- 5 months ago
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00:00:09Fischetti, another kick through from Fairbank, this time Woodburn had plenty of time to sort himself out.
00:00:17He's had too much time, hesitated there, rescued on the floor.
00:00:31Use it.
00:00:34Fosvani are trying to get this off the field, last thing you want is a counter-attack with everybody so
00:00:39tired.
00:00:47Fairbank, weaving his way through, will be employed across the road by Harlequins next season.
00:00:55Still emptying the tank for his boyhood club.
00:00:58Coles, oh and Mitchell, insane strike, hang on, hang on.
00:01:05He's lost it on his way to glory it would seem and that's certainly Matthew Carley's suspicion.
00:01:14Looks like it's short and then lost forward.
00:01:16Oh my goodness, what it look like from here.
00:01:19There's a few things to look at here Nick.
00:01:21On field decision is no try, I believe it was short and then lost forward in Wigley's check.
00:01:28I think the grounding's the last thing to look at but the initial pass around the breakdown looked forward.
00:01:33Exactly the same to me as the pass up there for your try.
00:01:36Another job for Ian Tempest, our television match official in the truck in the car park.
00:01:40The ball came up to you.
00:01:43Well, we're busy with this first.
00:01:45He's lost that.
00:01:47Great defence from Riddle.
00:01:50Where do they restart, do they go back and look at the forward pass for the breakdown?
00:01:53But it created the break.
00:01:55What decision is, I'm going to check a tackle, so that has been lost forward, it's no try.
00:02:01OK, one second, so we have a decision, that is no try because it is lost forward.
00:02:06But the team in Wigley's previous foul play there.
00:02:10Just checking foul play, there was an upright tackle from Jenkins.
00:02:14On Green 15 Matthew.
00:02:16On Furbank, but Furbank had just been tackled from behind and was falling.
00:02:20Green 15.
00:02:26Watch here, he just gets caught and starts to fall.
00:02:29He's almost on his knees by the time he gets to Jenkins, so...
00:02:32I think there is mitigation.
00:02:35That's a hit.
00:02:36Yeah.
00:02:37If the first one's a yellow, that one definitely is.
00:02:39Right angle in full speed, please.
00:02:41Because we have determined that we have had anything.
00:02:44So wheel speed, please.
00:02:46Last angle, wheel speed.
00:02:52Real speed is coming now, Matthew.
00:02:58Stationery.
00:03:00I don't think he's caught.
00:03:01I think it's...
00:03:02It is direct head contact, so we do have foul play because I think he could be lower.
00:03:06But I don't believe the tackler is moving forward.
00:03:09All of the force is being generated by the ball carrier, so I'm thinking yellow card.
00:03:13Enter it yellow, stay it yellow.
00:03:15Okay.
00:03:15Tempo, are you happy with that?
00:03:16I agree, Matthew.
00:03:17Back to you.
00:03:18Okay, so we've had a decision.
00:03:20We do have contact and we do have foul play.
00:03:24We believe the tackler is passing and all the force is being created by the ball carrier,
00:03:28so it's entering yellow and remaining yellow.
00:03:32Now we've been looping through the law book over the last couple of minutes.
00:03:36Looking at the definition of what is and what isn't a high tackle,
00:03:39what is and what isn't a yellow card, and we've now got two of them.
00:03:43Josh Kemeny followed to the win by David Jenkins.
00:03:47I wonder what you do here if you're Saints.
00:03:49Do you kick the three, take it to a draw or do you go into the corner?
00:03:52We're a long way back, I suppose.
00:03:54They back their attack so much, I think they just keep attacking.
00:03:57Get into that corner, get into the 22.
00:04:00You must, as a defensive coach, win against Northampton every time they're in your 22,
00:04:05your heart must be in your mouth.
00:04:10For the time being, this Gallagher Prem final is 14 on 14.
00:04:16How many guys?
00:04:17Less than three and a half minutes left on the Josh Kemeny yellow.
00:04:23One of the things to look at here from the line-out is how quickly Saints get above the tackle
00:04:28line.
00:04:28They've got to start from ten metres back from the line-out, but if you just watch Finn Smith here,
00:04:33when he takes the ball normally, he's about five metres further forward on the flat side.
00:04:37That's how they get real momentum into their game.
00:04:40They've gone for the drive instead though, thankfully.
00:04:43A waste of time drawing, wasn't it?
00:04:45Callum Chick is on for Tom Pearson, Chick in the middle of this meaty, saintly drive.
00:04:51Craig Wright looking to profit from it, the new hooker.
00:04:56Calls, that's his considerable weight to the discussion.
00:05:00They've got to get this out, they've got to get this out.
00:05:08It was a little bit nonchalant, wasn't it?
00:05:10Mitchell thought it was coming out.
00:05:14The ball was there, but then the white arms kept coming through.
00:05:18They created the spaceman to come through, right?
00:05:22Yep.
00:05:23All the way through the ball.
00:05:24Exit, so let's go.
00:05:29There's the ball, you can see Mitchell just looking up, seeing,
00:05:32oh, who can I get it to?
00:05:33He's not actually got the ball yet.
00:05:36Perhaps needed just to be a little bit more urgent.
00:05:38You can see the break, boys.
00:05:39And then Fissel out, putting the heaviest man in the opposition pack,
00:05:43back on top of the ball carrier to make sure it doesn't come out.
00:05:54It's starting to fizz, isn't it?
00:05:58I mean, there's a lot going on, without a lot going on.
00:06:02If you get what I mean.
00:06:03I just wonder how hard Northampton will attack this scrum.
00:06:06Is it almost worth...
00:06:09Hit and run.
00:06:12Just do everything to try and turn and win that penalty,
00:06:15or put pressure on Barney at the back.
00:06:20Sun comes out at the end of the season.
00:06:22Great kick.
00:06:24Brilliant kick.
00:06:27No pressure on him at the base though, was there?
00:06:29Nobody got off and got on his eyeline.
00:06:30Steven.
00:06:32When we get to the pub later, we're going to be drawing our new signings of the season 15.
00:06:38I was hopeful to just have a pint actually.
00:06:40We can do that, but we're going to have a bag of crisps and pick our new signings of the
00:06:44season 15 as well.
00:06:45And Steven Varney's at nine.
00:06:47When you've done them, come and find us.
00:06:50Let us know.
00:06:52We're doing it.
00:06:53It's the law.
00:06:54Anyway.
00:06:54There again, over that game line as Austin was talking about.
00:07:01Chick.
00:07:03He's given Northampton exactly what they would have hoped when he'd join them from Newcastle.
00:07:11On the bounce from Hutchinson.
00:07:13Where these play on, no one's up to it.
00:07:15Into the final 60 seconds of the Kemeny yellow.
00:07:19Exeter have possession by the scrum.
00:07:23I think the next five minutes are going to be crucial because Northampton are about to get Kemeny back.
00:07:30They've got, what, six, six and a half minutes with the advantage.
00:07:35Absolutely crucial that they lay down a marker because at the moment the Chiefs are getting buoyed and confidence.
00:07:42Confident by how this game's turning out and how it's being played.
00:07:46If it's lots of errors, they're going to think they're going to come out on top.
00:07:54A water break.
00:07:56After an hour.
00:07:58Lewis Moody will sleep well tonight.
00:08:00Delivered the match for a level earlier.
00:08:03You may have seen him completing his 500 mile pedal from Newcastle to Twickenham via Old Hawks.
00:08:08Raising money for the My Names Doddy Foundation.
00:08:11If you scan the QR code, then you can donate a little more as well.
00:08:17TNT Sport, by the way, spending time with Lewis and his family this year as he's started to live with
00:08:22MND.
00:08:22You'll be able to watch that later in the year.
00:08:24You're good.
00:08:31Fraser Dingwall coming on for Tom Litchfield.
00:08:40Some option off the bench.
00:08:42All the mouse that he has.
00:08:44Remember the try against Ireland last time here in the Six Nations in February.
00:08:51Well, it's been one of the best Gallagher Prem seasons any of us can ever remember.
00:08:58The quality of the rugby, the tries, the defence, everything.
00:09:03And it's come down to the final quarter.
00:09:06Three seconds and 20 minutes left in this.
00:09:09And there's just three points in it.
00:09:12And it might just come down to moments of brilliance.
00:09:14I think it got him back last week against Bath.
00:09:16The width of the passing from Barney for the try.
