Summary

  • Live text updates & radio commentary as Northampton host Leicester in Prem semi-final (19:45 BST)

  • Tom Litchfield scores first-half hat-trick and George Furbank crosses twice as Saints score seven tries to beat Leicester 45-31 and reach final

  • Tigers battled well throughout to stay in the contest and scored five tries of their own

  • Bath play Exeter at the Rec in the second semi-final on Saturday (15:00)

  • The winner will meet Saints in the Prem Final on 20 June at Twickenham

  • Saints finished top of the table in the regular season, with East Midlands rivals Tigers fourth

  • BBC radio commentary available on the Watch & Listen tab

  • Get Involved: Send us your views by clicking on the yellow button on this page

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  1. Postpublished at 21:50 BST

    FT: Northampton 45-31 Leicester

    Northampton Saints

    Northampton Saints fly-half Fin Smith told TNT Sports after the full-time whistle:

    "A lot of relief with how this season has gone [finishing top of the league].

    "If we hadn't have got there [to the Prem final], I think we would have felt like we had let ourselves down."

  2. Full-timepublished at 21:40 BST

    Northampton 45-31 Leicester

    An extraordinary Prem semi-final comes to an end and Northampton will return to Twickenham for the final next Saturday!

    What a fantastic match. The full-time whistle is greeted by an enormous roar from the home faithful.

    Fin Smith pulled off a masterclass in fly-half play - what a game he had.

    George Furbank will be the toast of everyone in Northampton, scoring twice on his final match at the Garden's. What a way to say goodbye to the old place.

    Tom Litchfield scored a first-half hat-trick from outside centre for the Saints and they will have a chance to regain the Prem title they won two years ago.

    Spare a thought for Leicester Tigers and Geoff Parling, who more than played their part in this East Midlands derby, and can be very proud of their own efforts, today and throughout the season.

  3. Postpublished at 80 mins

    Northampton 45-31 Leicester

    It's at risk at boiling over at the end and there is a ruckus between the two sets of players with 30 seconds remaining.

  4. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 21:38 BST

    Having to get updates via radio in Greece! Still time for Tigers to win!

    Jez, Paxos

    English rugby is brilliant, and we still have Exeter v Bath to play. Awesome rugby. Leicester fan.

    Sean, Redhill

  5. 'Time running out for Tigers'published at 21:38 BST

    Northampton 45-31 Leicester

    Adam Whitty
    BBC Radio Leicester commentator

    Time is running out for Leicester and an epic semi-final is nearing its conclusion.

  6. Sin-bin: Craig Wright (Northampton Saints)published at 78 mins

    Northampton 45-31 Leicester

    Saints will play the final stages of this one with 14 men, replacement hooker Craig Wright is sent to the bin for a ball steal.

  7. 'Furbank seals the deal in his final act'published at 21:34 BST

    Northampton 45-31 Leicester

    Sara Orchard
    BBC Sport rugby union commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live

    George Furbank with his final act in his final match here at Franklin's Gardens is to absolutely seal the deal. There is not enough time for the Tigers to come back.

  8. try

    Try: Northampton 45-31 Leicesterpublished at 75 mins

    George Furbank, missed con Smith

    What a fitting moment for the departing George Furbank!

    Leicester win a line-out on halfway but Saints steal possession from it.

    Fin Smith's kick to the corner is outrageous - and Tommy Freeman picks out Furbank who dives over for his second try of the night.

    The celebration following the try is phenomenal - you can see how much that meant to Furbank, who will join Harlequins following the conclusion of the season.

    Fin Smith's accuracy is lacking with the conversion attempt, but his job was done by setting up the try.

  9. 'The execution was perfect'published at 21:29 BST

    Northampton 40-31 Leicester

    Tom Varndell
    Former England and Leicester wing on BBC Radio Leicester

    That was the best of the bunch from the Tigers tries.

    The execution was perfect and we're back on again.

    That kick was a stinker, but in 10 minutes we've seen how quickly both these teams can score tries.

  10. try

    Try: Northampton 40-31 Leicesterpublished at 70 mins

    Ollie Hassell-Collins, missed con Searle

    Absolutely fantastic from Leicester Tigers! Game on once more.

    It's a gorgeous grubber kick from Billy Searle, who picks out Ollie Hassell-Collins, to score his second of the match from the left wing.

    Searle misses the extras but we are set for a grandstand finish with 10 to play.

  11. Postpublished at 68 mins

    Northampton 40-26 Leicester

    That try looks to have taken it out of Leicester a little bit but they will remain fighting until the end.

    14 points in it, 12 minutes left. They have the put in at a scum and earn themselves a penalty which Billy Searle launches into Saints territory.

  12. 'Another magical try from Saints'published at 21:22 BST

    Northampton 40-26 Leicester

    Graham McKechnie
    BBC Radio Northampton commentator

    Is that the moment Saints have finally broken Leicester?

    It's another magical try!

    Over to you TMO, what's wrong with that one?

  13. try

    Try: Northampton 40-26 Leicesterpublished at 66 mins

    Archie McParland, con Smith

    Archie McParland scores a tryImage source, Getty Images

    A sensational team try by Northampton Saints!

    George Furbank starts the move, finding Tom Pearson on his outside. Pearson unselfishly moves the ball left and Archie McParland is in! That could be the one that sends Northampton back to Twickenham.

    Fin Smith then puts 40 up with the conversion - a simple one by his extremely high standards.

  14. 'Pollock has taken some real collisions'published at 21:19 BST

    Northampton 33-26 Leicester

    Sara Orchard
    BBC Sport rugby union commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live

    Henry Pollock has taken some real collisions so far in this fixture. He absolutely smashed into the shoulder of George Martin.

    It is getting tense, physical, testy.

    Pollock is holding the right side of his face and this will be a huge concern not just to Northampton but also to England as well.

  15. TMO reviewpublished at 64 mins

    Northampton 33-26 Leicester

    Leicester's George Martin is next in the dock for potential head contact on Henry Pollock.

    After review, no further action is taken against Martin except a penalty to Saints. Looked a fair call.

  16. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 21:17 BST

    This is not over yet... a great game of rugby

    Jon, Towcester

    I'm a Bath fan. It's going to an exciting second half. Would like Northampton to win.

    Susan, Bath

  17. 'This is being played at ferocious speed'published at 21:15 BST

    Northampton 33-26 Leicester

    Adam Whitty
    BBC Radio Leicester commentator

    Leicester need to calm this down a little bit, it's being played at ferocious speed.

  18. No try: Northampton 33-26 Leicesterpublished at 60 mins

    Elliot Millar Mills does superbly to pirouette and extend over underneath the sticks.

    It looks to be a certain and crucial seven points for the Saints.

    However, TMO Stuart Terheege has spotted a knock-on in the build-up by George Hendy.

    On his 49th appearance, Millar Mills' first Prem try for Saints is chalked off - shame for him as it was a lovely little finish!

  19. Try review: Northampton 33-26 Leicesterpublished at 59 mins

    Elliot Millar Mills

    Underneath the sticks goes Saints' Elliot Millar Mills - but we will have a third TMO review of the evening.

  20. Postpublished at 56 mins

    Northampton 33-26 Leicester

    A tremendous kick by Saints fly-half Fin Smith - he finds touch inside the Tigers half from near his own posts.

    Saints kick forward and the covering Tigers full-back Freddie Steward does absolutely brilliantly to stay in field on his own line.

    The quality of this match is outstanding.