Northampton went top of the English Prem with a hard-fought bonus-point 36-19 victory over rock-bottom Newcastle Red Bulls on Friday as Bristol downed Gloucester in a 12-try thriller.

Last year's beaten Champions Cup finalists, Saints were off to a fast start at Kingston Park with two tries in the opening 10 minutes through lock JJ van der Mescht and scrum-half Alex Mitchell.

Oli Spencer and Japan international Amanaki Mafi hit back for Newcastle either side of South African Van der Mescht's yellow card, but wing Tommy Freeman's try gave Saints a 21-12 halftime lead.

Van der Mescht was shown a second yellow card early in the second half, earning a 20-minute sin-binning, with South African Stefan Coetzee striking back for Newcastle.

But Italian wing Edoardo Todaro then crossed for the visitors and any hopes of a late Newcastle comeback were ended when fly-half Fin Smith kicked a penalty before lock Alex Coles touched down.

Northampton have now won their last three straight league games to move top of the fledgling table, ahead of champions Bath's trip to Leicester on Saturday, while Newcastle remain winless at the bottom.

At Gloucester's Kingsholm Stadium, Bristol ran in seven tries to earn an attacking bonus point in a 49-34 victory that moved them up to third, ahead of the rest of the weekend's matches.

Gabriel Oghre scored two tries while Fitz Harding, Viliame Mata and Sam Worsley also crossed the whitewash for Bristol, who led by just a single point with 10 minutes to play before a Kalaveti Ravouvou brace finally ended the Cherry and Whites' resistance.

Worsley added seven conversions for a 19-point haul.

Gloucester conjured five tries of their own – Matias Alemanno, Seb Blake, Josiah Edwards-Giraud, Will Joseph and James Venter crossing – with Ross Byrne kicking three conversions and a penalty.

But it was a fourth straight defeat to start the season for George Skivington's team.

Tries from fly-half Worsley, hooker Oghre and back-row Harding had seen Bristol race into a 21-10 lead but hooker Blake and wing Edwards-Giraud scored in the last five minutes of the half, adding to Argentine lock Alemanno's earlier effort, to close the gap to one point at the break.

Oghre and Fijian back-row Mata twice extended Bristol's lead, only for tries from centre Joseph and South African back-rower Venter to each time close the gap back to a single point.

But there was no coming back for Gloucester after Fijian centre Ravouvou's late brace.

Tom Roebuck scored a hat-trick as Sale ran in nine tries to compound Newcastle's miserable start to a new era in a 57-5 thrashing on Friday.

Newcastle have won just two league matches in the past two seasons, but had hoped for better days after a takeover by Red Bull in August injected fresh funds into the club.

However, they have lost their opening three games of the Prem season, conceding 134 points in the process.

The Sharks ran in five tries before halftime through Rob du Preez, Roebuck, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ernst van Rhyn and Arron Reed.

England wing Roebuck crossed for two more scores in the second half either side of further tries from Nathan Jibulu and Reed.

George Ford added 12 more points via six conversions as Sale moved to the top of the table thanks to two wins from their opening three games.

Northampton overcame a stunning second-half fightback from Gloucester to win 37-35 in England's top-flight Prem Rugby on Sunday.

The Saints nearly blew another large lead after they were held to a draw by Exeter last week having been 33-7 ahead.

Northampton were 24 points clear at 31-7 come half-time at Gloucester's Kingsholm ground, before edging their way to victory despite being without several leading players.

The Saints were in command at the break following tries from flanker Tom Pearson, centre Tom Litchfield, scrum-half Archie McParland and full-back George Hendy, with Anthony Belleau kicking four conversions and a penalty.

But the Cherry and Whites came roaring back in the second half through tries from lock Cam Jordan (two), centre Will Joseph, flanker James Venter and prop Afo Fasogbon, with Ross Byrne kicking five conversions as Saints saw Hendy, Pearson and Tom Lockett all collecting yellow cards.

