Eroni Mawi seals top spot for Saracens to end London Irish’s playoff bid

London Irish’s hopes of reaching the Premiership playoffs were extinguished in brutal fashion by Saracens who ensured they will finish top of the pile, all but confirming a home semi-final against Northampton in three weeks’ time.

Sarries were not at their best but in many ways it was a vintage performance, the kind they have served up so often in these parts, recovering from a slow start to grind Irish down before squeezing the life out of them with Owen Farrell to the fore.

Declan Kidney put on a diplomatic front but Irish supporters will feel aggrieved that, whereas Saracens fielded an almost full-strength side here, they were much changed in a defeat by Northampton the week previous and, whichever way you look at it, that squad rotation has contributed to Irish missing out on the playoffs.

“Saracens had earned the right, because of where they were in the league, to pick the teams they wanted for the matches they wanted,” said Kidney, the Exiles’ director of rugby, whose side were unbeaten in their previous three games against Saracens. “There’s lots I could say about it but there’s no point. We’d never use it as an excuse.”

It is nonetheless a promising season – certainly a second half to it – for Irish and they had some impressive performers here, none more so than the No 8 So’otala Fa’aso’o. They have a raft of young English talent to build around too and if they can secure off‑field investment to safeguard their future which, in this climate, is easier said than done there are grounds for optimism next season.

The final playoff place belongs to Northampton, however, after last Friday’s thumping win in Newcastle and assuming Leicester do not slip to defeat by an unrealistic points margin – they have 63 to play with