Northampton 25-21 Bath: Premiership Rugby final – as it happened | Premiership

Well that brings an end to a brilliant day. It’s a cliche to say that a game had everything, but, well, this one sort of did.

A red card. Blockbuster tries. Breathtaking attacks. Heroism on defence. Shredded nerves. A comeback. A youngster winning the player of the match with a wriggling run and a scrappy steal at the death. What more could you ask for?

Here’s Rob Kitston’s report from Twickers. With that I’ll sign off. Thanks for sticking with me. Hope you enjoyed that as much as I did.

Lewis Ludlum and Courtney Lawes lift the trophy!

They topped the league. They beat Saracens in the semis. They dazzled on attack and added heft, guile and tenacity to their defence. No one can deny that they deserve their flowers. A fantastic team throughout the campaign.

The teams are now making their way for the podium presentation.

Referee Christophe Ridley gets a warm reception. He had a great game.

Bath’s wait for a Premiership win goes on, but this is a side that is capable of ending the drought sooner rather than later. Credit to Bath’s supporters and their players. And a word for their South African coach, Johan Van Graan who has instilled belief throughout the organisation.

Now here’s the departing Alex Waller after 15 years and 370 plus Premiership games for Northampton:

I’m struggling to put this in words. We didn’t make it easy. Credit to Bath. It wasn’t our best performance of the year by any stretch, but hey, a win’s a win and I’ll take that as my last ever game.

This is why you play the game, to win trophies and we were without one for a long time.

I’m going to celebrate with the lads and my family and then disappear into the sunset. I don’t have to worry about preseason anymore. There’s massive things to come from these boys and I’m massively excited to watch on from the stands as a fan.

Here’s a calm looking George Hendy who is our player of the match and a Premiership champion. How does that sound?

It sounds pretty good, it sounds pretty good. I can’t complain at all.

To be honest I have no clue [on what he’s feeling]. A bit of everything. I really don’t know what to think to be honest.

[After the red card] we just tried to be us. We didn’t want to change how we’d played all season.

If you’d had told me how this season has gone – at the back of last season – I’d have bitten your hand off and called you a liar.

He’s the youngest player, and the only every replacement, to win the player of the match award in the Premiership final. What a story.

Heartbreak for Bath. But they can be proud of themselves having gone down to 14 men with just over an hour left on the clock. This would have been the most remarkable victory but it wasn’t to be. Titanic performances from Russell, Underhill, Du Toit and many others.

Triumphs for three departing Northampton legends in Lawes, Waller and Ludlum, but it’s a 21-year-old who was the hero this afternoon!

With Saints struggling, George ‘Bendy’ Hendy blitzed through an ocean of defenders to set up Mitchell’s decisive score and then it was his final rip of the ball who secured the win and the official player of the match award.

Full-time! Northampton 25-21 Bath

They’re checking the rip from Hendy. Was it forward? I don’t think so. Northampton are celebrating.

Loose down the line, Bath spill the ball!

Bath win the ball and maul. It’s a solid base…

80+1 min: Bath win a scrum penalty. Gallagher has to get this kick to the corner. Do Saints try and nick it in the air or stay on the ground ready for a counter-shove?

10 metres out.

Around 30 metres out. Can Bath stick it?

80 min: Northampton knock-on from the line-out so Bath have one final chance. They can’t make use of the advantage so will have a scrum. It’s now or never.

79 min: Lawrence does so well to secure the ball from a cross-kick under pressure. One last chance for Bath. Oh but the ball is into touch as Bath can’t stick the final pass as Redpath tries to off-load. But no one is there to receive it.

77 min: Northampton win a scrum penalty. Is that the game? The ball got stuck under the Bath second row and that gave Saints the chance for a second shove. Another massive moment in a game filled with them.

76 min: Bath with a scrum on Saints’ 22 to the left. Both teams are going for the penalty. It’ll be a re-set instead.

TRY! Northampton 25-21 Bath (Mitchell, 74)

72 min: Saints win a penalty after securing the ball from the line-out. Furbank hoofs it into Bath territory. The most electric English team all season need to find a spark.

71 min: Smith is off. Furbank goes to 10. James comes on to wing and Hendy moves to fullback.

70 min: Bath win a scrum penalty in their own 22. Iyogun too eager to make an impact and he loses his shape. Gallagher clears to halfway. Bath are getting closer.

69 min: Saints within five after a tap and go from Mitchell (why did he do that?). They’re hurling themselves into contact. Smith is out of action being treated for a suspected calf injury. He might have to leave the field . Bath defending for their lives and there’s a knock-on! Lawes spills it after getting thwacked.

Penalty! Northampton 18-21 Bath (Russell, 67)

66 min: Bath with the line-out throw inside Saints territory. They’re struggling to find holes in midfield so go with the forwards and short carries. Augustus doesn’t roll away after the contact so Bath have a penalty bang in front of the poles. Surely they have to go for poles. After an age Russell points to the sticks and a shot at an unlikely lead with just under a quarter of an hour to play.

