Northampton 25-21 Bath: Courtney Lawes signs off as a champion as Saints survive a fierce fightback to win Gallagher Premiership at Twickenham

Long after the final whistle, Courtney Lawes stood out on the pitch, watching his four children run through the ticker tape of victory. They have grown up in Northampton colours but are too young to share their father’s proud relief.

A sense of relief that the club’s 10-year-wait for a Premiership trophy was over. A sense of relief at not blowing it against a Bath team that spilt blood in defiance. A sense of relief that, after 93 matches, the competition had its rightful champions.

It was an imperfect performance, yet it was the perfect send-off for the likes of Lawes, Lewis Ludlam and Alex Waller. They have been at the club since they were schoolboys and this was the crown on years of painful growth.

They depart as club legends but leave the place in promising hands. Fin Smith and Alex Mitchell have taken over the reins but yesterday it was 21-year-old George Hendy who made the difference.

For so long, Northampton were shut out by Bath’s defensive resolve. With Beno Obano sent off in the first-half, Sam Underhill delivered one of the most remarkable tackling displays in finals history, landing hits that statistics cannot do justice.

Saints were dragged into a street fight. They were hammered at the breakdown and had the swagger beaten out of them. They were seven minutes away from defeat here before Hendy, a local boy who still plays wicket keeper for his village cricket club in Northamptonshire, came off the bench to make two title-winning interventions in attack and defence.

From the start, the Saints were riddled with nerves. Ollie Sleightholme fumbled the first attack and discipline slipped to gift Finn Russell two early shots at goal. Bath’s No 10 puffed out his cheeks after missing the first, but laughed it off to slot his second.

Smith also missed his first kick at goal, before drawing level with an early drop goal. The match was in the balance, with Ben Spencer hounding Mitchell to stop Saints finding their rhythm.

Bath’s defensive intensity invaded Northampton’s space but it boiled over when prop Obano hit Juarno Augustus’ head with force in the tackle. No mitigation. Straight red card. It turned into a tortuous watch for Obano. 

A public humiliation, his face flashing on the big screen every time Northampton seemed to do something good. Bath’s coaching team disagreed it was foul play but Obano’s tears on the touchline will be one of this final’s indelible images.

Part of the club since 2015, his team-mates were still consoling him when Tommy Freeman scored the first try from a lineout strike-play. The inside pass from Lawes to George Furbank in the build-up was a reminder of what Northampton will miss. A Lions tourist in 2025? Do not bet against it.

In a cruel twist, young Bath No 8 Alfie Barbeary was pulled off following Obano’s red, so Pierre Schoeman could firm up the scrum. Bath had to recalibrate. Russell was suddenly robbed of two of his most powerful strike weapons, so Spencer became the fulcrum of their attack. 

Bath slowed the ball down, set piece to set piece, turnover to turnover, doing whatever they could to save their legs. A fortunate bounce on Sleighthome’s banana kick allowed him to touch down but Bath’s defence prevented them from moving further clear. They counter-rucked and threw backs into their driving mauls, with prop Thomas du Toit scoring a defiant try from a pick-and-go.

Russell struck early in the second-half. He had a look of determination, with raw grazes across his face, as his try-line tackle stopped Burger Odendaal in his tracks.

There was a naivety in Saints’ display. Mitchell’s determination to inject tempo resulted in turnovers and handling errors. Smith turned down three pointers for kicks to the corners; risks that delivered little reward.

Their young No 10 eventually kicked another penalty but Bath fought back. With a penalty advantage, Spencer spotted space out wide and sent a perfectly weighted kick off his left boot. 

Hendy failed to claim the high ball and Will Muir pounced to level the scores with a counter-strike. George Furbank and Curtis Langdon spilled balls, Du Toit won turnovers and Northampton were pinned deep in their own half after Russell’s 50-22.

Time ticking down, Northampton conceded their seventh breakdown penalty. Russell took a swig of water, watching the clock wind down, before kicking Bath into a compelling lead. A performance full of guts and glory, they were minutes away from a first Premiership crown since 1996.

But sport is cruel. Freeman stole the restart and Obano pulled the hood over his head. Hendy stepped on the gas, beating Ollie Lawrence for pace on a weaving run and offloading to Mitchell, whose sprint finish put the Saints on course for victory.

Like a heavyweight boxer pummelled through 12 rounds, muscles barely firing, Bath kept swinging until the 83rd minute. But young Hendy ripped the ball out of their grasp, ensuring his old colleagues had their glorious send-off, welcoming the final whistle with a visceral relief.