00:09:19Look how far he throws this pass.
00:09:21He goes past the first carrier in Skinner.
00:09:24And then he goes past the second carrier.
00:09:25By the time you're making a tackle, you're under the post.
00:09:28And then you think, oh, it's all over.
00:09:29We'll get in the defensive position.
00:09:30And he does it again.
00:09:31Goes past the first carrier, past the second.
00:09:33And then it's a really easy ball for Hooper to just pick someone off for the try.
00:09:37And put the ball across those bodies.
00:09:39Look what it does defensively.
00:09:40Everybody loses their line speed.
00:09:43His distribution from the base has been the making of this side in a semi.
00:09:47And maybe might just take them all the way to the title.
00:09:50You enjoying this?
00:09:52Not really.
00:09:53I mean, I had an opportunity to sit at home and do nothing.
00:09:56But it's been epic, hasn't it?
00:09:57We wish you had.
00:09:59I think I speak for the country.
00:10:02It's good, this Benny, isn't it?
00:10:03Or are we easily pleased?
00:10:04What I love, actually, is we've had so much entertaining rugby.
00:10:08Brilliant attacking play.
00:10:10This is a final.
00:10:13And there's errors, but it's compelling.
00:10:15Because it is a fight to the death.
00:10:18In the heat.
00:10:20And it's going to go right down to the wire.
00:10:23It's full of meat and gristle.
00:10:25That's what it is.
00:10:28It's not a five-star Michelin plate of food.
00:10:32This is utter nonsense that I'm talking about now.
00:10:34But I think you know what we're talking about.
00:10:36I think it's like cooking fat on a barbecue, Nick.
00:10:38It's sizzling.
00:10:39It's not the best taste of meat you'd ever see.
00:10:40But, boy, is it hot and humid out there.
00:10:43And it's really difficult to predict what's going to happen now.
00:10:46Well, Zane's back up to 15.
00:10:50We can go a little bit, but it's hardly December pick.
00:10:55Wannabe in his first Premiership final.
00:10:57He's had ten minutes to refill his lungs.
00:11:00Stay flat, okay?
00:11:01If we go up and down, it's going to grab sideways.
00:11:04Stay flat.
00:11:04Into the final quarter.
00:11:05Wait on the ball for both of you, okay?
00:11:12If I'm Varney and Skinner here, I get the ball into Slade's hands as quickly as I can.
00:11:16On his left foot and just try and plug the corner.
00:11:20Just try and get some field position now.
00:11:21They've been in their half for too long.
00:11:24Fine.
00:11:26Set.
00:11:30Take it out.
00:11:32She's working hard to keep bodies over that ball.
00:11:35They worked just hard enough.
00:11:39Varney under pressure.
00:11:40Happy to reset.
00:11:42Hooper to Dwebba.
00:11:43Wallaby to Springle.
00:11:45Use it.
00:11:47Steven, quickly.
00:11:49Play.
00:11:51Varney in position.
00:11:54Being hunted by...
00:11:57Coles.
00:12:04Pollock.
00:12:07Driven on by Chick.
00:12:12Mitchell.
00:12:14As Berger takes evasive action.
00:12:18Van der Mesht.
00:12:21Dingwall.
00:12:23Fairback.
00:12:33One of the things that Pollock is very adept at is getting pace on a game.
00:12:38And that best bit of attack Northampton have had for a while there comes from just that realization there's an
00:12:44opportunity.
00:12:45And he scoops at the back of the breakdown.
00:12:48And just takes them on.
00:12:49Look there he is.
00:12:50Let's put some pace on this.
00:12:51He's got Chick on his outside.
00:12:53He wins his collision.
00:12:55And suddenly they're into free flowing mode.
00:12:57Which they've really struggled to get into.
00:12:59During this game.
00:13:01Three minutes.
00:13:02Three and a half.
00:13:03Two minutes.
00:13:05Two minutes.
00:13:06He wants to know the time on assimilation.
00:13:10Don't jump to the worst people.
00:13:13You good?
00:13:14he's already crammed a fair amount into his young career still just 21 and here
00:13:19he is in the first prem final twicken them in club colors 27 carries I think
00:13:27he was last Friday night 110 meters 11 tackles
00:13:32the cramp prevention going on from the medics and a few key players they were
00:13:36both so he's getting his car stretched out at the moment how much more has he
00:13:40got in the tank
00:13:48to ever
00:13:53let's step up to Coles and co it's used it still Devon ball even
00:14:00maybe courtesy of David Jenkins try 10 or so minutes ago have a Jenkins serving out
00:14:07the remaining three in a bit minutes of his sin bin so Saints looking for holes in a 14-man
00:14:12defense
00:14:13maybe Freeman finding them all on his own for the work back from Feywaboso
00:14:18Smith
00:14:21Dingwall
00:14:22chick
00:14:24this is Hutchinson
00:14:29Mitchell Pollock in the boots not hard to pick out
00:14:35once more Exeter checking on in defense
00:14:41Mitchell
00:14:43oh Hendy down
00:14:55it'll need checking and it will be checked
00:14:58yes Martin
00:14:58Ponteo decision is a try we have a grounding we'd like to check touch if not we'll come back
00:15:04for the Ignatius
00:15:04just whether Hendy couldn't quite sort the ball out and it stayed
00:15:09in the bread basket rather than being able to reach out for the line does he put a
00:15:13knee or a toe into touch first
00:15:25it's on the line isn't it it's good that's a try about the knee it's already down i think before
00:15:31the knee goes in
00:15:36that's a try there i'm surprised they don't go back and just look at the kalancic pickup
00:15:42okay thank you
00:15:45a really good finish on the outside isn't it
00:15:51for the first real bit of spark from Saints they got the fluidity they got themselves into position
00:16:01and as the fatigue starts to set in now with two minutes left on that yellow card clock
00:16:07they want to up the pace they want to run this extra team off their feet
00:16:11while they've got the advantage so that they can reap the dividends in the last 10 minutes
00:16:16well it's a big miss as well now the penalty takes them into the league what a break this is
00:16:20from
00:16:21Freeman it's got wonderful balance for a big guy almost gets through
00:16:25Cinza gets back to get his body on the tackle and then they recycle and go through the hands
00:16:31it's got no right to score that with all the defenders in front of him
00:16:35we remember the impact he made in the final two years ago player of the match as a replacement
00:16:41adding some real energy as they
00:16:46finished off Bath's threat
00:16:50set up what turned out to be the winning try for Alex Mitchell and he's backed one of his own
00:16:55here
00:17:03a hundredth try of this Gallagher friends season
00:17:08will it be the concluding one the deciding one
00:17:12Buschetti wins the battle on the shoulders gets his hands on the ball
00:17:16and the clear out
00:17:19just can't dislodge him that first shot is your opportunity if someone beats you
00:17:23with their hands on the ball but if you can't shift them the penalties coming
00:17:28I think with Woodburn he's so strong and rides the first tackle that he ends up making too many meters
00:17:34and gets away from his cover takes the ball really well goes through Hendy bounces out the tackle
00:17:40stays on his feet and then he just gets that extra leg drive which sends Slade off his feet
00:17:45and that gets Buschetti the gap to get over the ball
00:17:51counting down the seconds on the Jenkins yellow as Pollock falls to the floor Hutchinson away beautifully
00:18:00by Smith goodness me he had no time at all to keep that ball alive somehow he did
00:18:05Pollock clapping for it getting it Smith called between
00:18:16Burbank and Kemeny
00:18:20Chiefs working hard to fill the hole left by Jenkins absence
00:18:27Fischetti
00:18:31to the final 15 minutes
00:18:39Craig Wright
00:18:43Saints fans inside this glorious stadium finding their voice
00:18:50Freeman working off his wing really well now trying to find some of those tired big forwards
00:18:55Pollock pervading the tackle of Chambazza
00:19:07Smith the kick chased by Hendy
00:19:12two in as many minutes
00:19:15hands on the trophy
00:19:22the realisation could see in the body language of the extra players they were going to fly off the line
00:19:28and a little glance over the top to check where that sweeper player might be no one at home
00:19:35and under the biggest amount of pressure
00:19:39the weight of kick perfect big carry from Pollock to allow him to win that collision
00:19:45and then here
00:19:47you can see all those extras players coming up in the line no one in behind
00:19:52the line has a little look up takes it as close as he can to the defensive line to drag
00:19:57them forward and Hendy
00:20:01knows exactly what's coming and the finish is perfect
00:20:11well the conversions are cracker like you said Ben they're starting to find their shape
00:20:16sinks now and they're really taking control of the game but when you've got a really wide defensive line
00:20:20and no one in the back it's an easy try especially with the size of the end goal area here
00:20:24at Allianz
00:20:25you've just got to get the ball on the ground it's a brilliant head finish to Hendy but
00:20:29you've got to have somebody in behind whether you've got 14 men or not particularly on this pitch
00:20:35that's been a costly yellow card dozen points conceded two Hendy tries
00:20:40Ben Smith with the latest conversion
00:20:46use it
00:20:48three point Saints deficit has been turned into a nine point lead
00:20:55David Jenkins has been replaced by Ross Vincent Henry Slade exit as new captain
00:21:08maybe Chunza goes in
00:21:11to the second rope to allow Vincent to play in the back in the back rope
00:21:16well he did weigh in with two tries in 10 second half minutes as
00:21:20Chiefs fought back at the gardens on the opening weekend in September
00:21:26robs them of the line out option though so it's all going to have to be
00:21:34Chiefs trimming this line out down to four and
