Summary

  • Northampton Saints beat Exeter Chiefs 26-17 in Prem final

  • Freeman, Smith & Hendy double for Northampton

  • Ridl, Iosefa-Scott & Jenkins cross for Exeter

  • Northampton's third top-flight title after wins in 2014 and 2024

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  1. Postpublished at 14:57 BST 20 June

    Northampton v Exeter (15:00 BST)

    Here come the teams.

    Dafydd Jenkins leads out Chiefs first.

    Followed by the departing George Furbank for Saints.

    Both sides walk past the Prem trophy on their way to the pitch.

    One of them will be lifting that a little later on.

  2. 'Saints having Mitchell back is huge'published at 14:56 BST 20 June

    Northampton v Exeter (15:00 BST)

    Daisy Hibbert-Jones
    Lightning captain on BBC Radio Northampton

    Alex Mitchell is a world class player, he's almost in his own league and the fact that Northampton have managed to get him fit in time for this game is only going to be huge.

  3. Postpublished at 14:54 BST 20 June

    Northampton v Exeter (15:00 BST)

    Brent Pilnick
    BBC Sport at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham

    The excitement is starting to build here at Twickenham.

    We're expecting the two sides out any minute now in front of a capacity 82,000 crowd.

  4. Both teams eyeing third titlepublished at 14:52 BST 20 June

    Northampton v Exeter (15:00 BST)

    Alex Mitchell and Olly WoodburnImage source, Shutterstock

    Both these sides have won the top-flight title twice in their history and have the chance to get a third star on the badge today.

    For Exeter, who finished ninth in the Prem last season, a Twickenham return represents their first final since 2021 when they were beaten by Harlequins.

    That game ended the club's first great period of dominance having reached six successive finals, winning two of them.

    Since then the Chiefs have had three consecutive seventh-placed finishes before last season's troubles and their third-placed finish this time.

    Northampton last won the title two years ago when Alex Mitchell's late try secured a 25-21 win over Bath.

    It was their second title, adding to arguably the most dramatic final win in history when Alex Waller's try in the last minute of extra time - after four minutes of television replay scrutiny - sealed a 24-20 win over Saracens in 2014.

  5. Saints had slight edge over Chiefs in leaguepublished at 14:51 BST 20 June

    Northampton v Exeter (15:00 BST)

    Saints players arriving at TwickenhamImage source, Getty Images

    Northampton go into the showpiece sell-out final with a slight edge over Exeter in head-to-head league results this season.

    Saints secured a dramatic 35-28 win over the Chiefs at Sandy Park in March thanks to Fin Smith's last-gasp try as the game appeared to be heading for a second stalemate between the sides.

    The pair began the season with a 33-33 draw at Franklin's Gardens as Exeter came back from a 33-7 half-time deficit to register a confidence-boosting result that set the tone for an excellent season.

  6. 'The water breaks will be very useful'published at 14:48 BST 20 June

    Northampton v Exeter (15:00 BST)

    John Lockyer
    Former Exeter Chiefs captain on BBC Radio Devon

    It's very, very humid. It's cloudy but it's a very oppressively hot atmosphere. There isn't any breeze.

    From a forwards' point of view, the front five boys are really going to feel this because they're the ones who will do all the grunt and groan, all the engine room work and all the really hard work up front.

    I think the water breaks will be very useful, but you've got to keep concentrating. You can't have a water break and wonder what the next part of the game is going to be.

  7. Baxter aims to limit quick ball for 'dangerous' Saintspublished at 14:46 BST 20 June

    Northampton v Exeter (15:00 BST)

    Rob BaxterImage source, Shutterstock

    Exeter's director of rugby Rob Baxter urged his side to stay on the front foot against the free-scoring Saints.

    "Obviously every team is dangerous with quick ball, but Northampton are probably the most dangerous," said Baxter.

    "So what have we got to do? We've got to fight in all areas, we can't give up the ball too much. We can't try and let the game be about Northampton's attack against our defence because if it gets to that stage you're probably losing it.

    "The way you nullify their attack is them not having the ball, so there's going to be some elements of us making sure we attack with quality, because any time we're attacking with quality they aren't."

  8. 'These are the occasions that you want to play in'published at 14:44 BST 20 June

    Northampton v Exeter (15:00 BST)

    Phil DowsonImage source, Shutterstock

    Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson said despite the pressure of the occasion he and his team would enjoy the day.

    "You enjoy the tensions and the nerves," the former England flanker said.

    "These are the occasions that you want to play in, that you want to coach in and these are the occasions that I'm determined to enjoy."

    Dowson said he had great respect for a Chiefs side that ran Saints close in both league fixtures this season.

    "They've got a power game. They've got some great players like Skinner and Slade to move the ball as well and I like Varney at nine - he challenges the fringes like our nines do so they're a handful," he said.

