Northampton crowned Prem champions after Hendy’s double finally sees off Exeter

• Prem final: Northampton 26-17 Exeter

• Chiefs lead 17-14 with 15 to go before Saints comeback

A fast and furious Prem season was never going to end with a dull whimper. And when the dust finally settled on another frenetic encounter it was Northampton who stood tallest, propelled to their second domestic title in three years by two tries inside four minutes from their red-haired wing George Hendy, the player who also set up Alex Mitchell’s clinching try in his side’s 2024 victory over Bath.

It was not always the most error-free of games but the helter-skelter action was never less than compelling. Exeter had edged in front thanks to a 51st-minute score from their captain, Dafydd Jenkins, with Northampton down to 14 men following Josh Kemeny’s yellow card. They reckoned without the energy of Henry Pollock and Hendy’s double whammy which propelled Saints over the line in a rugged encounter on a sweltering afternoon.