00:21:39Coles with his shaven head was up there again to make life difficult Coles has had another great game hasn't
00:21:46he Saints
00:21:47Chiefs architect of a couple of lines
00:21:51another thump
00:21:52Dingwall looks concerned goes down to make sure that everyone's okay initially
00:22:00massive collision I'm worried about this player first and foremost
00:22:06take time off
00:22:07well he's pretty sure there's nothing wrong at all with that the referee
00:22:11reactive because of how the players ended up
00:22:16oh i'm not so sure
00:22:18be interesting to see Pollock's body position the ball comes back to the inside
00:22:21i think it just shoulder charge shoulder charge
00:22:25does he wrap
00:22:27no he doesn't
00:22:29he's going for that
00:22:30Matt to see whether he's actually got his hands i'm trying to catch the ball
00:22:35he's actually attempting to go for the ball maybe maybe he doesn't know
00:22:38Riddle's looking to get the ball
00:22:39let's listen to the officials
00:22:41making out
00:22:41i see it's on the voidable at the moment because he's trying to
00:22:44catch the ball but we'll keep playing angles
00:22:48it's riddle who comes in
00:22:50we'll get the more angles for you Matt
00:22:51from that angle but from the other angle i think he's playing the ball
00:22:55i'm wondering if i'll play i think they're both going into the same space to try and take that ball
00:22:59i think i agree with you the first angle looks really bad this angle looks like the worst
00:23:04looks like he steps forward into him
00:23:08when you see it from this side you see his eyes on the ball
00:23:10all right tempo yes that's your decision yeah i believe both players are moving into the same
00:23:16space and genuinely trying to make an attempt to catch the ball
00:23:19so it's a rugby collision it will be a scrum to exit up
00:23:24scrum exit the ball
00:23:33it feels like the whole town of northampton has emptied today made its way down the m1
00:23:39the ball packed onto the trains and here they all are wondering what the next 10 minutes the
00:23:46final 10 minutes of this gallagher prem season has in store for them and likewise the chiefs fans
00:23:52inside this sold out allianz stadium
00:23:58as much as we're celebrating two clubs in particular today it's uh it's also a celebration
00:24:03of english club rugby and don't have to look hard around twickenham this allianz stadium to see
00:24:10shirts from the eight other prey clubs as well enjoying the sunshine the hospitality of this place
00:24:17before kickoff all of us wondering will end the day as champions right now it feels like northampton
00:24:29we know all about exeter and their resolve and the size of their hearts and the quality of players
00:24:34like henry slade skinner woodburn riddle is fine but he's shoved into touch it's just not accurate
00:24:45enough uh attacking wise from the chiefs got decoy runners overrunning it so they're not a realistic
00:24:52threat to the defenders so they can slide early and that's why although they create a little bit
00:24:58of space on the outside the cover defense can stream across and end up pushing extra into touch
00:25:06allianz stadium thank you incredible support
00:25:13kemeny was stretching on the outside it was on his outside arm and yes there was
00:25:18i think there was anyway the legalities of it all explained by the referee belly because of the
00:25:23competition in the air if extra hadn't gone up your tight head went down kemeny would have got away
00:25:27with that maybe he jumps into the line slightly and across which makes it look worse to the referee
00:25:31feet forward certainly taken with that outside hand if there's competition against you that's going
00:25:37to be ruled as not straight now are both regular season games at franklin's gardens in september sandy
00:25:45park in april were all we could have asked for the monumental chiefs fight back on that opening weekend
00:25:51to earn the draw finn smith's last second contribution to win it in devon is their set up play from
00:25:58this side of
00:25:59the field nick it's either fissile our nick attack into the 10 12 channel trying to get over the tackle
00:26:05line and then they've got two options they've used it quite a few times where they send vincent all the
00:26:10way back to the touch line and throw a long pass just wait but all the front row hold their
00:26:14opposite
00:26:14numbering let's go and just see if they do that i'm sure that i'm sure that saints will have seen
00:26:18on
00:26:18the video scored two or three tries from it this season
00:26:23tell me if he does it again ross vincent in the black and green cap open side flanker
00:26:33greg fissle out packing down at eight hooter at six
00:26:42and the shoe army in good voice fissle out varney ikatau thought about kicking instead it was harvey
00:26:57hooter oh that's a big tackle from thunder mesh rode it well though pirouetted out of it still kept going
00:27:04forward this time dingwall going down low woodburn
00:27:20joseph dweber and only on in the first half as a replacement for the injured max nori
00:27:29chinser six and a half minutes left as a chief unless they can
00:27:33get the points they need now no
00:27:47skinner they were both so woodburn
00:27:50going from side to side at the moment though
00:27:55saints defending the distance between their defensive line and the try line
00:28:02anything extra going backwards
00:28:06chins are brought to the floor by the tireless alex coles today
00:28:10here's burger his moment of glory a week ago against bath
00:28:16one slightly less glorious
00:28:21skinner woodburn
00:28:24feels like they're watching a replay right now
00:28:27just going phase after phase looking for one error aren't they one defensive error
00:28:32it'll fatigue them but there's only five minutes left
00:28:35with the score line as it is i think that risk is worth it now they go to the skies
00:28:40and try and
00:28:41get a tap back on this riddled as well
00:28:44he does very well and so to ethan burger to
00:28:50retain possession whoever vincent skinner and slade
00:28:58most phases that we've had in this final
00:29:00if not just one but exeter still digging in clocking on on halfway
00:29:10brilliant defensive set now from northampton
00:29:14lee radford drilling them all week for moments like this they knew that exeter would have a lot of
00:29:20possession but they would roll around with the ball just like they are now
00:29:24saints keeping their discipline keeping exeter on halfway
00:29:30they'll be careful when they get knocked back exeter they don't go in at the side to win the ball
00:29:34back
00:29:34slade very close to it there less than five to go in the sunshine of the allianne stadium here in
00:29:41twickenham
00:29:45well it's ticking down on a glorious season
00:29:54and now the saints penalty after 25 phases
00:30:01saints have done the chiefs yeah we mentioned about them going in at the side pollock very very quick
00:30:05zambonin running as a support runner for a pass option
00:30:11has to come in and he goes around the back of pollock misses him
00:30:16hey roboto follows but penalty secured
00:30:27t comes on
00:30:33and then smith's gonna take every second out of this shot clock
00:30:38and then it's a bit of a shot to nothing as to whether he gets the points or not but
00:30:43at the moment the clock is that coaching team's enemy
00:31:12he's not quite didn't quite have the juice
00:31:18so this final still very much alive as
00:31:22chinza strides up towards the 10 meter line
00:31:31skinner once again into the familiar routine
00:31:36fly up on you're on the floor playing the ball
00:31:39hoop had just spotted space in behind
00:31:42the fence around the ruck
00:31:44had just split he thought there's an opportunity to pick and go late
00:31:49reaching behind he would have been clear but he locks the ball on
00:32:03john kevenley replaced by top lockett
00:32:09the
00:32:10extra changes as well
00:32:12came james
00:32:14for
00:32:14a free kick for breakfast
00:32:16allow to make sure we're over the mark
00:32:18time on
00:32:19i'm just saying
00:32:20and uh
00:32:20when someone says what's it in jace it's suspicious
00:32:23faces campbell ridden
00:32:26with two sides
00:32:27hayden wood has gone to fullback
00:32:30ollie woodburn onto the left wing
00:32:36less than two minutes
00:32:50yes
00:32:51green green green
00:32:55they need to get on their bikes
00:32:57and varney's kick from the penalty is a very good one and they'll have a platform to attack with time
00:33:03ticking away
00:33:04a brilliant kick from varney they need to keep the tempo and varney's begging his forwards to keep jogging into
00:33:10this
00:33:11he wants them to walk in and go
00:33:13examine him just making sure everyone's got the call
00:33:17takes a bit of the fluidity out of what they want to do and it's all on this throw now
00:33:22they don't hit this
00:33:23it's it's game done
00:33:35gathered in by chinza
00:33:37not much work left for him in an exeter shirt
00:33:41with some serious work left between now and the end of this final they've got to score from this surely
00:33:47hayden wood drives it in
00:33:52iqatau
00:33:5530 30 seconds left
00:33:59he's lost it slates lost it
00:34:02penalty base
00:34:05no i haven't blown
00:34:06varney i haven't blown the whistle here we are
00:34:12they should take the points
00:34:15well they're not going to have time even if they
00:34:17have a score from this
00:34:20time's up
00:34:23chance gone for the chiefs
00:34:34and the setters of the gold standard this season
00:34:39win silver
00:34:45northampton and the english champions
00:34:50and there are very few who argue with that
00:34:54fully deserved from northampton they have been a joy to watch this year
00:35:01but they've backed that up by being unplayable at times