Northampton were without 19 players -- including their four-strong British and Irish Lions contingent -- through injuries or unavailability, but two Belleau penalties in the second half ultimately saw them secure victory.

The result left Northampton fourth in the table after two rounds, with Gloucester still looking for their first league win of the season.

Louis Rees-Zammit made a try-scoring return to the English top flight as Bristol beat Leicester 42-24 in their Premiership opener at Ashton Gate on Sunday.

The Wales wing starred in his first Premiership appearance since December 2023 after leaving Gloucester to pursue a career in American football.

Rees-Zammit earned training deals with Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars, but he did not feature in a regular-season NFL game before becoming Bristol's showpiece pre-season signing.

Although he had few chances against Leicester, the 24-year-old showed he still knew how to finish with a 60-metre breakaway effort in the final minute.

And Bristol boss Pat Lam expects Rees-Zammit to "get better and better".

"That was his first 80 minutes since he has come back," said Lam. "Every day he is getting better and better, and what I liked about his game today was that he was physically good in the contact as well.

"He did not get it easy, and that will give him a lot of confidence."

Bristol, beaten in last season's play-off semifinals by eventual champions Bath, won despite three of Rees-Zammit's fellow backs – AJ MacGinty, Harry Randall and Gabriel Ibitoye – all suffering injuries.

"AJ looks like he has done his Achilles," said Lam. "That looks the most serious. Harry Randall and Gabriel Ibitoye are hamstring injuries.

"The one thing about AJ is he is so professional, and in the past, he has come back quicker. You never know."

DETERMINATION

Meanwhile, Exeter supremo Rob Baxter said an astounding second-half fightback in a 33-33 draw at Northampton on Sunday proved their determination to keep a promise he made to supporters.

The Chiefs finished a lowly ninth last season, suffering several heavy defeats.

Exeter looked destined for more of the same when they were 33-7 behind at halftime in Northampton, with the Saints establishing a commanding lead after 19-year-old Italian wing Edoardo Todaro scored two tries on his league debut.

But Exeter stormed back after the break to end the match all square.

"The one thing I promised everybody at the club, and every supporter who's asked me what's going to happen this season, I promised them wins, I promised them points, I promised them a good place in the table, I promised them we would be a more competitive team," said Baxter.

Exeter boss Rob Baxter said an astounding second-half fightback in a 33-33 draw at Northampton on Sunday proved their determination to keep a promise he made to supporters.

The Chiefs finished a lowly ninth in the English Premiership in 2024-25, with the southwest side suffering several heavy defeats.

Exeter looked destined for more of the same when they were 33-7 behind at halftime in Northampton, with the Saints establishing a commanding lead after 19-year-old Italian wing Edoardo Todaro scored on his league debut.

But Exeter stormed back after the break to end the match all square.

"I said we promised this wasn't what we were going to be about," insisted Baxter.

"I also said to them the one thing I promised everybody at the club, and every supporter who's asked me what's going to happen this season, I promised them wins, I promised them points, I promised them a good place in the table, I promised them we would be a more competitive team."

A game of two halves. We draw in Northampton.#NORvEXE | #JointheJourney | @LinealSoftware pic.twitter.com/iojW7Bx3HH

— Exeter Chiefs (@ExeterChiefs) September 28, 2025

He added: "Our choice was to stand up and be counted or roll over, and fair play to the players, they went out and they played the second half... I'm delighted we showed the character to get back into the game."

Tearing up like he never left ⚡️

Welcome back, Manny ⚔️#NORvEXE | #JointheJourney pic.twitter.com/Uix9Jiw4bQ

— Exeter Chiefs (@ExeterChiefs) September 28, 2025

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso's opening try for Exeter looked set to count for little as Northampton surged into a big lead thanks to scores by Alex Coles, Tom Pearson, Todaro (two) and Tom Litchfield.

But Paul Brown-Bampoe's try started the Exeter recovery, with Ross Vintcent crossing twice before Feyi-Waboso's second try of the match drew the visitors level.

Northampton coach Phil Dowson said: "We went from 33-7 at halftime, feeling pretty good and then a very, very poor second half.

