Entertaining like no other - best Saints team ever?

ByGraham McKechnie

BBC Radio Northampton sports editor

Northampton Saints return to Twickenham on Saturday, looking to be crowned Prem champions for the second time in three seasons.

They go there after finishing top of the table, scoring more tries in a season than any other club. They have entertained like no other club – the rugby at the Gardens this season has been breath-taking.

One more win will confirm this to be a truly great era for Saints.

Two years ago, the story was about a young squad reaching its first major final. Young, with a few notable exceptions.

One of the main narratives around the final was of the perfect farewell for a trio of players who were the embodiment of the club - captain Lewis Ludlam, prop Alex Waller and of course, the legendary Courtney Lawes.

You felt there was no way that these three would allow Saints to lose that final.

Their absence the following season was felt – Saints struggled to fill the leadership vacuum as their defence of the title saw them finish a miserable eighth.

All was not lost though - the season was rescued by a remarkable run in the Champions Cup, which saw them beat Leinster in Dublin before ultimately losing to Bordeaux in the final in Cardiff.

Despite the disappointment of that season, the Saints coaches stuck to their attacking instincts. Head coach Sam Vesty will tell you that the game plan is broadly the same as it has been throughout his time at the club.

It is an oversimplification but everyone can see it – with fast, front-foot ball, the Saints backs are unstoppable.

Two years on from their last title, the understanding between players is even better. The speed of their hands, their lines of running, their offloads – it's extraordinary at times.

These are players who have grown up together, who have spent hundreds of hours on the practice field.

Fin Smith knows where Tommy Freeman will be when he kicks it through – as was the case for the second try in the semi-final against Leicester. That is instinct, but it is also hours upon hours of practice.

The experience of the past few years should mean Saints are not intimidated by the prospect of this final. Although in 2024 they beat Bath, they did not play well for much of the game.

Vesty suggests this was down to nerves. In fact, although they lost to Bordeaux in the Champions Cup final, he'll say that was a much better performance.

Prem Rugby final, Twickenham

Saturday, 20 June 15:00 BST

It's not just experience with Saints either – since 2024, players such as Smith, Freeman, Alex Coles and Alex Mitchell have become established internationals.

Playing at Twickenham should be a different, more familiar experience for them than two years ago.

The squad has changed as well, of course.

Lawes was irreplaceable, but Josh Kemeny has done a superb job in the back row.

JJ van der Mescht has added some power and become a huge favourite at the Gardens.

In the backs, two young academy products – Archie McParland and Tom Litchfield – have both been outstanding and are surely future internationals themselves.

Then there's Henry Pollock. You won't hear many dissenting voices about him in Northamptonshire.

His performance against Leicester in the semi-final underlined what he can do – he can graft as well as score the show-stopping tries.

If you ask the Saints players, they say this feels a younger team than the one from 2024, with a new generation of leaders such as Coles, Dingwall, Smith and Freeman.

And one more to mention - George Furbank.

If anyone deserves the perfect finale to his Saints career, it's Furbank.

He's been with the club since he was a boy. He grew up supporting them, he has given everything to Saints over the years. There is no better attacking full-back around.

Regardless of the result on Saturday, he will go down as a truly great Saints player, but there is no doubt seeing him lift the Prem trophy is a powerful motivator for this Saints team.

When Saints first won the title in 2014, it turned out to be the peak for that group of players. In 2024, the hope was that it was the start of the green, black and golden era.

Win on Saturday and there is no question that Phil Dowson and his squad will have proved to everyone that not only are they great entertainers, but they are the best Northampton Saints team in their 146-year history.

There will be live text commentary of the Prem final between Northampton Saints and Exeter Chiefs on the BBC Sport website on Saturday, 20 June as well as radio coverage from BBC Radio Northampton starting at 10:00 BST on BBC Sounds.