00:35:07tactically better than everyone else in the regular season
00:35:12attacking wise they've been outstanding their defense has been good
00:35:18and they finished top of the pile at the end of the regular season top of the pile
00:35:22at the end of the finals
00:35:24and what a celebration
00:35:27for this young group that have grown up together some of them departing now
00:35:31but what a way to bow out
00:35:33they had to find a way didn't they that wasn't a classical saints performance that we've come to
00:35:38know all season the attacking flare it was strangled out of them through the bravery
00:35:42of the chiefs you think about the four last four weeks those guys have had they have put their
00:35:47bodies on the line more than any other side in the competition they deserve a huge amount of credit
00:35:51but there's real quality in that same squad real attacking flair real energy
00:35:56he's thinking some of the performances furbank cole smith hendy with two tries
00:36:02the man of the match has to go to a man who is just a bundle of infectious energy
00:36:07he's someone you can get behind he does so many things you look at his stats he's carried 19 times
00:36:13made 18 tackles the guy is just an engine and that guy there henry pollack is our gallagher
00:36:21premiership final man of the match and the winner the peter deacon medal he's got some energy that kid
00:36:30yeah one of the faces of the season one of the stories of the season the player of this final
00:36:39peter deacon medal an award named up for the late peter deacon such a dynamic advocate with both
00:36:46codes of rugby initially in league and then union with saracens and sale
00:36:51he shouted about sold marketed our great game with more enthusiasm and imagination than peter he would
00:36:57have loved marketing selling watching the likes of henry pollack and tom litchfield this season
00:37:06as well well chiefs led with 15 minutes to go but then the david jenkins yellow card not long after
00:37:14the
00:37:14david jenkins try and george hendy with a couple of tries in as many minutes meant that the title of
00:37:23best
00:37:23in england is heading back to the east midlands
00:37:30and they've been the side this season that if you had had the chance to pick a season
00:37:35ticket to watch anybody you'd probably choose the gardens absolutely if you've been there on a
00:37:42friday night when they're in full flow they are just spectacular to watch individual talent but more
00:37:50importantly coached so well to combine both aspects you think about some of the players and the
00:37:57improvements they made litchfield probably being the biggest one you know he was almost seen as
00:38:02that crash ball specialist it doesn't suit how northampton play but they've coached him into being
00:38:08a player that can start a final ahead of one of england's stars from the six nations he has been
00:38:14outstanding northampton have been outstanding and they deserve very much to be champions of england
00:38:20the player of the match is with our son he is he's just getting his breath back so we let
00:38:26him do that
00:38:26and i will ask nick harris van gallagher to present henry with the player of the match and the peter
00:38:31deacon
00:38:31award henry pollock prem champion how does that sound to you yeah it's a dream um like obviously the
00:38:39season's been so long and i'm just yeah i'm just delighted because you weren't even in the crowd were
00:38:44you two years ago when saints lifted the title is it everything you imagined it would be
00:38:49yeah it's everything i imagined um the week's been amazing you know some absolute legends of
00:38:53club are leaving and we wanted to give them a right send off um and yeah all that pressure everything
00:38:57and then we showed up today so yeah i'm happy i was going to ask you about that pressure because
00:39:00i
00:39:01know you said this week you were trying to contain the excitement keep calm how much pressure actually
00:39:06was on you today and does this come with a bit of a relief it's the biggest like club game
00:39:10you can
00:39:10play in premiership final field boyhood club um not just my pressure the whole team had pressure
00:39:15and i thought we rose that really well pressure the privilege um and if you take it in the right
00:39:19way you can use it to your advantage i mean chiefs really brought it to you today you really had
00:39:23to
00:39:23dig deep and you had to find a way to win yeah they were amazing you know we knew they
00:39:27were going
00:39:28to come back in that second half and i thought our defense showed really well obviously lee radford's
00:39:32leaving us next year and we wanted to kind of give him the right send off from that defensive set
00:39:35and i think you showed that at the end we did so england a british nice lion and now a
00:39:39prem champion it's
00:39:40been a crazy 12 18 months to you henry bollock where does this one rank in the list of achievements
00:39:46winning this with your mates yeah it's up there you know as i said my boyhood club um oh i'm
00:39:52just so
00:39:52happy man that's what you like dream of little kids you dream of these moments you dream of playing
00:39:56on big stages um and yeah you saw that today what we can do when we're at our best i'm
00:40:00actually scared
00:40:01to ask what the plans are tonight what are the plans tonight i'm gonna ask it anyway everything and
00:40:06anything you are the youngest ever winner of the peter deacon awards henry 21 years of age flying
00:40:12congratulations we're just waiting for dav to come in now um dav jenkins unlucky today davy fought so
00:40:27hard to get here to finish on the losing side they sum up with those emotions for me if you
00:40:33can
00:40:34yeah it's obviously tough to take but i'm incredibly proud of this group for what they've done all
00:40:39season um yeah i couldn't ask for more fight and um you know a very special group absolutely and it
00:40:46was the worst possible start today but then you came back and just four points in it at the break
00:40:51i mean what was the feeling at half time yeah look we were confident we could come back because
00:40:56we built that throughout the year but uh yeah it was just one game too far look i know you
00:41:01guys have
00:41:02fallen short today but it's been a phenomenal effort to get here i mean despite the disappointment of
00:41:08losing can you just sum up the achievements for me this season from where you were last term to get
00:41:14to
00:41:14a grand final yeah look it's it's a credit to the boys like um we knew at the start of
00:41:20the season we had
00:41:20we had a very talented group and we knew if we got some things right we'd be here our aim
00:41:27was to win
00:41:27the premiership we didn't so um yeah we're really disappointed and finally i know you're going to
00:41:32be summering with wales a lot of the players are off on their international jaunts when you guys come
00:41:37back together in the summer how much more can we expect from this team next season how do you build
00:41:43on
00:41:43this yeah well we expect everything from ourselves so um yeah definitely watch out for us next season
00:41:50we're going to come back stronger obviously um we'll come together as a group tonight uh have a beer and
00:41:57regroup to go next season i appreciate the time david lucky today thank you cheers
00:42:03well they gave it quite a go didn't they right up into the last few minutes but boys there was
00:42:07that
00:42:08defensive set for northampton saints we talk about their attack all the time but that defensive set on like
00:42:1372 minutes through to about 76 77 they were so calm sam they just absorbed all that pressure
00:42:19long balls short balls they were so so good at that stage and you felt it was ominous for chiefs
00:42:25then
00:42:25didn't you it was and you know we all we all noticed that the composure in the northampton saints ranks
00:42:31now that's 20 minutes was it's probably what we thought experience might tip them over in their favor
00:42:36because they were just so calm apart from the the one um potential incident with pollock you know where
00:42:42they thought it was head contact but it wasn't i thought it was refereed very well by matthew carley
00:42:47saints gave them no easy entries extra no and it's easy for us just to say oh yeah excellent they
00:42:51couldn't get outside saints it was brilliant saints defense very patient the nova chased the ball gave
00:42:56away nothing and made extra work really hard that composure that last 20 minutes was brilliant by
00:43:01saints brian give the folks at home an idea of what it takes to do that in the last 10
00:43:05minutes alone
00:43:05northampton saves made 48 tackles it's a huge number that's incredible it really is considering
00:43:12the conditions today how challenging it was number of substitutes were brought onto the field early on
00:43:19through injuries and and because of the heat because it was it was affecting performance so that
00:43:26it affects the cohesion of the team but it didn't seem to bother saints from a defensive capacity
00:43:31they were just so calm collected and organized they're a they're a mirror of their coaching
00:43:37ticket every time a shot goes up to the to the coaching box they seem very unflustered except when
00:43:43they're occasionally celebrating but i i must say they just had all the answers for for chiefs today
00:43:51apart from the the riddle try you know they were kind of running up dark alleys they really
00:43:56didn't have any answers of or ways to unlock this northampton states defense they were
00:44:02they had an appetite and a hunger and ability to go again and do a secondary job after their initial
00:44:08tackle making a nuisance of the rooks all of the small things just hard working grab that's what it's
