Saracens clinched their sixth Premiership title and their first in four years with a 35-25 win over Sale.

Victory was sweet for Sarries, who agonisingly missed out on the title last year after Freddie Burns’ last-minute drop-goal for Leicester.

Play was briefly stopped in the first half as protesters from Just Stop Oil invaded the pitch before being removed.

This was Saracens’ seventh Premiership final in the last 10 years, but their first title since 2019 following their relegation to the Championship for salary cap breaches in 2020.

Having missed out by the narrowest of margins a year ago, the win comes after a campaign in which the men in black dominated the league, finishing five points clear of Sale at the top.

The match was billed as a showdown between England number 10s George Ford and Owen Farrell and it started as such, with both fly-halves trading two penalties apiece in an even opening quarter.

There was little between the two sides when three protesters from Just Stop Oil suddenly invaded the pitch, throwing orange powder around and briefly stopping play.

When the match resumed, Sale seemed caught off guard by the disruption as they failed to deal with Alex Goode’s kick, which he chased down into the in-goal area.

In a scramble to stop a try, Tom Curry tackled Max Malins off the ball and referee Luke Pearce instantly awarded a penalty try and sent the Sale flanker to the sin-bin.

Despite the man disadvantage, Sale reacted well and while Ford missed a penalty to reduce the deficit, they got their first try on the board.

Saracens collapsed a scrum, opening the door for Sale to kick to the corner. After a series of pick-and-gos, Pearce ruled Van der Merwe had been held up on the line but the television match official intervened and the try was awarded.

Having created Saracens’ first try, the departing Malins got his name on the board to restore Saracens’ lead minutes later, scorching onto Farrell’s pass past two defenders to the line. Farrell’s conversion made it a 20-13 lead at the break.

But after the interval momentum shifted Sale’s way for the first time. Out of nothing, Van der Merwe broke through the defence and as Saracens failed to deal with his kick to the corner, Tom Roebuck dived acrobatically on the ball to score.

A third penalty from Farrell extended the gap to five points, but Sale boss Alex Sanderson rang the changes and they paid immediate dividends.

Replacement Bevan Rodd bundled over and Ford’s conversion gave Sharks the lead for the first time. Suddenly their fans started to believe.

But Saracens are a team who know how to win big finals and that experience told in the final quarter.

With 14 minutes left Sale full-back Joe Carpenter’s clearing kick was charged down in his own 22 as Saracens forced a turnover. The ball was moved out wide to Daly, who dived over at the left corner.

Then with 10 minutes left, Sarries struck the decisive blow. Scrum-half Van Zyl appeared to have been held up by Carpenter on the line, but after more deliberations from the TMO, the score was awarded.

There was still time for replacement Saracens prop Robin Hislop to be yellow-carded for a dangerous clear-out but Sale could not capitalise in the frenetic closing stages as Sarries held to seal another Premiership title.

Saracens: Goode; Malins, Lozowski, Tompkins, Maitland; Farrell (capt), Van Zyl; Mawi, George, Riccioni, Itoje, Tizard, Isiekwe, Earl, Wray.

Replacements: Dan, Hislop, Judge, Hunter-Hill, Knight, De Haas, Taylor, Daly.

Sin bin: Robin Hislop (74 mins)

Sale Sharks: Carpenter; Roebuck, R Du Preez, Tuilagi, Reed; Ford, Warr; McIntyre, Van der Merwe, Schonert, J-L Du Preez, Hill, T Curry, Dugdale, Ross (capt).

Replacements: Ashman, Rodd, Oosthuizen, Beaumont, Ellis, Quirke, James, O’Flaherty.

Sin bin: Tom Curry (23 mins)

Referee: Luke Pearce.