Top 5 Premiership Finals

Dylan Hartley and Northampton Saints celebrate winning the 2014 Aviva Premiership 24-20 in an extra time thriller against Saracens

Credit: SaintsTV and Premiership Rugby

The pinnacle of domestic English rugby, the Premiership Final is a date every fan has marked in their calendar. 

Since the introduction of a playoff system in 2002, the competition has thrown up many classics in the showpiece match at Twickenham. 

Although it was hard to pick favourites, The Flanker has ranked the best five finals in its young history. 

5.) 2006: Sale 45 Leicester 20

This Sale Sharks team was stacked with both Premiership Rugby nostalgia value along with a plethora of quality as they romped to their first title, topping the regular-season standings also.

Jason Robinson, Mark Cueto, Sebastian Chabal, Jason White, Richard Wigglesworth, Charlie Hodgson and Mark Taylor all lined up for the men from Cheshire, with Ben Foden and France International Sebastian Bruno coming off the bench. 

Sale scored through Cueto, Magnus Lund and Oriol Ripol to run into a 23-10 half time lead, with Lewis Moody’s try giving Tigers something to cling onto. 

Jason Robinson and Philippe Saint Andre of Sale Sharks lift the Premiership Trophy in 2006

Credit: Tony Marshall EMPICS Sport PA

Leicester were ultimately outclassed as they failed to contain the tempo and intensity of Sale, with Chris Mayor adding another try and Ripol bagging his brace in the second half. 

Hodgson kept things ticking over with a personal haul of 23 points, while a late Jim Hamilton score was merely a consolation for the tamed Tigers. 

All directed by the shrewd coaching of Philippe Saint-André, Sale have not reached the same heights and have never made the playoffs since. 

They are currently second in the table but, with COVID-19 causing disarray and the league looking no closer to resuming, Sale may have to wait longer for another go at knockout rugby. 

4.) 2012: Harlequins 30-23 Leicester

Undoubtedly the best Quins side in recent memory, led by the canny Conor O’Shea as Director of Rugby, managed to hold off a late Tigers charged to win their maiden English title. 

Three years previous, Quins were rightly vilified for the Bloodgate scandal that rocked rugby and saw Dean Richards lose his job as team coach. 

It was some form of redemption that Tom Williams, the man who took the blood capsule and the brunt of the anger for the scandal, opened the scoring on a sultry day at Twickenham.

Tigers, incredibly appearing in their eighth consecutive final, responded with a Steve Mafi try after a mix-up in the Quins lineout saw him collect a Dan Cole offload to race in from halfway. 

Harlequins mercurial All Black Fly-Half Nick Evans nailed some crucial penalty goals, as did counterpart George Ford for Tigers, to nudge his side into a 14-13 lead at the break.

After the half time oranges, skipper Chris Robshaw cut a great in to out angle to barrel over from close range and push Harlequins further ahead.

Not before Tigers stalwart Anthony Allen’s try, following good work by Ben Youngs after a trademark sniping break, set up a grandstand finish. 

Tigers were camped in Quins’ 22 as the clock ticked over 80 minutes, but the West Londoners fans party could finally begin as a ruck penalty handed them the title and a narrow win.

3.) 2017: Exeter Chiefs 23 (20) Wasps 20 (20) AET

Two years before the final heartache (more on that later), Chiefs clinched their maiden title with a dramatic last gasp win falling their way. 

It was one of only two finals to go to extra time, with club legend Gareth Steenson slotting the 98th-minute penalty to seal the win. 

Jack Nowell waltzed through the Wasps defence following a clever lineout move to score an 11th-minute opener before club stalwart Phil Dollman crashed over to extend the lead.

Kiwi Jimmy Gopperth grabbed a try and England’s Elliot Daly got another following a Christian Wade kick ahead as Wasps rallied either side of half time to even it up 14-14.

Jack Nowell dives over for Exeter Chiefs opening try in the 2017 Premiership Final against Wasps

Credit: Dave Rogers/Dave Mullan/Getty Images

Iceman Steenson nailed an 80th-minute levelling penalty that forced extra time before Chiefs were denied a try by the TMO due to inconclusive grounding after 25 phases.

Dungannon man Steenson stepped up again to knock over another penalty following a collapsed scrum, banging the ball between the posts and sparking jubilation in the stands.

Exeter held on to complete a remarkable journey after promotion from The Championship just seven years earlier, fulfilling CEO Tony Rowe’s dream of being the best side in England. 

2.) 2019: Exeter Chiefs 34 Saracens 37

“Is that the try that leads the Chiefs to the promised land?!” exclaimed BT’s Alastair Eykyn when Henry Slade crossed the whitewash in the 58th minute to put Exeter 27-16 up going into the home stretch of the final

Just 20 minutes later, Sam Hill's last-second try was a mere consolation for the Chiefs who were left wondering what the hell happened.

In between, tries by Liam Williams, Sean Maitland and Jamie George saw Sarries roar back to win their fourth title in five years.

Luke Cowan-Dickie and Henry Slade sit dejected on the Twickenham turf after a heartbreaking 37-34 loss to Saracens in the 2019 Premiership Final

Credit: Dan Mullan/Getty Images

It was a barnstorming game in sweltering heat, both sides were happy to throw the ball around. Nic White set the tempo by burrowing over after 25 seconds, the fastest try in finals history. 

Tries from George and Ben Spencer, which were sandwiched between a Henry Slade yellow card for a deliberate knock-on, nudged the champs ahead. 

Both sides traded blows in the sunshine before Slade’s score pushed Chiefs within touching distance of the title while the Tomahawk Chop rang round the home of rugby.

The try provoked a stunning Saracens comeback, who added the Premiership to their European Cup which they secured three weeks earlier with a hard-fought 20-10 win against Leinster.

1.) 2014: Northampton Saints 24 (14) Saracens 20 (14) AET

Was it a try, wasn’t it? Alex Waller last minute extra time try goes down as one of the greatest moments in the Saints 140-year history as they won their first Premiership title.

One year earlier, Dylan Hartley saw red for allegedly calling referee Wayne Barnes a… ahem… “Flipping Cheat” and Leicester Tigers cantered to a win 37–17.

X Factor’s Ben Foden finished off a team move to score the game’s first try before Samoa international George Pisi gathered Stephen Myler’s grubber to dot down. 

The boot of Owen Farrell kept Sarries in the contest before Marcelo Bosch's try levelled the scores at 14-14 with the conversion to win it.

Charlie Hodgson's kick was curling, curling… but plonked against the post to send the game into extra time.

Hodgson and Myler swapped penalties before Northampton camped on the Saracens line, trailing by just three points and Myler sat waiting in the pocket for a drop goal.

Waller had other ideas, digging his way over in the 100th minute with the ball just brushing the line and sending the Saintsmen into delirium.