Northampton Saints: Could love rugby champions become one of English rugby’s greats?

Northampton Saints are proving themselves to be a formidable force in English club rugby union.

They are champions for the second time in three seasons.

But they did it the hard way, pushed all the way by Exeter Chiefs in the Prem final, eventually running out 26-17 winners at the Allianz Stadium.

Had it not been for George Hendy’s quickfire second-half double when Chiefs went down to 14 men after Dafydd Jenkins’ sin-binning, the story might have been different.

But nobody in Northampton will care. This is their third crown, and it will be hard to bet against more in the very near future.

BBC rugby union correspondent Chris Jones certainly thinks so.

“Northampton are building a dynasty,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“With 14 of their 23 academy graduates, it is based on their own development, and you can see the connection here between the players and their supporters who are reveling in the Twickenham sun.

“In time, they will feel they can add to their legacy and be talked about in the future as one of the greatest English club teams in history.”

England World Cup winner and former Saints scrum-half Matt Dawson agreed: “This crop is the best Northampton team ever. Period.

“The trophies, their style, what they’ve done for the city, for the fans, it’s unparalleled. It’s a pleasure to watch them.”