"We didn't look after the ball, we invited opportunities for them in our 22, they're a very capable side and they flipped the game on its head."

English champions Bath got the defence of their Prem title off to the best possible start with a 47-31 bonus-point win at Harlequins on Friday.

Bath trailed 17-14 at the break as Quins got off to a flyer with flanker Will Evans scoring a hat-trick of tries inside 30 minutes.

But two tries on debut from new signing Henry Arundell helped to turn the game upside down as Bath ran away with it in the second half.

Bath scored seven tries in total, with hooker Tom Dunn and prop Billy Sela crossing in the first half with fellow prop Beno Obano, Archie Griffin and Sam Underhill adding to Arundell's tries in the second half.

In Friday's other game, Owen Farrell's Saracens upset a new-look Newcastle with a 39-17 victory in the north-east.

Last month, Newcastle were taken over by Austria-based energy drinks company Red Bull and the side showed they had new wings when Alex Hearle crossed for the first try in the opening minute.

Saracens, though, recovered to lead 15-10 at half-time following tries from Brandon Jackson and Andy Onyeama-Christie.

Nick Tompkins scored twice in the second half and 18-year-old debutant wing Noah Caluori also touched down to seal the win and secure the bonus point.

Farrell marked his return to the Saracens line-up with 12 points off the boot.

Thursday's opening game saw Sale defeat Gloucester while the remainder of the opening round will be played on Sunday so as to avoid any clashes on Saturday with the Women's World Cup final between England and Canada at Twickenham.

Red Bull further extended their interests in sport on Tuesday by investing in rugby union for the first time by taking over English top-flight strugglers Newcastle.

The Austria-based energy drinks company already has significant interests in football, motor racing and winter sports.

The club will now be known as Newcastle Red Bulls.

Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull CEO corporate projects and investments, said their aim was to "empower the club to reach its full competitive potential".

Newcastle Rugby Ltd are pleased to announce that Red Bull has taken full ownership of the club.

The newly-named Newcastle Red Bulls will proudly remain at Kingston Park and will build for sporting success with a commitment to developing local rugby talent through a strengthened… pic.twitter.com/GKZKTpCEv1

— Newcastle Falcons (@FalconsRugby) August 12, 2025

They face an uphill task as they take over a club that has failed to sparkle in recent years, finishing bottom in the past three Premiership campaigns.

Semore Kurdi, who had been majority owner since 2011, put Newcastle up for sale towards the end of last year.

"Red Bull's takeover of Newcastle is a landmark moment for our sport and a powerful endorsement of our vision and strategy for the future of the PREM," PREM chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor said in a statement, using the new name for the rebranded Premiership.

"We are hugely excited by Red Bull's ambition for the club, which includes developing the player pathway in the North East and growing the club's fanbase," he added.

He said Red Bull's "track record in global sport" would bring "enormous value not only to Newcastle but to the PREM as a whole".

There will be no upheavals at the top with the vastly-experienced Steve Diamond remaining the club's director of rugby.

The Newcastle players will get a chance to show their qualities to their new owners when they get their season under way with a home match against six-time champions Saracens on 26 September.

But while Red Bull have won six Formula One constructors' championships and eight drivers' world titles, Diamond warned the new regime would take time to make its presence felt at Newcastle – although it would deliver success.

"We'll be looking at world-class facilities, world-class players, world-class coaches coming to Newcastle over the next three or four years to hopefully dominate in the future," Diamond told a conference call.

He added: "The situation has happened at a difficult time for recruiting, so the main job I've been doing for the last four weeks is getting my ducks in a row to have a competitive team for September."

Diamond, however, is in no doubt of the importance of Red Bull's investment given Newcastle's nearest rival Premiership club is Sale, more than 100 miles away.

"It future-proofs the professional game in the North East and the north," he said.

Scotland captain and British and Irish Lions flyhalf Finn Russell has signed a new deal with Bath until 2028, the newly crowned Premiership champions announced on Thursday.

