Final match for Saracens ended in defeat but his contribution was even more impressive after playing with a tear in his quad

Owen Farrell cut a lone figure as he walked round the perimeter of Franklin’s Gardens applauding fans, most of them backing Northampton. And, here’s the thing, they applauded him back.

A cacophony of boos had greeted his every contribution in the Premiership semi-final that had gone before, apart from the stunned silence for a couple of flashes of brilliance from the man that had conjured two tries for Saracens in the second half.

• 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.

Owen Farrell and Saracens await as the Saints legend steels himself for a season-defining Premiership playoff semi-final

Fairytale finishes are not always available to order. As at least one of England’s most prominent modern rugby players is about to discover. Courtney Lawes and Owen Farrell have collectively given 33 years of service to Northampton and Saracens respectively but lose out in Friday night’s season-defining Gallagher Premiership playoff and the closing chapter will inevitably be bittersweet.

Then again, just imagine the wall of noise at Franklin’s Gardens if Lawes and Saints can march together into this year’s final. It is already a fixture with plenty of history attached, Northampton’s last league title having come at the expense of Sarries in extra time a decade ago. The following year, as now, Saints had a juicy-looking home semi-final against the same opponents and lost 29-24, with Dylan Hartley subsequently missing the 2015 World Cup after receiving a ban for head-butting Jamie George.

Primary school teacher Fiona Beal sentenced to life after killing Nicholas Billingham at their home in 2021

A primary school teacher who murdered her boyfriend and buried his body in their back garden in a “carefully planned domestic execution” has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 20 years.

Fiona Beal, 50, stabbed and killed her partner, Nicholas Billingham, 42, at their home in Northampton in 2021. His remains were discovered in March 2022, four and a half months after he had last been seen.

• Table-toppers Northampton host Saracens on Friday
• ‘It’s a massive game but we should be confident’

Northampton’s director of rugby, Phil Dowson, says his team expect a ­furious playoff challenge from Saracens on Friday but is confident Saints will not make the same mistakes that ended up costing them dearly in the Champions Cup semi-final against Leinster in Dublin.

Saints were narrowly beaten at Croke Park in a tense finish but their nervy first-half display ultimately proved decisive.

Only once since 2015 has an away side progressed to the Premiership final, with Bath and Saints hosting this season

This year’s Gallagher Premiership campaign has not been short on drama and the best could still await. After a breathless Saturday afternoon when one of the season’s more remarkable away wins occurred, the upshot is a brace of semi-finals full of intriguing plot lines, not least whether Sale Sharks or Saracens can now buck the well-established historical trend of home victories in the last four.

Just once since 2015 has an away side won a Premiership semi-final and that was the famous “Bristanbul” game in 2021 when Harlequins needed extra time to complete a stunning fightback from 28-0 down. Otherwise 15 of the past 16 final eliminators have been won by the hosts, which explained the broad smiles and upbeat atmosphere in Bath when confirmation of Sale’s stunning 20-10 win at the StoneX Stadium came through.

• Bath 43-12 Northampton
• Will Muir scores two of Bath’s six tries to seal second place

Bath could hardly have wished for a more encouraging May day beside the River Avon. A comfortable win over the Premiership leaders was almost the lesser bonus compared with the unexpected prize of a home semi-final. Sale have done them a mighty favour which may not be repaid when the Sharks head to Somerset in the last four a week on Saturday.

Admittedly this was largely a Northampton second string but Bath are precisely the kind of team who could finish the season at a proper gallop. Powerful up front and hard to contain behind, Johann van Graan’s side are now 80 minutes away from a first Premiership final for nine years and, historically, home semi-final advantage has proved a significant advantage.