Northampton Saints book Premiership final place after winning derby against Leicester

Northampton Saints will be in the final of rugby’s Prem after they edged out derby rivals Leicester Tigers in a 45-31 victory at Franklin’s Gardens.

Two tries by Saints captain George Furbank in his final home appearance for the club and three Tom Litchfield tries were among seven registered as the Saints took the win against their rivals and in turn book their return to the Prem final.

Tommy Freeman and Archie McParland also scored tries for the Saints, with 5 conversions also scored along the way.

The Saints took an early lead through the fastest try in Premiership play-off history as they took the lead through Litchfield’s first try with 87 seconds on the clock, starting a frantic first half that saw a combined 45 points scored by the two teams. But with the Saints able to take a 26-19 lead in the first half, Sam Vesty’s side were able to get the tries needed to take the win and book their spot in the grand final.

Northampton Saints will be in the grand final at Twickenham next Saturday (20/06) when they play one of Bath or Exeter Chiefs, who play their semi-final today (13/06).

The result means the Saints reach the final for the second time in three tournaments, having reached and won the final in the 2024, and having previously finished top of the regular season league table.