The 32-year-old kicked 13 points and added an impressive interception in Saturday's 23-21 victory over Leicester in the Premiership final at Twickenham.

The win was Bath's first Premiership title in 29 years and sealed a treble, with the European Challenge Cup and the Premiership Rugby Cup already secured.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 ✍️

Scottish and British & Irish Lion Finn Russell has signed a new contract that will keep the fly-half at The Rec until June 2028! pic.twitter.com/zqREDwOhSO

— Bath Rugby (@BathRugby) June 19, 2025

Russell, who joined Bath in 2023, has made 45 appearances and scored 420 points in all competitions for the club.

"I have loved my time here at Bath," said the playmaker, part of the Lions squad for their upcoming tour to Australia.

"It's a great team and a great club. We've come a long way over the last couple of years and I am really looking forward to staying here and seeing what the club can achieve."

Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan, who has transformed the team side from rock-bottom finishers in 2021/22 to league champions, said: "Finn is one of the world's best 10s, a player who performs in the big moments and more importantly he's an incredible team man and a family man.

"He is one of the lads, his training is exceptional, and he's added so much to our group."

English Premiership club Gloucester announced on Tuesday that they had signed All Blacks prop Nepo Laulala for the 2025/26 season.

The New Zealand international, who has won 53 international caps, has been recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon at the club after being released mid-season by French side Toulouse.

The 33-year-old is expected to return to action by the start of the league season.

𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗣 𝗣𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥 💥

Laulala is a Cherry & White! 🍒

🤝 Powered by @EmergeDigitalGB pic.twitter.com/sTUiJWe7u5

— Gloucester Rugby 🍒 (@gloucesterrugby) June 17, 2025

"Nepo is a 50-odd cap All Black, and that pretty much speaks for itself in terms of the calibre of player we've signed," said Gloucester director of rugby George Skivington.

"We moved quickly to get him here in the building and start his rehab, which gave us a jump on the other sides and, most importantly, Nepo has been really grateful for how we've supported him with his injury.

"He's looking really good, he's coming through all the tests that we've been putting him through and we're confident he can have a big impact for us this season."

Laulala said: "I'm really grateful to George and everybody at Gloucester for welcoming me to Kingsholm after going through a pretty rough time in France.

"It was a scary time not knowing where my future lay, but I'm looking forward to repaying everybody here for the faith they’ve put in me."

Bath beat Leicester at Twickenham on Saturday to win the 2024/25 Premiership crown.

Bath coach Johann van Graan praised the togetherness of his club after they beat Leicester 23-21 to win the Premiership title for the first time since 1996 on Saturday, three years after finishing bottom of the league.

The South African oversaw the turnaround that took Bath to the final last year, before finishing the regular season 11 points clear this year and holding off a late fightback from old rivals Leicester to secure a memorable triumph in the final.

"It's for every player, every staff member, everyone involved in the club, and especially the supporters," Van Graan said. "We spoke about connection and what I saw before the game when we got off that bus was one of the best experiences I’ve had in the game."

The victory completed a superb treble this season after Bath earlier bagged the Premiership Cup and European Challenge Cup.

"Winning the Challenge Cup was brilliant but at the start of the year the goal was to win the Premiership," said flyhalf Finn Russell.

"It's special. This group, the city, the club deserves it. The work we've put in over the last few years and then what we do on the pitch is try to represent the city as best we can.

"After last year's defeat, we bounced back really quickly and we managed to get the job done."

Russell looked certain to score an interception try in the second half but then threw a pass to supporting Max Ojomoh, drawing gasps from the astonished Twickenham crowd.

"He's a kid from Bath that grew up watching his dad (England and Bath flanker Steve) lifting this trophy, Russell said. "Giving him a little bit of limelight in the final was nice."

Veteran scrumhalf Ben Spencer, a title winner with Saracens, said: "What we've done this year, to win three trophies like we have, is unbelievable.

"When Johann came in, he completely turned this place around. We've got a really good group around him in terms of coaches, in terms of staff and we've gone from there and I think we've gone from strength to strength.

