Brits determined Saracens won't let chance slip

If Brits and company topple reigning champions Leicester, Saracens will become only the fifth club after Tigers, Wasps, Newcastle and Sale Sharks to secure Premiership silverware.

And bolstered by the return of fit-again club skipper Steve Borthwick – No8 Ernst Joubert retains the captaincy duties he has performed in Borthwick's absence since March – Saracens know they must seize the moment.

"Saracens, not only as a team but as a club and as a family, have been waiting for this moment," said South African hooker Brits, the recently-crowned players' player of the year. "Guys like (lock) Hugh Vyvyan, who have been there for ages, deserve to be in a final. It is going to be a great day for Saracens.

"We have some great young English players coming through the system at Saracens and it is really exciting. There is something special happening at Saracens and I am just so glad to be part of that process of growing. We are not nearly close to the finished project, but we are getting there."

Saracens' recent expansive rugby has been in stark contrast to their conservative early-season approach. While both styles brought plenty of victories, their current game-plan is adventurous enough to cause any team problems, even Leicester.

"I knew when we were playing like that (conservatively] it was for the benefit of the side," added Brits. "We didn't lose. It wasn't beautiful rugby, but it was the way the game was refereed at the time.

"You can always practice defence, but you need to gel more in attack; it is more instinctive. Now we are attacking it gives the team a lot more confidence."

Leicester fly-half Toby Flood, who missed last season's Premiership final victory over London Irish due to injury, believes Saracens' triumph at Welford Road during the regular league season three weeks ago gave Tigers a jolt they might have needed.

The defeat ended Leicester's 31-game unbeaten home record and England star Flood said: "The blip against Sarries was good for us. To have that home record taken away from us really hurt. It resulted in a massive week post-Saracens leading into the Bath play-off game. The silver lining was that it was a good kick up the backside."

Leicester are unchanged from the side that beat Bath last time out, which means flanker Lewis Moody making his farewell appearance after 14 seasons with the club before joining Bath. Moody is among eight England internationals in a starting XV skippered by Geordan Murphy as Leicester target a ninth English title, while today represents a sixth successive Premiership final appearance

Leicester head coach Richard Cockerill said: "There are two very good teams in the final. Saracens are well-drilled and well-disciplined, and they don't give much away. Finals are big days out for everybody and the enthusiasm to go out there on the big day is as big as ever for us."

Leicester: G Murphy (capt); S Hamilton, M Smith, A Allen, A Tuilagi; T Flood, B Youngs; M Ayerza, G Chuter, M Castrogiovanni, L Deacon, G Parling, T Croft, L Moody, J Crane. Replacements: J Duffey, D Cole, B Stankovich, C Newby, B Woods, J Grindal, J Staunton, D Hipkiss.

Saracens: A Goode; M Tagicakibau, A Powell, B Barritt, C Wyles; G Jackson, N de Kock; M Aguero, S Brits, P du Plessis, S Borthwick, H Vyvyan, J Burger, A Saull, E Joubert (capt). Replacements: F Ongaro, R Gill, R Skuse, M Botha, J Melck, J Marshall, D Hougaard, K Ratuvou.

Referee: Dave Pearson (Rugby Football Union). Assistant referees: Stuart Terheege and Robin Goodliffe (RFU).