who will wear the number nine jersey.
This adds an extra element of intrigue to the weekend’s final, as it could be seen as a shootout between Ben Spencer and Jack van Poortvliet.
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Ben Spencer
Spencer is a vital part of Bath, who have become a formidable force in European club rugby.
He arrived in the league in 2011, trading Cambridge RFC for Saracens, and over time, his name has become woven into the fabric of the competition. Spencer spent nine years with Saracens.
Throughout that time, he captured four Premiership titles alongside three Champions Cups. The Englishman made a name for himself with a potent kicking game and rapid distribution.
In 2020, the scrum-half made the move to Bath and is captain of the side, leading the team to a Premiership final last season.
Yet this is where Bath have truly hit their stride, capturing the Challenge Cup and, on Saturday, will be hunting for the treble.
In terms of international honours, it has been a rollercoaster ride for Spencer. Even though he was part of the 2019 World Cup squad, the former Saracen has struggled to nail down his place in the England squad.
As Mitchell takes his place with the Lions squad, the stage is set for Spencer to step up and make his mark for England.
Jack van Poortvliet
Facing Spencer on Saturday will be van Poortvliet. A product of the Tigers academy, like Spencer, van Poortvliet has become an integral part of his team.
Two years after joining the Leicester academy, he made his senior debut, and a year after that, van Poortvliet made his Premiership debut.
The Norwich-born scrum-half has now made over 90 appearances for the Tigers. Sharp in thought and bold in action, van Poortvliet has marshalled his team with confidence and control.
There was a tremendous amount of excitement at Welford Road heading into the season, thanks to the arrival of legendary head coach Michael Cheika.
Leicester have delivered on the hype and will go into Saturday’s match full of confidence.
Similar to Spencer, van Poortvliet has had an up-and-down relationship with the England shirt. After making appearances for England U20s, he got his senior call-up in 2022.
He crossed the whitewash for a debut try against Australia. Van Poortvliet would go on to be named in the 2023 World Cup squad.
Most recently, he started a Test against South Africa and came off the bench in the Six Nations.
You can draw many parallels between Spencer and van Poortvliet. One thing is for sure: they both want that England shirt in the summer.
Saturday’s Showdown
We are in for a blockbuster encounter this Saturday. Two teams loaded with talent, with only one thing in mind: victory.
Bath will go into the contest as clear favourites, having been a dominant force throughout the season. Johann van Graan’s side are coming off a brilliant victory against the Bristol Bears.
Leicester, on the other hand, showed all their grit and desire against Sale Sharks, as they saw off a late charge from the opposition.
Both Spencer and van Poortvliet will play prominent roles in the contest—one that will also determine who will start for England in the summer.
While Randall’s talent speaks for itself, it’s Spencer and van Poortvliet who’ve seized the moment. If Borthwick has his eye on the summer, this game may offer the answer.
By Pete Ryan
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