"I'm not sure there’s enough time to say what he brings.

He has an unbelievable ability to stay calm at all times. At halftime he’s great and we’ve had a really good ability to start from zero.

"His ability to deal with people - 60-odd players who want to play every week - is amazing. The togetherness and strength of this group is just that - the group."

Leicester coach Michael Cheika was proud of his team's effort but, not for the first time, was unhappy with the officials, who heavily penalised his team and sent two players to the sin bin.

"The calls through the game went against us, the scrum calls were incredible, honestly, and some of the foul play ones. Dominating like that and getting nothing," said the Australian as his one-season stint came to a frustrating end.

"Of course I'm slightly biased, but it was frustrating and when you come out of a final having scored more tries than the opposition it says something.

"But I love this group of guys, and love the club and I’m so proud of the players for the way they came in there and stayed in it right to the end. We gave ourselves a chance to win it right at the end, but unfortunately it didn’t go our way."

Bath became champions of England for the first time since 1996 with a dramatic 23-21 Premiership final victory over Leicester in baking conditions at Twickenham on Saturday.

Victory completed a treble for Bath after lifting the Premiership Rugby Cup and European Challenge Cup and rounded off a dominant season in which they finished runaway leaders in the Premiership table.

Tries from Thomas Du Toit and Max Ojomoh plus 13 points from the boot of Finn Russell edged Bath over the line despite a spirited fightback from the Tigers.

Bath Rugby are Premiership Champions!! 🔵⚫️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/v0GHk24NDT

— Bath Rugby (@BathRugby) June 14, 2025

Leicester outscored their opponents by three tries to two but left themselves a mountain to climb at 20-7 down with just over 10 minutes to go.

Despite a 29-year wait to become champions, Bath were strong favourites after finishing 11 points clear of second-placed Leicester in the table and winning 43-15 when the two sides met just four weeks ago.

However, nerves got the better of the west country side early on and Leicester took advantage to score first when Jack van Poortvliet touched down after a driving maul carried the Tigers towards the Bath line.

Russell was wayward from the tee in his last visit to Twickenham which cost Scotland the Calcutta Cup against England in the Six Nations back in February.

CHAMPIONS!! 🏆

🤝 @theTRUESPEED pic.twitter.com/bpLlXwiT8l

— Bath Rugby (@BathRugby) June 14, 2025

But the mercurial number 10 was back to his best before jetting off to join the British and Irish Lions tour.

Russell immediately reduced the arrears with a penalty before Du Toit barrelled his way over to give Bath the lead.

Another Russell penalty with the last kick of the first half was scant reward for Bath's dominance as Leicester survived unscathed from Julian Montoya's 10 minutes in the sin bin.

A moment of magic from Russell proved to be decisive when he intercepted Handre Pollard's pass midway inside his own half and gallopped within sight of the line before flinging the ball inside for Ojomah to walk in between the posts.

Guy Pepper had another score for Bath ruled out by a video review for a knock on as they threatened to run riot.

Instead they were made to survive a nerve-shredding few seconds after an unlikely Leicester fightback.

Solomone Kata touched down and Pollard converted to reduce the deficit to six.

Another Russell penalty edged out Bath's advantage once more before remarkable strength from Emeka Ilione to cross the line and a Pollard conversion cut the gap to two points.

Bath, though, held out to cap a remarkable return to the top of the English game for a sleeping giant under South African coach Johaan van Graan.

Just three years ago they finished bottom of the Premiership.

After missing out in the final to Northampton in an agonising 25-21 defeat in last year's final, nearly three decades of hurt have come to an end.

Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan says his players do not feel the weight of history as they prepare to face Leicester in Saturday's Premiership final, aiming to end their long wait for another league title.

Having finished 11 points clear of the Tigers at the top of the regular-season table, Bath saw off rivals Bristol to secure a return to Twickenham, where they were edged out 25-21 by Northampton last year.

