Fin Smith edges Northampton to victory over Saracens to reach Premiership final

• Premiership semi-final: Northampton 22-20 Saracens
• Smith scores 17 points to end champions’ title defence

The champions are gone; the league leaders march on. It was a choke tackle at the end that finally finished Saracens off, initiated by none other than Courtney Lawes, playing his final match at Franklin’s Gardens. With it Northampton thwarted a last-gasp comeback by one of the country’s champion teams, so many of whom were also playing their last match.

So the English game says farewell, for now at least, to some of its most decorated players. Owen Farrell heads off to France without that last gong, so too the Vunipola brothers. Mark McCall revealed afterwards that ­Farrell had injured his quad on ­Monday and was a doubt for this right up to the warmup. Elliot Daly took on the ­kicking duties.

Continue reading…