DAN BIGGAR: Bath played heroically to fightback with 14 men but finals are about winning and Northampton deserve credit for turning it around

I don't think anyone can argue that the best team won the Premiership this season.

Northampton finished the regular campaign top of the table, playing some brilliant attacking rugby mixed with a big improvement in defence and physicality.

But their performance here was the most uncharacteristic I’ve seen from them in a long time. Their accuracy was badly off, with surprising ball-handling errors and bad decisions. It allowed Bath, who were heroic, to stay in the contest with 14 men.

I’ve played in games when your error and penalty counts are high and it feels everything is going against you. To get out of that rut is difficult. That’s why Saints deserve huge credit for turning it around to win it at the death. I’m delighted for my old side.

I played in two losing Premiership play-offs in my time at Saints and know how much winning this title will mean to everyone in Northampton. Celebrations will go on for a long, long time and such a dramatic win is the best possible way for club legends like Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam and Alex Waller to say goodbye.

I worked day in, day out with all three of them and know how much they’ve wanted to win the league for the team.

Bath can’t argue with Beno Obano’s red card. I felt for Obano as he was in tears on the sidelines after his sending off. But he hit Juarno Augustus high and there was no mitigation in my opinion.

Bath defied playing three quarters of the game with 14 men impressively. Part of the reason Northampton were so inaccurate was because their opposition’s line speed in defence was so good.

Bath flankers Sam Underhill and Ted Hill were magnificent. Even Finn Russell was putting his body on the line, forcing Burger Odendaal off with the help of Underhill. Bath stopped Saints playing the way they want to.

But Saints won’t care that they weren’t at their best. Finals are all about winning. With Lawes and Ludlam moving on, Saints will find it difficult to repeat this success so my advice is savour every minute.

Bath will be back. This defeat will hurt, but it might be the best thing that happens to them as sometimes you learn more from the pain of a loss than if you win.