One more to go... 🏆@BathRugby and @LeicesterTigers will face-off at @allianz_stad next week in the #GallagherPremFinal 👊

This will be massive 💥#GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/0RCMsZkKjf

— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) June 7, 2025

Van Graan's side ended the club's 17-year trophy drought earlier in the campaign by lifting the Premiership Rugby Cup before winning the European Challenge Cup last month with victory over Lyon in Cardiff.

Bath, one of the traditional powerhouses of English rugby, last won the league in 1996 for their sixth title in a decade of dominance.

But former Munster coach Van Graan said his men remain focused on writing their own chapter by completing what would be a memorable treble.

"When I joined Bath, you look at the history, the tradition, you read up on the club, and you see that this club at a time was incredibly successful, specifically through the 1980s and the 90s," said the South African.

"One thing that we all did together is we respect our history, but we started the club at zero in our minds on July 11, 2022 (when he joined the club).

"We respect everybody and everything that has gone before, but for us it has been a journey of the last three years.

"It is all about this circle and this group of people, while loving the people that support this club."

He added: "It is another moment in time and we have got an amazing opportunity. There is no expectation and we don't feel any burden.

"The only thing we feel is each other and inside of that circle, and that is what we are doing."

Bath hammered Leicester 43-15 in May to complete a league double over their historic rivals.

But Van Graan has warned against complacency at Twickenham, which will be the last game in charge for Tigers head coach Michael Cheika and for Leicester stalwarts Dan Cole and Ben Youngs ahead of their retirement.

"It is definitely a stand-alone fixture," he said.

"Obviously, you do your homework and you look at what's worked for you, what didn't, what worked for them, what didn't.

"You look at every game in a different way but a final is so unique, it is the last game of the season for both clubs."

Bath v Leicester is a fixture that is evocative of a time when the clubs totally ruled English rugby, and memories and rivalries forged in the 1980s will re-emerge on Saturday when they meet in the English Premiership final for the first time.

They, along with Gloucester, are the only clubs to have been permanent members of the top flight since it was formed 1988 and in the league's early years they were totally dominant, winning 12 of the first 15 titles between them, as well as nine versions of the cup.

Since those glory days, however, it has been a different story, as the likes of Saracens, Wasps, Northampton and Exeter broke up the hegemony.

Leicester did continue to dine at the top table, winning the league in 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2022 to take their tally to 11, but Bath's last triumph remains the 1996 title when the winners were still decided by a simple league table with no end-of-season final.

That was also the last time the two big guns faced off at Twickenham, as Bath triumphed 16-15 in the Pilkington Cup final courtesy of a last-minute penalty try that Leicester fans have been grumbling about for 29 years.

Until this season, Bath's 1996 league and cup double remained their last domestic success - though they did win the European Cup two years later.

BIDDING FOR A TREBLE

They have lost three Premiership finals since then, including last year's nail-biter against Northampton, but are now bidding for a 2025 treble having already bagged the Premiership Cup - largely a development competition - and the European Challenge Cup.

They finished away and clear at the top of the Premiership and, after an early wobble, eventually swept past Bristol in the semis.

South African coach Johann van Graan has introduced a level of pragmatism rarely seen at the Recreation Ground and fans dreaming of running rugby, but starved of silverware, have learned to love seeing their massive pack, and particularly their own Bomb Squad, overwhelm all opposition in a succession of second-half surges.

The team have also been expertly guided by the halfback combination of on-song Ben Spencer and Finn Russell, who has curbed some of his wilder instincts to move his team around the pitch, while also taking his goalkicking up to truly world-class level.

"It's taken a lot of hard work from the group," scrumhalf Spencer said of Bath's revival since Van Graan arrived two years ago.

"I think one huge thing that Johann brought in was turning hope into belief. This group believes now, and believes that we can win big games. Saturday will be another huge game for the group and we know that each and every one of us has got each other's back."

Leicester are back where they feel they belong after an horrendous dip that had them finish third-from-bottom last season.

Under the leadership of Australian Michael Cheika they have rediscovered much of their swagger and finished strongly to secure second place in the standings before edging past Sale in the semis.

