Northampton come from behind to beat Exeter and seal Prem Rugby title

Tries:

Freeman (2), Smith (32), Hendy (65,68)

Conversions:

Smith (3,33,69)

>Tries:

Ridl (10), Iosefa-Scott (40), Jenkins (52)

Conversions:

Slade (53)

> Northampton vs Exeter

Gallagher Prem 3:00pm Saturday 20th June

>Two George Hendy tries in three final-quarter minutes saw Northampton Saints come from behind to beat Exeter Chiefs 26-17 and clinch the 2026 Prem Rugby title at Twickenham.

>Saints were seeking their third Prem crown after previously becoming champions of England in 2014 and 2024, and scored tries through Tommy Freeman and Fin Smith in addition to Hendy's crucial double in the 65th and 68th minutes.

>Exeter - who came from 16 points down to knock out defending champions Bath in the semis - fell 14-5 behind in the contest but hit back through Josh Iosefa-Scott and Dafydd Jenkins tries to lead by three points.

>Cameron Ridl had scored the Chiefs' first in a chance-filled first half, but the last of Exeter's tries arrived with Northampton back-row Josh Kemeny in the sin-bin. Once Jenkins joined him after a high-tackle offence, Saints took control to fight back and claim glory.

>Northampton took the lead in the final inside two minutes as a backline calamity from Exeter presented a gift wing Freeman could not fail to take - Immanuel Feyi-Waboso colliding with Olly Woodburn by the Chiefs try-line to pop the ball loose for Freeman to score.

>As Exeter looked to respond, Henry Pollock did brilliantly to strip possession from Jenkins by the 22, and once Tom Pearson won a Saints breakdown penalty at the other end, they had a clear opportunity to add three points.

>Surprisingly, Northampton turned down the shot at goal in favour of a kick to the corner, and it proved the wrong call when Pollock was held up over the try-line.

>In the 10th minute, Exeter struck back out of nothing as a Smith crossfield kick was taken in by Freeman, but as the wing was being dumped into touch he flung the ball back in play. Exeter centre Len Ikitau claimed possession and then passed on for wing Ridl to scorch in down the left.

>Slade's conversion veered wide, and Exeter then missed two huge chances for the lead.

>First, Slade knocked on by the try-line after he had done well to kick a loose ball on twice, while scrum-half Stephen Varney then surely would have scored had Ridl executed a better pass - the wing's inside ball causing Varney to juggle possession twice, allowing Freeman to cut him down.

>Exeter should have been made to pay for such profligacy in the 18th minute, when Hendy gave an indication of his rapid pace to burst onto a Smith kick and pass inside for George Furbank, who had nothing but the try-line ahead of him, only to spill the ball.

>A stunning Varney 50:22 soon put Exeter back attacking in the right areas, but their lineout - which struggled throughout the final - went awry at the most inopportune moment.

>Just prior to the half-hour, Exeter missed another massive try chance when a lineout maul drive was held up over the try-line, and just after the half-hour Northampton then notched their second.

>After an initial Alex Coles break into the 22, Saints proceeded to produce a controlled attack in the 22 off a scrum, with Pollock launching from the base, and latch carries then bringing them up to the try-line where Smith was the man to get over.

>When the fly-half converted again, the Northampton lead stood at 14-5.

>Exeter knew they simply had to score next in the final, and they managed to right on the cusp of half-time as their misfiring lineout peculiarly worked to their advantage - Joseph Dweba's throw was not gathered by Jenkins, but tighthead Iosefa-Scott alert at the tail to gather and power his way over.

>A poor Slade conversion miss left Exeter four points adrift, and they began the second period with two big errors: another attacking lineout in the 22 failing to execute, and Varney kicking out on the full.

>Despite some Saints pressure, they could not score, however, with Kemeny harshly sin-binned for a glancing high tackle on Jenkins in the 51st minute following a TMO review.

>A minute later, Exeter immediately made their numerical superiority count when Jenkins finished down the right after Feyi-Waboso had carried hard and made metres through the middle.

>Slade converted on this occasion for a three-point lead, but Exeter then survived a major let off when Northampton scrum-half Alex Mitchell somehow failed to score, knocking on while diving for a try after superb play from Pollock and Coles had set up the chance.

>A high tackle from Jenkins on Furbank was also reviewed from earlier in that Mitchell move, though, with the Exeter skipper joining Kemeny off the park in another harsh-looking decision.

>Once Kemeny returned to restore Northampton to 15 players, they had six minutes or so against a player less and managed to score twice right at the end of that sin-bin period to turn the final on its head.

>With 15 minutes to play, Hendy finished wonderfully in almost no space in the corner, and he scored again with 12 minutes left, racing on to reach a Smith grubber kick in another fantastic show of finishing.

>Smith crucially landed the touchline conversion to stretch the Saints lead to two scores, and with Pollock perhaps fortunate to avoid a card of some description for an off-the-ball collision on Ridl late on, Chiefs could not trouble a resolute and determined Northampton defence again.

>"It's a dream. The season has been so long, I'm just delighted.

>"All that pressure, we really showed up today, so I'm happy.

>"The whole team had pressure, and I thought we rose to that really well. Pressure is a privilege and if you take it in the right way, you can use it to your advantage.

>"Exeter were amazing, we knew they were going to come back at us in the second half, and our defence showed up really well.

>"My boyhood club, I'm so happy. It's what you dream of as a little kid."