00:44:14all about rather than talent and they made the pitch so so small for the chiefs didn't they
00:44:19those clips so perfectly um and easily rap would be very proud of his defense how 13 or the centers
00:44:25were getting up into that passing lane so it spooks exeter they don't want to go over the top
00:44:29they don't want to play the high-risk ball so they turned back inside into the northampton saints
00:44:34forwards and then they competed the breakdown brilliantly they weren't they were so well
00:44:37disciplined they weren't coming off their feet hollick had a brilliant turnover that really not
00:44:41the stuffing out of exeter that 76 minute that felt like game over saints grew in energy ex just
00:44:47knew it was flat and it was gone and that defensive effort was brilliant they didn't allow exeter to get
00:44:51into those 50 meter channels that's all which is which is where they're dangerous and they were
00:44:55perfectly disciplined well-played saints and the snares need to rethink about henry pollock look at
00:45:00his work right here look at his work rate in the playoff game yeah he has a bit of fun
00:45:04he's fond of a
00:45:05camera but he is an absolutely brilliant brilliant rugby player and deserves full respect yeah you could
00:45:10do all of that because there's substance behind it all it's it's work weight and graft and the thing is
00:45:16players like that don't survive for long within a team environment within a good culture if they
00:45:22aren't delivering in in their own role and doing their job properly and he does it more than properly
00:45:27the amount of carries the lad said in commentary that the tackle count was phenomenal you know yes
00:45:33he's 21 years of age and you're always high octane and full of energy but to get through that level
00:45:38of
00:45:38work and have still key moments even though we didn't see any you know big long meandering runs today we
00:45:46saw
00:45:46some hard carries in close quarters we didn't see any wild genius but we just saw efficiency we look
00:45:53we saw effort we saw tireless and that's what you want when it comes to an arm wrestle sometimes it's
00:46:01not about delivering magical moments about just rolling your sleeves up and getting stuck in with
00:46:06your teammates and he did that today and that's why he was player of the match and the his work
00:46:10rate
00:46:10outside of his own moments in the game as well sam the support of his players they carry out a
00:46:15positive
00:46:15action he's the first to slap them on the back he's an ultimate team player this kid yet again
00:46:20a big individual it's quite a kind of weird paradox isn't it can i just say because obviously most of
00:46:25us watching tv and the stage will never get to meet henry i've never met henry yet on all accounts
00:46:30everyone who's met him has said he's such a lovely down-to-earth guy he just obviously loves the big
00:46:34stage which is great but he's got even better these last six weeks he's his maturity was going to be
00:46:39the
00:46:40one thing which was going to challenge him very mature player and he's coupled that with a very
00:46:43selfish performance today and i think he's really sort of his strategy impressive well chiefs should
00:46:48be very proud they got themselves to this final against all odds they were absolutely brilliant
00:46:53for the bulk of the game today but it must feel like a long hard walk up to the royal
00:46:57box to collect
00:46:58their runners-up medals nick mullins will guide you through it all yeah i'm sure there'll be loads of
00:47:05you back in devon and chiefs fans dotted all around the country all around the world who are who are
00:47:12full of disappointment right now but the other side of the coin is how good they have been to get
00:47:19here
00:47:20the work that rob baxter and the other coaches have done to get these players in a position where they
00:47:25were 15 minutes away from being champions again after finishing second bottom last season it was
00:47:32instructive to see rob baxter just standing off five ten meters away watching the players console
00:47:38themselves one last act together before a number of them move on this is the last match this bunch will
00:47:46ever play together which is always the poignancy of of any final isn't it benny the end of
00:47:51any season but but wow the positivity that they will take into next season compared to where we were 12
00:47:59months ago yeah it's really special and when you think about it not many teams that have built a
00:48:04dynasty which you can say exeter did you know you look through the years have been able to regenerate
00:48:10again so quickly after having that tough time when a lot of your senior players that were part of that
00:48:17team that achieved so much success leave and we all wondered how quickly exeter could get back to
00:48:23somewhere near where they were they had a tough time last year but they fought with everything
00:48:29they had to get to the final in those last few weeks and it'll just give them so much belief
00:48:35confidence going into next season but right now it's the toughest place in the world to be
00:48:41all that effort it's a long old time you get maybe four five weeks off and then you have to
00:48:48turn up for
00:48:49pre-season so it's been a long time for those guys and these guys have the best summer present ever
00:49:02wow what a job he's done recognized at the big flashy awards a couple of weeks ago
00:49:09telling a friend they are of the season and there's young charlie monday enjoying one of the best seats
00:49:15of the house in the royal box plays his rugby with shepi in kent he's going through his young life
00:49:23with autism he's got genetic disorders that have affected his growth but he just loves rugby it's
00:49:29given him so much joy back home in in kent and here he is handing out the medals
00:49:38there's a place in this sport for everybody
00:49:41and how good to see curtis langdon getting his medal as well at the end of the season when he
00:49:46suffered his his own injury problems luke green as well
00:49:53elliot miller mills he will be off to newcastle next season they've been some watch austin healy northampton
00:50:03this season yeah they've been super impressive haven't they at the gardens like you said their ability to
00:50:09create holes where they no longer existed almost reignites your faith in rugby as a game for there
00:50:15was a while where everything became about size and power and control but sam vesti you've got to give
00:50:22him a huge amount of credit he installed a notion amongst all these players that you can create space
00:50:28you can find space and you can exploit it and then they just they're like a movement that back line
00:50:33of
00:50:33growing up together and losing this guy at the back furbank is enormous for them next year i know
00:50:40they think that they've got other guys that can fill his shoes but for me there's nobody in world rugby
00:50:45that can scan that back line and play to finn smith's strengths like this guy can he will be sorely
00:50:51missed but
00:50:51it's a great way to go out isn't it well done charlie and well done northampton they ended the season
00:51:04with a record-breaking 115 tries
00:51:13he's not quite so keen on the limelight as the bloke next to him is
00:51:19the gallagher trophy by the way bigger and heavier than ever just as eye-catching
00:51:23at this time let's please welcome john durkin vice president of global alliances who would be presenting
00:51:31frazer dingwall wandering across it's uh it's heavier than ever 26 kilograms need at least two
00:51:38hands to lift this i would have thought almost this weight is the old original the plinth that he comes
00:51:44off
00:51:50and this feels just about right english rockies great entertainers for the brand new shiny trophy this
00:51:57joker is
00:52:01polished performers with polish silverware
00:52:08and good things do happen to good people
00:52:12saints and kings and northampton in capital letters great big capital letters champions
00:52:49oh well i think nick mullen's absolutely nailed today you just feel the right things kind of happen
00:52:54today brian and sam when you're watching the game extra we're making a come on they took the lead of
00:52:58course you think oh this would be a phenomenal story for rob baxter but i don't know maybe some a
00:53:03bit of a purist i couldn't help but think but saints deserve to win that they've been the dominant force
00:53:08in
00:53:08in prem rugby all season they've been brilliant to watch extra could be so proud of what they've done
00:53:13i'm looking at some of the players and then you know on the phone they're off their feet you know
00:53:17on the
00:53:17floor in the stadium but they could be so proud there's no consolation now you get so close you
00:53:22want to win but they've done unbelievable but the best team has won and i'm pleased for the saints
00:53:28players the coaching staff because they've been the standard bearers from day one it's like a december
00:53:33day in east london here at the moment with all the misty smoke from the fireworks but brian
00:53:38northampton saints currently you'd have to say they're the club that all other clubs aspire to
00:53:43the management it's so young future international coaches the players young coming through tough
00:53:48times in the last couple of years winning last year of course defending that title and the way
00:53:53they play rugby it's entertaining it's magnificent well it's that more than anything they're a standard
00:53:59setter in the league down i think lots of teams not just in this league but are watching from other
00:54:04countries and and they look with huge admiration at the quality of their their skill sets their attempt to
