- Live Reporting (active)
Summary
Northampton edge past 14-man Bath to win Premiership title
FT: Northampton 25-21 Bath
Bath's Obano shown red card on 22 minutes for high tackle
Freeman, Sleightholme & Mitchell cross for Saints; Du Toit & Muir for Bath
Saints' first title since 2014; Bath last champions in 1996
Live Reporting
Steve Mather
Missed penaltypublished at 5 mins
5 mins
Northampton 0-0 Bath
Ouch. A proper shank.
A horrible connection from Bath fly-half Finn Russell and the ball barely reaches the post.
The Scottish international's face says it all.
We remain scoreless.
Postpublished at 15:07
15:07
Northampton 0-0 Bath
Chris Jones
BBC rugby union correspondent for BBC Radio 5 LiveThe scrum will be a key area of the game today for me.
There's real pressure on Northampton already, they have to make sure the occasion doesn't get to them.
Postpublished at 4 mins
4 mins
Northampton 0-0 Bath
Saints are having to regroup a little even this early on.
A secure scrum allows Alex Mitchell to clear well into touch up the field.
They'll want to get that error out of their heads quickly.
Bath will be happy with their start and they have the ball in a scrum in Saints territory - and it's a penalty!
First shot at the posts coming up from Finn Russell.
Postpublished at 1 min
1 min
Northampton 0-0 Bath
OOOOHH so close to a Bath try in the opening minute!
See AlsoPremiership final LIVE: Northampton Saints v Bath Rugby - score & live commentaryBayern Munich vs Arsenal live reactionChampions League final: Real Madrid pull off another high-wire act to winReal Madrid beat Dortmund reactionSaints knock on and Matt Gallagher kicks on and he just needs the ball to sit up nicely and he's going over the line - but he can't gather and the chance is gone.
What a start that would have been - he looked odds on to score!
Kick-offpublished at 15:01
15:01
Northampton 0-0 Bath
Christophe Ridley blows the whistle and the Premiership final 2024 is under way to a huge roar from the crowd.
Postpublished at 15:00
15:00
Northampton v Bath (15:00 BST)
Plenty of the English internationals on show belting that one out.
Fireworks are going off on the roof and the teams are taking their places.
A special occasion and we're almost ready to go.
All set?
Image source, Getty ImagesPostpublished at 14:59
14:59
Northampton v Bath (15:00 BST)
The players are out on the pitch.
We will have the national anthem before we get started.
Listen to radio commentarypublished at 14:56
14:56
BBC Radio Bristol, BBC Radio Northampton and BBC Radio 5 Live will have every kick covered at Twickenham this afternoon.
To tune in to your desired station, click on the 'watch and listen' tab at the top of this page.
'Atmosphere building'published at 14:53
14:53
Northampton v Bath (15:00 BST)
Chris Peddy
BBC Sport at TwickenhamImage source, Getty ImagesThe atmosphere is building here at Twickenham and there was a big cheer for both sets of players as they headed down the tunnel after their warm up. Next time we see them in a few minutes we'll be ready to go.
The band are out as members of the armed forces abseil down to bring out the glistening Premiership trophy. Who will be taking it home as champions? We'll soon find out.
A final set to go the distance?published at 14:52
14:52
Northampton v Bath (15:00 BST)
Image source, Rex FeaturesFor those who are wondering, if the scores are level at the end of 80 minutes we will have extra time comprising of two 10-minute halves.
If the scores are level at the end of that, then the team who has scored more tries will be the deciding factor.
If the two still can't be separated then we will watch the rugby equivalent of a nerve-biting penalty shootout with a place-kicking competition.
Each team will nominate three kickers rather than the whole team having a crack so unfortunately we won't be able to enjoy the spectacle of the props having a go at kicking the winning points.
Fin v Finn will be an intriguing battlepublished at 14:48
14:48
Northampton v Bath (15:00 BST)
Image source, Rex FeaturesThe Twickenham final will pit two gifted fly-halves against each other, when Saints' young England talent Fin Smith up against Bath's experienced Scotland international Finn Russell.
Both number 10 playmakers have been outstanding this season and their battle will have a big bearing on which team wins.
Smith has had a breakthrough season at Saints, scoring 252 club points, making his senior debut for England during the Six Nations and winning the Rugby Players' Association (RPA) Players' Player of the Year award.
The 22-year-old ex-Worcester fly half has stepped up in the 18 months since Dan Biggar left for Toulon and in the semi-final win against Saracens, he kicked 17 points.
Meanwhile, Russell joining Bath at the start of this season was a big statement of intent, with the 31-year-old the kind of marquee signing fans have been desperate for.
His influence, game management, kicking ability and ball trickery have undoubtedly been a major part of Bath's progression and it also helped that his half-back partnership with scrum-half Ben Spencer clicked instantly.
Postpublished at 14:43
14:43
Northampton v Bath (15:00 BST)
After some lunchtime rain in the capital the sun has now broken through at Twickenham.
That should make things more pleasing on the eye when it comes to handling the ball.
Image source, Rex Features'We want to put them under pressure'published at 14:40
14:40
Northampton v Bath (15:00 BST)
Image source, Getty ImagesSaints director of rugby Phil Dowson was part of the squad when Northampton last won the title in extra time against Saracens in 2014.