    "This group is incredibly physical. A very dangerous group. They've got outrageous athletes in Paul Brown-Bampoe and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso."

  9. Hot and humid at HQpublished at 14:42 BST 20 June

    Northampton v Exeter (15:00 BST)

    Brent Pilnick
    BBC Sport at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham

    Exeter fans outside TwickenhamImage source, Shutterstock

    Whoever wins today, they will have to overcome a really hot and humid day.

    The weather forecast says it is 26C at the moment, but it's muggy and not great for running around!

    There will be hydration breaks midway through each half.

    Whoever can master the heat might well be the the side that comes away with the trophy this afternoon.

  10. Exeter's comeback stuns defending champions Bathpublished at 14:40 BST 20 June

    Northampton v Exeter (15:00 BST)

    Greg FisilauImage source, Shutterstock

    Exeter have timed their run of form brilliantly to make it into the final after picking up some vital wins to ensure they made it into the top four ahead of the likes of Saracens and Bristol.

    They have produced some eye-catching results along the way, none more so than in last week's semi-final away at Bath where they produced a sublime second-half turnaround to stun the defending champions.

    After being dominated by Bath in the first half the Chiefs trailed 26-10 at the break, with not many viewers giving them a chance of a comeback - how wrong they were.

    Exeter scored three second-half tries and kept Bath's stellar names scoreless, and it was a huge last-ditch defensive effort that secured the win late on as Chiefs became just the second side in the past decade to win a Prem semi-final away from home.

  11. Northampton overcome Leicester in derby classicpublished at 14:38 BST 20 June

    Northampton v Exeter (15:00 BST)

    Tom LitchfieldImage source, Shutterstock

    Northampton won 14 of their 18 regular season matches to finish top of the table and faced East Midlands rivals Leicester, who had beaten them in May, in last week's semi-final.

    It was a gripping contest from minute one with Saints' attacking prowess on show as Tom Litchfield scored a first-half hat-trick against a Tigers side that battled hard and just would not go away.

    The game continued at a frenetic pace after the interval as George Furbank crossed but again Orlando Bailey hit back to keep Tigers in touch as Northampton threatened to pull away.

    Ollie Hassell-Collins then reduced the gap further for Leicester but it was captain Furbank who scored the decisive late score to finally settle the contest and ensure Saints would travel to Twickenham.

  12. Exeter boosted by Feyi-Waboso's returnpublished at 14:36 BST 20 June

    Northampton v Exeter (15:00 BST)

    Immanuel Feyi-WabosoImage source, Getty Images

    England winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso starts for Exeter less than three weeks after undergoing facial surgery.

    The 23-year-old was operated on after injuring his jaw in Chiefs' win at Leicester and missed the victory over Saracens as well as last week's semi-final win at Bath.

    He replaces Paul Brown-Bampoe, who drops out of the squad in one of two changes to the starting line-up.

    Ethan Roots returns to the back row after passing head injury protocols with Wales international Christ Tshiunza, scorer of an excellent try last week, dropping to the bench.

    Exeter: Woodburn; Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Ikitau, Ridl; Skinner, Varney; Sio, Norey, Iosefa-Scott, Jenkins (capt), Zambonin, Hooper, Roots, Fisilau.

    Replacements: Dweba, Burger, Tchumbadze, Tshiunza, Vintcent, James, Cairns, Haydon-Wood.

  13. Mitchell back on bench for Saintspublished at 14:34 BST 20 June

    Northampton v Exeter (15:00 BST)

    Alex MitchellImage source, Shutterstock

    Northampton scrum-half Alex Mitchell is named among the replacements having been cleared by England after suffering a hamstring injury while on a training camp with the national side.

    He is the only change to the squad as Saints keep the same side that won 45-31 against Leicester in last week's semi-final for the trip to Twickenham.

    Captain George Furbank will hope to win the title in his final game for the club before his summer move to Harlequins, while England stars Fin Smith, Henry Pollock and Tommy Freeman are in a side that have lost just three Prem games all season.

    Northampton: Furbank (capt); Freeman, Litchfield, Hutchinson, Hendy; Smith, McParland; Iyogun, Langdon, Millar Mills, Coles, Prowse, Kemeny, Pearson, Pollock.

    Replacements: Wright, Fischetti, Green, Van Der Mescht, Lockett, Chick, Mitchell, Dingwall.

  14. Welcome to Prem final daypublished at 14:30 BST 20 June

    Northampton v Exeter (15:00 BST)

    Prem final arrivalsImage source, Shutterstock

    The big day is finally here. After a long, hard season just two teams remain.

    Table-toppers Northampton Saints take on comeback kings the Exeter Chiefs at Twickenham in the Prem final this afternoon.

    Both semi-finals were absolutely engrossing affairs so let's all keep our fingers crossed that the final follows suit and gives us a game that will live long in the memory.