00:54:12play a 15-man game the linking between forwards and backs how numbers are irrelevant after set
00:54:18peace that this their capacity to be able to convert their opportunities albeit today they missed a few
00:54:24which is unlike them but yeah they're they're a joy to watch and you know yeah it wasn't vintage
00:54:31saints today they had to win in a slightly different way but they ground it out they found a way
00:54:35to be
00:54:36able to beat this exeter chiefs team and yeah that they they now have the vision of becoming a dynasty
00:54:42of creating creating more opportunities for silverware next year the year after because they've got a very
00:54:48young team with a spine of really really important international players what i've also enjoyed and i
00:54:54don't know if you've noticed this i think there's like the 15 brem final life talk but the crowd are
00:54:59changing it they're younger crowds they're holding up pictures of their favorite players they're starstruck by
00:55:04them it feels like rugby's moving on at the pace the northampton saints are moving on it's such an
00:55:09exciting time for this league it is it's a fantastic time for the league and there's loads of fans you
00:55:14probably can't do just do it justice on tv i'm sitting here now looking up with the stands above
00:55:17us there's shirts from everywhere but just just a word on saints it's a bigger piece to say saints are
00:55:22eighth in the league when it comes to squad spent yes they've got great coaches but you've got to look
00:55:26at like the wider picture of why they're successful as a business and the conveyor belt of players they've
00:55:31come through their system look at what we're watching now there's so many homegrown young
00:55:35players who've turned up and delivered on the big stage from a recruitment perspective academy
00:55:39perspective they're getting it right there they're getting it right in the first team as well the
00:55:44whole organization has been a fantastic success and they deserve this moment well they're preparing for
00:55:49a night of anything and everything according to henry pollock i couldn't even add one of those but
00:55:54they're only young fellas and they're celebrating sarah elgin and rightly so he is he's here with
00:55:59us now we're doing the lap of honor joe's massive massive congratulations as far as perfect endings
00:56:04go in a saints jersey i mean you couldn't have written any better i mean i'd rather we put a
00:56:10bit
00:56:10of a better score and a bit of a better performance on to be honest because those last 10 minutes
00:56:14um
00:56:14i was kind of watching the clock go down so that was pretty tough but i don't really know how
00:56:19to feel
00:56:19it's uh probably more relief than anything at the moment i think once that settles in then um i'll
00:56:25really enjoy tonight i'm sure you will all enjoy tonight listen before we talk about the game
00:56:29myself i want to go back to the beginning you know when you're putting this jersey on for the final
00:56:33time ahead of a prem final you know you're not going to wear it again what goes through your head
00:56:38running out to this yeah it's been uh it's been a tough week um like just trying to stay as
00:56:44focused
00:56:44as i can on the game and not let emotions get to me too much and um i probably came
00:56:49into the game a
00:56:49little bit exhausted to be honest um with all that going on so yeah i've loved my love my lesson
00:56:54there but no like i've loved every minute of these last 10 years it's been um been a hell of
00:56:59a journey
00:57:01something i never thought i'd ever get to do calling myself a premiership champion and have to do it
00:57:04twice and and finish on this high is uh is pretty special george it's exactly the problem that you
00:57:10wanted but how heavy was that trophy yeah but i was getting pushed from behind showing it to 30 kilo
00:57:14trophy wasn't the easiest rosie uh rs andc put in some trophy lifts last week uh in the in the
00:57:19gym
00:57:20so had a little bit of practice um but it was uh i'd rather i'd rather lift that than not
00:57:25lift one so
00:57:25oh i bet so about right listen last game for saints you're heading across the road next summer i mean
00:57:31you have given this club so much over the 10 years what has this club given you oh it's given
00:57:38me
00:57:38everything it's given me um an opportunity it's given me friendships for life it's given me um
00:57:44time in front of the best coaches in the world uh yeah like i owe this cup a lot um
00:57:49from from the
00:57:50age of 15 until now is uh has been it's been some journey um and like i said i never
00:57:55thought i'd get
00:57:56the opportunity to pull on this jersey being a fan and to become a fan and and now a player
00:58:01and now a
00:58:01two-time premiership winner is uh it's pretty cool good i'm gonna let you catch up with your mates
00:58:05firstly though who are you going to miss most in that group and who are you glad to see the
00:58:08back
00:58:08of that's tough that's tough to say i can't be good i can't pick out one name out of that
00:58:13group
00:58:14uh maybe mitchy boy there you go we'll be on fire tonight there you will congratulations you go you go
00:58:20i mean it's so great isn't it to see him go out with his second prem title and like i
00:58:25said that he has
00:58:25given so much to this club over the last what decades exactly that and i think you know when you're
00:58:31from the city it means so much more of course it does you grew up supporting the club you've been
00:58:36able to pull on the shirt so many times as he's obviously spoken around and then you get to finish
00:58:39like this and obviously we're talking about finishing it's nowhere near the end of his career
00:58:43he's still got so much more to come but in terms of finishing his chapter up northampton there is
00:58:47there's no better way and just look at all of this fan support the northampton states fans have
00:58:51traveled in their thousands it's amazing i know look george fairbank will miss the shoe army but the
00:58:57shoe army will definitely miss them there he is congratulations i'm really well thank you how are
00:59:02you well that's all right yeah you would have taken that at the start of the game right massive
00:59:07congratulations premiership champion i mean some of the emotions for me now in this moment walking
00:59:13around with your teammates english champions yeah there's so much that's gone into this year and i
00:59:17think you can kind of see by the amount of people that we've got joining us around as we go
00:59:21around the
00:59:21pitch like it's such a massive squad effort um and it's more than the boys who just played today
00:59:26there's so many people that contributed so emotions ultimately are just like joy for the whole group
00:59:30we've got people leaving at the end of the year like ferbs is the obvious one and he means so
00:59:34much
00:59:34to us but there there's other boys who necessarily didn't get a chance to do today so we just wanted
00:59:38to represent them as best we can and like give them a proper send-off i'm going to walk with
00:59:42you
00:59:42because i don't want you to miss out on these celebrated phrases to be fair i'm going to ask you
00:59:45a question though about those kind of we're so used to talking to you guys about the attack and this
00:59:49joueur joueur and how brilliant you are to watch and you are absolutely all of that and that's played a
00:59:53massive
00:59:53part and you lift in that title but i want to ask about the defense that won't last i don't
00:59:58know
00:59:58like seven eight nine minutes was massive yeah it is and i think that probably shows like where
01:00:03we're at as a squad there'll be the ability to fight for each other how connected the group are
01:00:07and how much they want to work for each other like that's another mention like lee radford came in two
01:00:11years ago we won the prem with him win it again with him he's going into a slightly different role
01:00:14next year so that's another little added motivation so yeah ultimately our attack does a lot of good
01:00:21things out i thought phil's out so it was giving me evils then for talking but you got another
01:00:24question just a word on the fans because last weekend uh friday night at franklin's gardens the
01:00:30fans were unbelievable they've traveled in their thousands again today like what do these lot mean
01:00:34to you yeah i'm sorry you know i'll turn to that one i was just watching pollock there'll be a
01:00:40lot
01:00:40of that i'm sure um yeah these guys are unbelievable and you said you touched on last week and the
01:00:44atmosphere at the gardens is like the best i've ever seen then again today you see how many people care
01:00:49about the club and that's going to mean something to us and i think it really does so you see
01:00:52the
01:00:52way the boys interact with the fans like they really do contribute to our success um and so
01:00:57like to do it for them as well the amount of emotions are kind of going around is crazy it's
01:01:01great we're gonna have a great time we really appreciate your time go and enjoy it with your
01:01:04mates well done congratulations and they will enjoy tonight and i reckon like like george said i
01:01:10reckon alex mitchell is going to be on the forefront never mind that he's missed the last couple of
01:01:14months he will be there celebrating yeah i think they're all going to be leading the charge aren't they
01:01:18obviously pollock's the obvious one i'm sure especially his last answer to your question
01:01:21um yeah and they deserve it don't they they obviously finished top of the log but it's another
01:01:26thing to get through the playoffs and come come to allianne stadium and fully do the job and they
