Hendy's double secures title for Northampton
Northampton Saints wing George Hendy has been tipped for an England call-up after scoring two tries in four minutes to secure a 26-17 victory over Exeter Chiefs in the Premiership final. The uncapped 23-year-old struck twice in the second half, staking a late claim for a place in England's Nations Championship squad, which will be named on Monday.
Hendy also set up the winning try in the 2023 final against Bath, and his club captain, George Furbank, believes he is a world-class finisher. “He’s a pretty special player,” said Furbank, who will leave Northampton for Harlequins this summer. “He’s one of those guys who can pull things out of the hat. He scores tries that potentially no one else in the league and potentially in the world can score. He’s someone you want on your team. He’s obviously quality and that’s two finals now in which he’s performed on the big stage.”
Emotional farewell for Furbank
Furbank admitted to a mix of emotions after the hard-fought victory. “It was a mix of relief, happiness and sadness all merged into one. It’s been a pretty emotional few weeks, to be honest. It’s tough when it’s your last game for a club that means so much to you. It’s been a hell of a journey. I owe a lot to a lot of people for that journey. I’ve loved my time here and to finish this way is incredibly special.”
Man of the match Henry Pollock described collecting a winner’s medal as “something you dream of as a little kid.” Pollock avoided punishment for a slightly early hit on Exeter wing Campbell Ridl, with Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter praising the officials. “These things happen,” said Baxter. “I thought the ref was great around head contact today. He looked for mitigating factors and found them.”
Baxter praises opposition, looks ahead
Baxter congratulated Northampton on their season. “The first thing you have to do in a final is to congratulate the opposition. The reality is that Northampton have had a great season. I’m not going to be too critical. Our lineout wasn’t at the level it needs to be, we missed a few tackles in the middle of the field but what more can I ask? The game has come down to a couple of moments. I don’t want to be picky on our performance. It would be wrong.”
Exeter captain Dafydd Jenkins, who scored a try before being sin-binned, took consolation from the team's improvement after finishing ninth last year. “I think we’ve seen an immense amount of growth from last season,” said Jenkins. “We’re going to have to learn from today and get that extra bit out of ourselves to lift the trophy next year. You’ve got to use this feeling as motivation. We’ll be back.”
England injury updates
England head coach Steve Borthwick will await updates on Saints scrum-half Archie McParland, who suffered a deep gash above his knee early in the game. Manny Feyi-Waboso needed stitches above his left eye but will be available for England duty this summer, as will Alex Mitchell, who made a timely return from a torn hamstring in the final.
