Summary

  • Saracens face Bath in Premiership final on 30 May (14:30 BST)

  • FT: Bath 47-10 Leicester

  • Banahan hat-trick as Bath score seven tries

  • FT: Northampton 24-29 Saracens

  • Saracens reach fourth Premiership final in six years

  • Sarries tries from Strettle and George, Farrell kicks five penalties

  1. Choice of listeningpublished at 13:55 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    As well as text coverage of today's game, you can also listen to the action as it unfolds.

    We've got a choice of listening for you too, with BBC Radio 5 live covering the game, while if you want something a bit more partisan then BBC Radio Northampton and BBC London 94.9 are also providing commentary.

    Just click on the live coverage tab and scroll through the selection to pick your stream.

  2. Get involved via #bbcrugbypublished at 13:52 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    Chuck Macleod:, external We've beaten them in the last month, we can do it again. Same ref, same game plan, same result. #COYS

    For those who might mistake that hashtag for 'Come on you Saracens', this happened at Stadium MK on 25 April.

  3. Postpublished at 13:50 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    We're just 10 minutes away from kick-off, the teams are going through the last of their warm-ups and Franklin's Gardens is filling up nicely. It should be a cracking atmosphere by the time we get under way.

  4. Get involved via #bbcrugbypublished at 13:49 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    Saracens on Twitter:, external A little look into the away dressing room! #WhiteWolf

    Saracens shirtsImage source, @Saracens

    Saracens will be wearing all white this afternoon rather than their more familiar black kit.

  5. Saints to use play-off experiencepublished at 13:46 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    Tom Wood (right) celebrates with Kahn Fotuali'iImage source, Getty Images

    Northampton have plenty of experience of the play-offs, having reached two successive finals and beating Saracens to win their first Premiership title 12 months ago.

    And flanker Tom Wood says they must use that to their advantage to book another trip to HQ this afternoon.

    "We've been there and won it and I know what it feels like and I just want to repeat it," he told BBC Radio Northampton.

    "We've got to make sure we show the same level of hunger that we did in the final and semi-final last year."

  6. Sarries will relish atmospherepublished at 13:43 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    Mark McCallImage source, Getty Images

    Northampton won both league meetings between the sides this season, winning 31-24 in November at Allianz Park and 25-20 in April at StadiumMK.

    But Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall said his side would not be intimidated by the inevitable white-hot atmosphere inside Franklin's Gardens this afternoon.

    "We have got a squad who don't mind being on the road and kind of relish hostile atmospheres," he told BBC London 94.9.

    "The atmosphere we faced when we played Clermont in the Champions Cup was something very special.

    "Having been through that and played quite a decent game that day, I don't think anywhere else will have big fear for us."

  7. Get involved via #bbcrugbypublished at 13:40 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    Northampton Saints on Twitter:, external The last game... #EndOfAnEra Let's give the Sturtridge a noisy send-off!

    Northampton SaintsImage source, @SaintsRugby

    The famous pavilion, in situ at Franklin's gardens for nearly 50 years, is being demolished this summer to be replaced by a new stand at the north end of the stadium.

  8. Last year's Twickenham showdownpublished at 13:38 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    So, it's Bath v Leicester at 17:00 BST but with all the stellar names in those Northampton and Saracens line-ups, the appetiser to that game isn't too shabby either.

    It's only a repeat of last year's final, which Saints won in the most dramatic of fashions thanks to Alex Waller's try in the last minute of extra-time.

    Alex Waller scores for NorthamptonImage source, Getty Images
  9. Team newspublished at 13:35 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    After resting their star names for the trip to Leicester last week in their final league game of the season, Northampton revert back to the same 23-man squad that beat London Welsh a fortnight ago.

    England stars Dylan Hartley, Courtney Lawes, Tom Wood and Luther Burrell are among those to return to the side that lost at Welford Road.

    Chris AshtonImage source, Getty Images

    Saracens wing Chris Ashton, who scored four tries in the win over Welsh that secured a play-off spot last Saturday, is only fit enough to start on the bench after illness. There's also a late change among the Sarries replacements as Jared Saunders comes in for the ill Schalk Brits.

    But there are starts for England centre Brad Barritt and scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth, as well as 20-year-old forward Maro Itoje, who was named in Stuart Lancaster's 50-man World Cup training squad this week.

  10. Team newspublished at 13:33 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    Northampton: Tuala; K Pisi, G Pisi, Burrell, Elliott; Myler, Dickson; Corbisiero, Hartley, Ma'afu, Lawes, Day, Wood, Clark, Manoa.

    Replacements: Haywood, Waller, Denman, Dickinson, Fisher, Fotuali'i, Stephenson, Wilson.

    Saracens: Goode; Wyles, Taylor, Barritt, Strettle; Farrell, Wigglesworth; M Vunipola, George, Du Plessis, Kruis, Hargreaves, Itoje, Burger, B Vunipola.

    Replacements: Saunders, Barrington, Figallo, Hamilton, Wray, De Kock, Hodgson, Ashton.

    Ref: Greg Garner

  11. Postpublished at 13:31 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    It will probably come as no surprise that our early attention is going to be on events at Franklin's Gardens. So before we go any further, let's take a look at today's line-ups.

  12. Get involved via #bbcrugbypublished at 13:27 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    What an afternoon we have in prospect and we would just love to know how you think it's going to pan out.

    Can Northampton overcome Saracens again and reach their third successive Premiership final? Or will it be the Londoners making the short trip to Twickenham?

    And what about events at The Rec later? Is this going to be Bath's year or can Leicester make the most of their play-off experience to reach yet another final?

    Let us know using #bbcrugby on Twitter.

  13. Postpublished at 13:24 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    Later we have a match-up for you steeped in tradition.

    Bath against Leicester is one of the oldest rivalries in English rugby, with the two clubs having gone at it hammer and tongs against each other for more than 100 years.

    Bath v LeicesterImage source, Getty Images

    It's one that in more recent times evokes memories of Guscott, Chilcott and Barnes in the Blue, Black and White, and Kardooni, Johnson and Rowntree for Tigers.

    Not to mention England fly-half George Ford, who has played for both clubs and will be hoping to lead Bath into the final today. But more of that later.

  14. How they finishedpublished at 13:21 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    Premiership Table

    Here's how the Premiership table ended up after last weekend's final matches.

    It was quite a Saturday afternoon as Leicester, Saracens and Exeter battled it out for the two remaining places to join Northampton and Bath in the play-offs.

    Leicester's win over a weakened Saints guaranteed their progress, while Sarries edged out the Chiefs on points difference thanks to a big win over London Welsh.

  15. Postpublished at 13:18 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    We've got back-to-back games for you this afternoon which promise to pack more punch than Mayweather v Pacquiao.

    Mayweather v PacquiaoImage source, AFP

    No fewer than 30 of England's 50-man World Cup training squad will be involved, suggesting we should be in for some high quality action as Northampton face Saracens and Bath tackle Leicester.

  16. Postpublished at 13:15 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    After 132 games of a gruelling Premiership season, four teams are left standing.

    Premiership TrophyImage source, Getty Images

    Their target? A place at Twickenham in next weekend's Premiership final.

    Welcome to our coverage of today's two semi-finals.