01:01:31obviously missed out last season so yeah i think they'll definitely be ripping in tonight because i was
01:01:35distracted there because like henry pollock was almost in the crowds at that but you can see the
01:01:39connection can't you between the fans and the players even with fraser's answer there yeah exactly and
01:01:44like northampton's not a massive town is it so i think you have that closeness naturally
01:01:47so many of these players have grown up in and around the mix um and i think that's part of
01:01:52it
01:01:52pollock loves being in and around the the fans especially and making those connections so yeah
01:01:56if there's another open top bus tour of celebrating the title win i'm sure they'll all be loving it
01:02:00brilliant thanks guys okay back to you craig i tell you what there won't be a child wash or a
01:02:06dog walked
01:02:07in northampton tonight nothing's happening in northampton tonight but partying my word great celebrations
01:02:13here all the fans well they don't want to leave as the players walk through alex mitchell
01:02:17all in great form there and rightly so i mean they've had been so so brilliant this season i think
01:02:22and finn smith as well the tackle he took in the first half he was absolutely cut in half gets
01:02:27up
01:02:28scores a try that resilience from some of these young players is extraordinary so we haven't really
01:02:33touched one maybe some of the attacking brilliance you know that there's that first half example where
01:02:37they were both who was out of position for one second and they pick up on it and they kick
01:02:40through
01:02:40then there was the the try in the second half where they kicked through again for hendy and it was
01:02:45just
01:02:45brilliant attack and it's nice that the the fans get a mention there because franklin's gardens
01:02:49has been packed out all season they've traveled down here to come and support them in their numbers as
01:02:53well and you know they're the they're the people who come down they put their hands in their pockets
01:02:57they pay to watch these players play and they get to enjoy this moment as well and when i was
01:03:01involved
01:03:01at cardiff i remember saying guys we've got to get up to franklin's gardens and see how they're doing things
01:03:05up
01:03:06there because it's a phenomenal place to play rugby it's one of the great club rugby grounds
01:03:10they've got it on point this season and that support without a doubt drives your team and the fans are
01:03:15here today they deserve that success as well but being such such loyal fans and following their team
01:03:19and george furback there it seems like nobody wants him to leave i get a sense he doesn't even want
01:03:23to
01:03:23leave it's really interesting isn't it it's such a strange dynamic you know you go out in the high
01:03:28like this because yeah and then tomorrow he's not going to be parked to their side anymore
01:03:33um quick mention as well for some of the bench called alex mitchell had you know considering
01:03:38how little rugby he has played over the course of the last separate weeks jj van der meshe thought
01:03:43he was outstanding made a huge impact thinking about that big run up the middle very early on
01:03:48and it just was a momentum changer because it had gone against them you know chiefs were in control
01:03:54they were in the lead with 15 to go and and then they managed to unravel and turn it around
01:03:59that's the
01:04:00modern equivalent of of sweeping out the sheds taking selfies when you're the director of rugby
01:04:05for your other players phil dowson and he's still still a young man still no graze in the hair what
01:04:10a future he has ahead of him what international team will he be coaching in years to come alongside
01:04:15sam bestie just great to see just so much youth and exuberance and joy out in the home of english
01:04:20rugby here today it is really a wonderful saturday live on tnt sports and a load more sport
01:04:25coming your way we're off to bruno northampton saints are gallagher prem champions yet again they
01:04:32have to fight for a mind and an intense heat here at allium stadium at twickenham exeter chiefs
01:04:37getting themselves back in the game it was tight for a long time saints just pulling away in the end
01:04:42two tries from george hendy getting them to 26 points to 17 and a brilliant brilliant defensive display but
01:04:50it was all started by tommy freeman on just three minutes when he scored the first try for northampton
01:04:56saints today chiefs got themselves back in the game but it was just too much in the end tommy freeman
01:05:00is with our very own sarah elgin he is indeed first things first before we talk about the elation how's
01:05:05the nose i know it's all right it's looking straight still you're good no we're good yeah um nose is
01:05:11sweet
01:05:11thank god it stopped but um yeah it was just a bit of excitement probably a relief of stress at
01:05:15the end
01:05:15there and uh yeah it all just came forward has it stopped though because i think the content of it
01:05:19is
01:05:19at the bottom of my trousers well i think it is because i managed to keep it clean all day
01:05:23so i'm
01:05:23literally blaming you for that anyway look massive massive congratulations how does this moment feel
01:05:29celebrating this with your teammates your mates oh unbelievable uh we said last week uh we said again
01:05:35this week the lads that are leaving us the lads that were unfortunate not to not to be able to
01:05:39go
01:05:39onto the pitch but they put in the week um of training the hours to prepare us for the for
01:05:44this moment
01:05:45and um yeah they did exceptionally well through the whole year and and to do them one and to
01:05:49celebrate as a group now is just a special feeling and they just showed your first try and after what
01:05:55i don't even remember what it was that that felt like about 120 minutes a game but after a couple
01:05:59of minutes you were you're flat you must have thought this is easy um yeah a little bit fortunate um
01:06:04there's a bit of yeah communication error on the end there um but yeah lucky enough to pick that up
01:06:08but um
01:06:09no we know with exeter they know that they're a fit team and and they won't stop um and they
01:06:13didn't and they
01:06:14put us under a lot of pressure for a lot of that game so um no definitely not didn't think
01:06:17it was
01:06:17going to be a ride but um no it was good to get the win in the end there yeah
01:06:20they made them work
01:06:21for it didn't they today yeah they did did you always believe that it would come did you have
01:06:24that patience because against top top top sides you don't get it that easy all of the time do you
01:06:28you have to keep working them over and then obviously it paid dividends at the end yeah i think
01:06:32we met we kind of made the point um the start of the game we're at the top of the
01:06:35table for a reason
01:06:36we played rugby that that we're really proud of um and we know that we're a fit team as well
01:06:42and when we get our game and we get multiple phases together eventually we see teams that crack
01:06:47and defend slip-ups and um yeah we definitely said it at the start we said it might be the
01:06:52first five
01:06:52minutes might be 20 minutes might be the last 70 minutes where it happens but we know if we just
01:06:56kept going and going um that we'd reach some rewards eventually your second prime title does this feel
01:07:02different to two years ago and if so why how uh no not really um
01:07:09um i mean the same feeling when you when you win it when silverware for the club it's that special
01:07:15feeling feeling of bringing it back up the m1 and celebrating with the people at home and
01:07:19obviously on the pitch there's probably different emotions going through your head and things like
01:07:23that but obviously to pick up two at 25 years old is is pretty special and yeah we'll definitely
01:07:29look to get to get another one 25 years old that's so depressing so depressing will you be leading from
01:07:34the front tonight
01:07:35uh yeah probably very good enjoy your night wherever you end up doing time you must have
01:07:40congratulations well done well done well done the only disappointing thing is that sar elgin doesn't
01:07:45have a flight now i'd love her to go through security with blood on the bottom of her trousers
01:07:49how would they deal with that situation well nobody's leaving if you're a northampton saints fan
01:07:54twicken him here at the moment uh and one of them amongst us who's definitely going nowhere
01:07:58is phil dowson uh phil congratulations um an unbelievable campaign and a great great final
01:08:05yeah i think throughout the season we've had um we've had a lot of consistent really good performances
01:08:10and we just asked for that again today and i thought extra were brilliant um and we had to be
01:08:14we had to be our very best both defense and attack now it seems wrong to be talking to you
01:08:19about
01:08:20defense because your attack is always so good but there was that period maybe in the last 10 minutes
01:08:24where you just defended so well so organized not coughing up penalties and it was a huge moment in
01:08:29the game because it was still tight enough chiefs could have got into it yeah yeah exactly right and
01:08:34i think credit to lee radford we said this was his last game um in charge of the d and
01:08:38that we wanted
01:08:38to represent that and i thought we did um the last five minutes they talk all the time about defense
01:08:43winning championships they statistically had the best defense in the league throughout the year
01:08:46but i think our defense has been excellent as well and it really stood up at the end there and
01:08:49gave
01:08:50us the opportunity to to see out the game 48 tackles in the last 10 minutes yeah and the