He took over from Chris Boyd ahead of the 2022-23 season and led his side to the knockout stages before losing to eventual champions Saracens. This year he has gone one better and is now eyeing the top prize.
"We talk about winning together and losing together, it's a whole squad effort, it's going to take different people to step up," Dowson told BBC Radio Northampton.
"We're going to play our game, which we've always played. We're going to be super-connected in defence because we have to be around their nine and 10.
"We want to put them under pressure in terms of how we attack, as always. We want to be out of the line making defenders make decisions and when we do that we generally put people into space."
'I want people to love what they're doing'published at 14:37
14:37
Northampton v Bath (15:00 BST)
Image source, Getty ImagesBath's 44-year-old South African head coach Johann van Graan arrived in the West Country from Munster ahead of the 2022-23 season after the side had experienced one of their worst campaigns in memory.
But his arrival prompted a huge upturn in fortunes for a club who in the 1980s and 1990s were the giants of English rugby.
He has changed almost everything behind the scenes, bringing his own backroom staff and ripping up the systems playbook, and tellingly, there is now belief in the team too and a winning culture that had been missing.
"One of the first things that I said is this... will eat you alive if you're not always, always, always yourself - and people are themselves within this group, whether they are players or coaches or staff," Van Graan told BBC Radio Bristol.
"I want people to have balance. It's not only about the rugby it's about being with your family, enjoying it with your friends.
"These are the reasons you play this game. It's a first final for nine years at Bath Rugby so I want people to absolutely love what they're doing."
Postpublished at 14:36
14:36
Northampton v Bath (15:00 BST)
Let's hear what the bosses have had to say this week...
Get Involvedpublished at 14:33
14:33
#bbcrugby, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply)
We'd love to have your input throughout the afternoon so please let us have your views before, during and after the match.
How are you feeling Saints and Bath fans?
Lawes among Saints saying farewellpublished at 14:30
14:30
Northampton v Bath (15:00 BST)
Image source, Getty ImagesLock Courtney Lawes starts for the final time for Saints, bringing to an end 17 years at Northampton, with Alex Waller, Lewis Ludlam and Alex Moon also playing their final games for the club.
Ex-England flanker Lawes says he "couldn't picture a better way" of finishing his Saints career than playing in a Premiership final against Bath at Twickenham.
The 35-year-old, who has made 282 appearances for the club, will join Brive in the French Top 14 next season.
"[You want to] really embrace the week as this is why you play rugby. These are the situations you want to be in, you want to be in these scenarios even though you have a mountain of pressure," he told the BBC's Rugby Union Weekly.
"You want to enjoy these weeks as they don't come around very often," said Lawes, who retired from international rugby with 105 caps after the World Cup in France last autumn.
"It is just about going out there and doing what we've been doing all season. We have such a good team that is working well together and is so cohesive."
For Bath, Matt Gallagher is making his final appearance, before departing for Italian side Benetton.
Will Saints' storming season end in success?published at 14:26
14:26
Northampton v Bath (15:00 BST)
Image source, Rex FeaturesNorthampton are looking to win their first Premiership title in a decade this afternoon.
Saints have been the standard-bearers in English rugby this season, having led the way for almost the entire campaign and beat defending champions Saracens to reach the final.
The seeds for storming season were being sewn as soon as the dust had settled on their semi-final defeat by Saracens last spring - their fourth loss at that stage since they won the title in 2014.
Lee Radford was brought over from rugby league as their new defence coach and despite calling his appointment a "bit of a left-fielder", the 45-year-old's arrival has proved a masterstroke.
Only bottom of the table Newcastle conceded more tries than Northampton in 2022-23, while this year they gave away 158 fewer points.
Saints top the stats for most defenders beaten of the top four teams, the most carries and tackles made of the entire league and the second most metres made of any team.
They'll want plenty more of that today.
'Reward for Bath fans'published at 14:22
14:22
Northampton v Bath (15:00 BST)
Sophie Hurcom
BBC Sport at TwickenhamThis afternoon's match really feels like a reward for Bath fans, who have stuck by their club through some pretty miserable times in recent seasons.
The Recreation Ground was still close to capacity or selling out even when the club finished bottom of the league and endured a torrid losing run during 2021-22.
Bath is a real rugby city - the Rec literally takes centre stage right in the middle - and it's one of few in England where rugby union is the king sport.
The club owners are currently working on plans to regenerate the ground and expand the capacity to 18,000 and finally replace all the temporary stands with new permanent ones.
A title win today would really renew Bath's status at the top of English rugby, something they've always had all the foundations for.
Rapid improvement has Bath fans dreamingpublished at 14:17
14:17
Northampton v Bath (15:00 BST)
Image source, Rex FeaturesIt is hard to believe on this season's showing that two years ago Bath finished the season bottom of the Premiership table.
Bath achieved their first top-four finish in four years and this is their first final appearance since 2015.
Once the giants of English rugby, Bath's wait for a domestic trophy has been a long one, with the six-times league winners last crowned champions in 1996.
The last time they won a trophy of any kind was the European Challenge Cup in 2008.
But the club's transformation over the past couple of years has been rapid.
Additions such as Ollie Lawrence and Ted Hill from Worcester, and South African prop Thomas du Toit, allied with the magic of Finn Russell, has seen them become a force to be reckoned with and the fans dreaming of a return to the glory days.
