Summary

  • Live text updates & radio commentary as Northampton host Leicester in Prem semi-final (19:45 BST)

  • Tom Litchfield scores first-half hat-trick and George Furbank crosses twice as Saints score seven tries to beat Leicester 45-31 and reach final

  • Tigers battled well throughout to stay in the contest and scored five tries of their own

  • Bath play Exeter at the Rec in the second semi-final on Saturday (15:00)

  • The winner will meet Saints in the Prem Final on 20 June at Twickenham

  • Saints finished top of the table in the regular season, with East Midlands rivals Tigers fourth

  • BBC radio commentary available on the Watch & Listen tab

  • Get Involved: Send us your views by clicking on the yellow button on this page

Send us your views

Live Reporting

Matt Cresswell and Deepak Mahay

  1. 'It's still all to play for'

    HT: Northampton 26-19 Leicester

    Chris Ashton
    Former England wing on Radio 5 Sports Extra

    I think the team that gives the least penalties away is going to give obviously less opportunities because that's what both teams have relied upon.

    There have not been many breaks in the centre, it's been played in each other's 22, so they just need to be a bit smarter discipline wise, but it's still all to play for, it can go either way still.

  2. 'Saints will be thinking they've been the better team'

    HT: Northampton 26-19 Leicester

    Graham McKechnie
    BBC Radio Northampton commentator

    Northampton Saints only lead by seven but I think they will go in thinking they are much the better team and on the reverse, Leicester know they've got a lot of rugby to play in the second half.

  3. Get Involved

    Nice match but how are Tigers losing!

    Sebastian, Wymondham

    This is agony! As a Saints supporter currently in the Dominican Republic and getting delayed feed of what sounds an awesome game so far. COYS

    Gary, Dominican Republic

    Tigers will score in the second half. Saints cannot keep up this pace, they will tire. Tigers bench will win it.

    Nick

  4. Half-time

    Northampton 26-19 Leicester

    And breathe everyone!

    Sometimes when a match has so much riding on it, it fails to deliver excitement. Not this one.

    Northampton came flying out the gates and scored through Tom Litchfield inside 90 seconds.

    That was the fastest try ever to be scored in a Prem play-off semi.

    Back roared the Tigers though and Hanro Liebenberg drove them onto the scoreboard before Freddie Steward extended over to give the visitors the lead.

    That was only brief, however, as Litchfield's opportunism saw him grab a second before Tommy Freeman got his fingertips to Fin Smith's pinpoint kick in behind to score.

    Superb footwork from Leicester's Ollie Hassell-Collins allowed him to dance inside and reduce the arrears for the Tigers but then, with the final act of the half, Litchfield claimed a first-half hat-trick, managing to dot down on the whitewash.

    A magnificent half of rugby.

  5. 'This breaks Leicester's resolve'

    Northampton 26-19 Leicester

    Lennie Newman
    Former Northampton Saints player and manager on BBC Radio Northampton

    It's so important to go in at half-time with the lead because what it does is it breaks the resolve of Leicester who would have been saying they are in this game.

  6. try

    Try: Northampton 26-19 Leicester

    Tom Litchfield, missed con Smith

    A first-half play-off hat-trick from Tom Litchfield!

    What an end to the half. Litchfield is so powerful here and just manages to find the whitewash under significant Tigers pressure.

    Fin Smith can't add the extras this time and that is half-time!

  7. 'Leicester are trying to be creative'

    Northampton 21-19 Leicester

    Tom Varndell
    Former England and Leicester wing on BBC Radio Leicester

    I wouldn't say Leicester are forcing it but they are trying stuff, they are trying to be a little bit more creative especially in the outside channels.

  8. try

    Try: Northampton 21-19 Leicester

    Ollie Hassell-Collins, con Billy Searle

    Ollie Hassell-CollinsShutterstock

    An absolutely fantastic finish by Ollie Hassell-Collins and Leicester are right back in this one once more!

    The ball is moved left at the base from scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet and Billy Searle kicks across to Hassell-Collins on the wing who steps inside one man before darting over through the challenge of a second.

    Searle then defies all sort of logic and physics by adding the extra two, left-footed, from the left-hand touchline.

    Fairly in-keeping with this game it has to be said.

  9. TMO review

    Northampton 21-12 Leicester

    We are back upstairs to TMO Stuart Terheege.

    Manny Iyogun is guilty of a high tackle on Tigers prop Joe Heyes and Leicester will have a penalty. No further action taken against Iyogun, who escapes a card on his 100th appearance for Saints today.

  10. 'Leicester not quite executing'

    Northampton 21-12 Leicester

    Adam Whitty
    BBC Radio Leicester commentator

    It feels like Leicester are trying all the right things but they are not quite executing at the moment.

  11. Northampton 21-12 Leicester

    Henry Pollock was offside when collecting the ball from a kick before diving over in typically stylish fashion.

    Huge cheers from the Tigers supporters inside Franklin's Gardens.

  12. Disallowed try

    Northampton 21-12 Leicester

    The try has been disallowed following a TMO review!

  13. try

    Try: Northampton 26-12 Leicester

    Henry Pollock

    Sensational rugby! Henry Pollock is over for Northampton's fourth.

    But hang on, we'll have a review here!

  14. Northampton 21-12 Leicester

    Fin Smith decides to go long with a pass to the wing but Northampton lose possession - great work from Leicester's Joaquin Moro.

    The Tigers are then penalised for offside in Saints territory, Ollie Hassell-Collins is deemed to be the guilty man.

  15. Northampton 21-12 Leicester

    Call against Manny Iyogun who is deemed to have collapsed the scrum. Penalty to Leicester.

    The visiting players cheer as if they have scored a try!

  16. 'Most Prem assists for Smith'

    Northampton 21-12 Leicester

    Sara Orchard
    BBC Sport rugby union commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live

    Fin SmithGetty Images

    It will come as absolutely no surprise to you that Finn Smith has the most Premiership assists this season with 13 and it's moments like that, that really make you think is he going to be leading England at the next World Cup in the 10 jersey?

  17. Get Involved

    Great game for the neutral so far!

    Zach, Livingston

    Sat on plane in Corfu. Never happier to have a delayed departure. Come on Tigers!

    Andy, Corfu

    Freeman... no try. How was that given??

    Nick, Mitcheldean

  18. Northampton 21-12 Leicester

    Knock on advantage and Northampton will have the put in at the scrum, deep in Tigers territory.

    The noise inside Franklin's Gardens at the moment is absolutely extraordinary.

  19. 'Fin Smith is in the thick of it'

    Northampton 21-12 Leicester

    Chris Ashton
    Former England wing on Radio 5 Sports Extra

    It's so good from Tommy Freeman and Fin Smith is in the thick of it - he's taking tackles carrying balls, finding offloads. This time he shakes a dummy up the middle all alone and as he's such a good player, he's got the awareness that his winger, the world class Tommy Freeman is on the right-hand side.

  20. try

    Try: Northampton 21-12 Leicester

    Tommy Freeman, con Fin Smith

    Absolutely majestic from Fin Smith!

    The England fly-half breaks the Tigers lines and his grubber kick to Tommy Freeman is absolutely perfect.

    Freeman takes it in his stride, taking a touch with the boot, before reaching out to get his fingertips onto the ball over the line.

    Smith then makes it three from three with the extras.