01:08:55other thing we spoke about is you know when you get a road back to the team that the pressure
01:08:58and the opportunity if you give penalties away we saw that in the first half with that overthrow that
01:09:02that they scored from um you know if you give penalties in that area they're very very clinical
01:09:08and so i thought the ability to defend long phase sets which we spoke about during the week and to
01:09:12not give penalties away was excellent phil i bet you're always evolving as a coach so from
01:09:16championship one to this championship two now with a two-year gap what have you learned and how
01:09:20have you developed as a coach um i was actually probably more relaxed this week um just because
01:09:25we've been there and done that and then the disappointment of last year in the championship
01:09:29cup final up uh in cardiff against bordeaux i think the lessons of the coaching group we took from
01:09:34that and the senior playing group this week were unbelievable so alex coals fraser dingwall uh
01:09:39calon chick those guys particularly coming off the bench i thought were outstanding in terms of giving
01:09:43us some clear direction and some nice calmness uh in the last 20 minutes and so um from our point
01:09:49of view that experience i think showed a little bit um particularly in the last 15-20 minutes
01:09:54phil we were talking to our security guys there a couple of minutes ago and and they said they'd need
01:09:58to be paid at least double if they were to look after henry pollock tonight what what does the
01:10:03celebrations look like back in the club and and is it a multi-day thing and and is it off
01:10:09you go and do
01:10:10your worst for some people it'll be a multi-week thing um i think but um i'm not i'm certainly
01:10:15not looking after henry either but um yeah the the club has been so well supported for such a long
01:10:20period of time and and this season particularly with sellouts and stuff like that the town's going
01:10:24to go nuts and the players ought to go nuts and i think maybe last year excuse me 24 when
01:10:30we won it
01:10:30we maybe as a coaching group didn't really indulge ourselves in that um and and i think we'll do that
01:10:36a little bit better this time and make sure we get the wheels back on for the start of pre
01:10:39-season
01:10:40but you'll let there be going through the city and there'll be a boat open top yeah open top
01:10:44of store in northampton hopefully all this career will turn up and uh we'll have a good time 115
01:10:48tries this season i believe is a record 115 yeah i mean that's incredible and and staying true to
01:10:55your dna because it's tough you're playing different teams each week that offer different
01:10:59kind of defenses and attacks themselves but staying true to yourselves is an important thing to you right
01:11:04yeah i think that's the same extra want to play the extra way we want to play the saints way
01:11:07and that
01:11:08involves moving the ball i thought extra shut us down a few times today and we weren't very clinical
01:11:12which was unlike us we've been very clinical throughout the year hence the number of tries
01:11:16and and the frustration that came through at half time was that we haven't been able to put some of
01:11:20those opportunities away but i thought we kept banging on the door and i think that's why you see
01:11:24hendy getting two late tries there from that that pressure and we saw last week against bap you
01:11:29know extra are an unbelievable day uh defense and they will buy into to everything they're doing and
01:11:34we had to spend a long time breaking that down i remember uh when rob baxter won the title for
01:11:39the
01:11:39first time and he has thick jet black hair and then the stresses and strains of it and he's all
01:11:43gray now are you concerned about what lies ahead for that because it's so perfect you seem to make it
01:11:47look
01:11:48very good no stress mate let's go with it just run with it but you seem so calm with it
01:11:54and i know
01:11:55because you got your buddies around you got sam around you you got a lovely team but yeah i think
01:11:59i think the whole team working together so sam and the coaching group are tight the playing group's tight
01:12:03all the support staff have you know not everyone's in the role they want to be there's players today
01:12:07who wanted to play but everyone's put the club first and um and the atmosphere and it's very special
01:12:11a year to go that many games uh unbeaten at home the record points score in the league um the
01:12:17record
01:12:17number tries you know i think that speaks volumes about the group and how um cohesive the whole
01:12:21environment's been got ski goggles ready yeah that's not my thing craig no you have no choice
01:12:27ski goggles and cigars apparently the thing now i'm obviously getting old finally finally someone
01:12:32talking scent in the modern game thank you thank you there's not enough champagne to spray to get sore eyes
01:12:37but don't tell the lads that all right well look we'll let you get in there and congratulations
01:12:41try to take some time off and and we'll see you next season congratulations well done now right
01:12:46sir elgin where are you scars and i are in fist finn smith now finn normally you smell quite nice
01:12:52i
01:12:52think i've not noticed it before but i can smell the stench of champagne all over you but you don't
01:12:56mind
01:12:56that one little bit do you i'll be all right i think smelling bad is the least of my worries
01:12:59right now
01:13:00so i don't mind i don't mind what's going through that mind of yours right now uh relief joy
01:13:07i couldn't stop thinking about picturing furbs lifting that lifting that trophy all week this
01:13:13week it was all i thought of when i was shut my eyes in bed every night just seeing him
01:13:17lift that
01:13:17and the joy on his face so um yeah it came true and a perfect ending for him so yeah
01:13:22amazing you
01:13:23would literally answered my next question because it was going to be about george i mean it is the
01:13:27perfect ending for you know he's so faithful to this club and you guys are going to miss him yeah
01:13:32i'm
01:13:32going to miss him so much like just an absolute legend of a human being here's everything north
01:13:38hampton saints is about uh what a player uh what a guy like he's one of my best mates i
01:13:43see him most
01:13:44nights so i'm gonna have to find some new friends when he's gone but um yeah more than anything just
01:13:48today was about doing it for him and uh yeah he deserves that so i didn't hear you say that
01:13:53you
01:13:53were missing alex mitchell when he wasn't playing for a couple of months i mean you don't feel the
01:13:56same obviously towards much do you no no sorry say that again alex mitchell i mean i didn't hear you
01:14:01when i was asking you about alex mitchell when he was kind of injured i didn't say oh i really
01:14:04missed playing with alex mitchell yeah alex was great today i think he was told he'd get about 20 off
01:14:09the bench to be honest yeah he was clinging on for dear life by the end but yeah fair play
01:14:13to him to
01:14:13be able to come back from eight weeks out and do that i thought it was pretty impressive absolutely
01:14:17did you enjoy that contest because you copped a couple today but do you revel in that bit where
01:14:21people come and try and get you because it means that actually it's a bit of a yeah yeah it's
01:14:25fine
01:14:25like that that's where you want to test yourselves um probably wasn't quite happy with the performance i
01:14:30put out or all the team put out to be honest but that's fine it was rugby isn't it they're
01:14:33never perfect
01:14:34and um yeah i didn't enjoy coughing one in the ribs if that's what you're asking but um yeah that
01:14:39that's sort of 20 minutes in the second half like that's what you that's what you want isn't
01:14:42it like proper high stakes really tight really tense one team's gonna crack and uh luckily we
01:14:47came out on the right side of it i want to ask you like a personal question now because obviously
01:14:50you lifted this title a couple of years ago you were almost like i don't know like a promising
01:14:54talent then you're now like established you're british now you're flying how different are you now
01:14:59with that medal around your neck as a person and a player compared to that of what you were two
01:15:02years ago
01:15:02yeah i feel massively different i've uh i've learned so much about myself probably more than
01:15:08anything i think i'm not gonna lie this year has been really challenging coming off the back of
01:15:12um a long summer with the lions and then trying to sort of sort of a little bit find my
01:15:16love for
01:15:16the game a bit and um you know being being in around this group i i've just just really sort
01:15:22of
01:15:22let them almost take me along along the journey and um i feel so lucky to to be a part
01:15:26of this team
01:15:27because you know it is tough at times to be able to keep keep getting yourself up for every week
01:15:32and
01:15:32actually when you've got your best mates either side of you they really do drag you along so um
01:15:36yeah it's been amazing and i think this one will be even more special than last one probably you're
01:15:40gonna love this game tonight and tomorrow and maybe monday although you're probably in camp on monday
01:15:43yeah yeah we'll see we'll think about that then okay good enjoy congratulations then he expects so
01:15:49much of himself finn smith still looking at those negative moments in the game but it's not a game of
01:15:54perfection finn it's a game of power and passion and pace and for these lads tonight it's a game of
01:16:00pints we'll see you after the break