Northampton beat Exeter to win Prem Rugby title

Northampton clinched their third Premiership Rugby title, overcoming Exeter 26-17 in a hard-fought final at Allianz Stadium. The decisive moment came in the second half when George Hendy scored two tries within three minutes, breaking a tense, back-and-forth contest.

The match began at a furious pace, with Northampton's Tommy Freeman capitalizing on an early Exeter error to score within two minutes. Exeter responded quickly through Campbell Ridl. Fin Smith added a try for Northampton, but Josh Iosefa-Scott brought Exeter within four points just before halftime.

The second half saw momentum shifts. Northampton's Josh Kemeny was sin-binned after 51 minutes, and Exeter captain Dafydd Jenkins took advantage to put his team ahead. However, Jenkins himself was also yellow-carded shortly after. With an extra player on the field, Hendy scored his first try in the 64th minute, putting Northampton back in front, and added a second moments later to seal the victory.

Exeter's final appearance was marred by early setbacks, including a knock-on that led to Northampton's opening try and an ankle injury to hooker Max Norey. Despite these challenges, they fought back, with Iosefa-Scott scoring their second try. The match also featured a disallowed try for Northampton's Rory Hutchinson and strong defensive efforts from both sides.