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Hendy quick-fire double sweeps Northampton to Prem title / Photo: © AFP/File
Hendy quick-fire double sweeps Northampton to Prem title
Winger George Hendy scored twice in three second-half minutes to help Northampton Saints edge Exeter Chiefs 26-17 on Saturday to clinch the English Prem crown at Twickenham.
It was Northampton's third Prem crown and their second in the last three seasons, sealed in front of a sold-out 82,500 crowd in searing London heat.
Tries by winger Campbell Ridl, prop Josh Iosefa-Scott and Wales lock Dafydd Jenkins had given Exeter a 17-14 lead at the halfway point of the second half, with the Chiefs bidding for their third Prem title and first since 2020, when they won the domestic and Champions Cup double.
But Hendy's contribution, with Chiefs captain Jenkins in the sin bin, proved the difference after first-half tries from Tommy Freeman and Fin Smith had given Saints a slender lead at the break.
England winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso started for Exeter less than three weeks after having surgery on a facial injury as director of rugby Rob Baxter made two changes from last week's semi-final win over then-holders Bath.
Northampton scrum-half Alex Mitchell was named on the Saints' bench having being cleared to play after suffering a hamstring problem.
Saints opened the scoring after just four minutes as winger Freeman benefited from a Feyi-Waboso mistake on his own line to cross for an 18th league try of the season.
Mitchell, the only change to the matchday 23 from last weekend's semi-final victory over Leicester, was brought into the fray after just 11 minutes.
But seconds later, Ridl scored to cut the deficit.
England fly-half Smith sniped over from a Mitchell pass before Iosefa-Scott responded for Exeter.
Smith nailed both of his conversion attempts but Henry Slade missed twice for the Chiefs as Saints led 14-10 at the break.
Slade, unusually, stayed on the field for a few minutes at half-time to practise his kicks at goal before heading inside to join his team-mates.
Chiefs took the lead for the first time when Jenkins went over from short range, with Saints flanker Josh Kemeny in the bin.
Slade's unconventional half-time routine paid off as he slotted the extras to make it 17-14.
With just a quarter of an hour to play, the Saints took control of the final with Kemeny back on the field and Jenkins off it.
Hendy's first try came from a Mitchell pass and the 23-year-old's second was thanks to a delicate Smith grubber kick.
T.Wisniewski--GL