64 min: Another steal from a Bath player. This time it’s Redpath. Perfect technique over the ball, rolling Coles the ball carrier and picking his moment to pounce. Quality from the midfielder who also made the tackle on the rampaging second rower.

63 min: Now Saints have a proper chance to clear as Russell puts his hands where they don’t belong at the back of a ruck and it’s a penalty to Northampton.

62 min: A forward pass ends Bath’s ineffective move from the line-out. They go left, then right, but barely make a yard forward. Eventually a speculative pass drifts forward. Northampton have the scrum in their own 22.

60 min: Du Toit with a mighty turnover on the ground. He has been Bath’s best player (maybe). And rather than go for points, Gallagher hoofs it into Northampton’s 22 for a line-out. I’m genuinely stunned by Bath’s performance. They’ve been so good. Northampton have to sharpen up or a dream season could blow up in their faces.

59 min: Bath get the ball out the scrum and they’re fizzing it down the line. A delicious off-load from Lawrence to Cokanasiga almost works. The winger perhaps wasn’t expecting it to come so fast. Either way, he can’t hold on so Saints will get the chance to clear.

57 min: Bath’s line-out move doesn’t work despite Underhill and Cokanasiga lining up to carry. A poor pass means Russell has to mop up which he does. Bath still have it and are now having to regenerate from outside the 22. Gallagher carries but he has it pinched from him by Freeman. Oh my word, Saints have coughed the ball. Langdon – who was flattened by Underhill earlier on – can’t get his hands in order and knocks on. Saints had an overlap forming. Instead they’ll have to defend a scrum on their 22.

55 min: Underhill has just bulldozed a tackler in the carry. That was staggering! Now Russell lands a majestic 50-22 and Bath have all momentum behind them. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Northampton look rattled. This is an astonishing performance from Bath.

54 min: Alex Waller is subbed and that’s the final act of his 15-year career with the club. What a champion.

TRY! Northampton 18-18 Bath (Muir, 52)

Has Muir scored a try?! They’re checking the grounding. A cross-kick Spencer. Did Muir knock-on or was it Hendy who had the touch?

51 min: Another pendulum shift as bath win a free-kick from the scrum and so will get the ball inside Northampton’s 22.

50 min: A wonderful carry from Lawrence takes the ball into Northampton’s 22. bath recycle and shift the ball from coast to coast. Gallagher takes it on with a stiff carry himself but Northampton are defending well. Gallagher again – he’s everywhere – but this time he’s held up and smothered by men in green and black. Superb from Saints who win the ball back on their own 22.

Penalty! Northampton 18-13 Bath (Smith, 48)

47 min: Now it’s a scrum penalty for Saints. Smith points to the poles. Lawes and co. know that this is a tight game, despite the man advantage, and points on the board are needed.

46 min: Messy line-out from Bath but they get lucky as Northampton spill the ball so we’ll have a Bath scrum.

45 min: Odendaal has been hooked for Hendy. The South African midfielder is being helped off the field after that double thwack from Russell and Underhill. And now Bath win the scrum penalty on their own line! My goodness, this team is refusing to lie down.

44 min: Northampton have a line-out five out after Bath give away a penalty shortly after the restart. Saints win the ball but there’s an almighjty tackle from Underhill and Russell doubles up by ripping the ball from Odendaal. Fantastic work from two superstar players. Bath need their big players to step up and that was a shining example to the rest.

Penalty! Northampton 15-13 Bath (Russell, 43)

42 min: Russell straightens and links with Cokanasiga on a lovely angle. He’s charging up field through tacklers and Bath win a penalty on the deck. Should be an easy three for Russell.

41 min: Ding-dong kicking from both teams. Feeling each out early on, probing for mistakes in the back field.

The players are back on the field. I’m 100% neutral but I hope Bath score first and somehow get a lead. I fear if Saints add another try in quick time this could end in a rout.

Here’s the Obano red. No questions, right?

Half-time: Northampton 15-10 Bath

40 min: Bath survive. Northampton off their feet. Pearson the guilty party. Sloppy from Saints. They had all the momentum but lost their accuracy at a crucial moment.

39 min: Saints five out. Mitchell everywhere. Odendaal with a big carry. Lawes with one himself. One final shot before half-time…

38 min: Saints, for all their brilliance in the tries, haven’t been faultless. There’s another knock-on in the backline. Actually, it’s a double knock-on. The first was from Bath so Saints have the scrum.

37 min: Bath give away the scrum penalty. Maybe too eager to get stuck into the collision. So Saints kick back into Bath’s territory and have the line-out.

35 min: Bath secure the line-out but it’s a mess as they go down the line (a drive with the maul might have been the better option). But Northampton knock-on as the blitz on defence so Bath get the scrum feed just outside the 22 in centre field.

34 min: Now Du Toit comes up with turnover steal! Bath are scrapping. Loving this energy from them. They’re back in Northampton’s 22 as Russell lands a great touch finder.

TRY! Northampton 15-10 Bath (Du Toit, 32)

TRY! Northampton 15-3 Bath (Sleightholme, 28)