"They gave us a bit of a tonking when we were down there a few weeks ago and Bath are the only team we haven't beaten yet this year, so we have got to find a way to master that opponent," Cheika said in relation to his side's 43-15 league defeat on May 17.

Whatever the result, it will be an emotional day for scrumhalf Ben Youngs and prop Dan Cole - England's two most-capped players - who are playing their final games after almost 700 Leicester appearances between them.

Bath and Scotland flyhalf Finn Russell is relishing the unusual prospect of being a Twickenham hero in Saturday's English Premiership final against Leicester.

Russell is used to being regarded as a villain by fans at the English national stadium on his international visits with Scotland.

But the British and Irish Lions number 10 can expect vociferous backing from Bath's travelling army of fans this weekend as his team go in search of their first English top-flight title since 1996.

Russell kicked 14 points to help Bath beat west country rivals Bristol 34-20 in the playoff semifinals, securing their second successive final appearance.

"It is always good playing in front of a sold-out stadium," said the 32-year-old playmaker.

"Having your home fans there, hopefully the majority of tickets are Bath fans, that will be special.

"I know the other side of playing at Twickenham. Usually when I am there, it is 70-odd thousand fans against me."

Russell is determined to help Bath make amends for last season's final loss, a painful 25-21 defeat against Northampton.

"I think that motivation has been there for everyone," Russell said. "After getting that final and losing it last year, it is always quite tough to come back in that next year.

"But I think everyone came back in pre-season in good shape and kind of ripped in straight away."

Bath, who came top of the regular-season Premiership table, are chasing a treble, having already won the European Challenge Cup and the Premiership Rugby Cup.

Johann van Graan's side finished 11 points clear of second-placed Leicester and Russell called on them to secure the long-awaited title at Twickenham this weekend.

"At the start of the year, the goal was to win the Premiership. We have gotten ourselves in a good spot just now to hopefully go and do that," he said.

"We have almost got back to where we wanted to be and hopefully can go one step further this year."

Michael Cheika's reign as Leicester coach will end with next week's English Premiership final after two Adam Radwan tries helped seal a 21-16 win at home to Sale on Saturday.

The Tigers will now take on Bath in a Twickenham showpiece on June 14 in a final that sees the two fallen giants of the English game looking to recapture former glories.

Leicester will be chasing a record-extending 12th league title against six-time champions Bath, bidding for a trophy treble after already winning the Premiership Rugby Cup and European Challenge Cup this season.

Veteran coach Cheika signed a one-year deal with Leicester before the start of the current campaign but the 58-year-old Australian said in January that talks about his future had been pushed back following a humiliating 80-12 defeat by Toulouse in the European Champions Cup.

And it was in January that Leicester confirmed the former Wallabies and Argentina coach would not be extending his stay at Welford Road.

But he now has the chance to finish his time with the Midlands side on a high after an ideal home send-off for retiring club greats Dan Cole and Ben Youngs, as well as the departing Handre Pollard and Julian Montoya.

'HUNG STRONG'

"You get nervous but you do enjoy it," Cheika told TNT Sports. "There's part of you inside that loves that tight battle.

"I thought we played really good today and we still couldn't get away from them (Sale), which shows how good they were.

"They lifted their game, we didn't drop, but we didn't lift our game to go with them – but we hung strong at the end."

Radwan struck twice in the first half as Leicester surged into a 13-3 lead.

Sale fought back to draw level before replacement Izaia Perese sprinted over to secure Leicester's place in the final against table-toppers Bath, who defeated southwest rivals Bristol 34-20 in Friday's first semifinal.

Leicester opened the scoring on Saturday in the 20th minute when Jack van Poortvliet's long pass found dashing right wing Radwan, who stepped inside three covering defenders before sprinting clear and scoring with an acrobatic dive.

Eight minutes later, Radwan had his second try when the two-cap England back's speed and agility made amends for a rare over-hit by Springbok star Pollard for a fine score.

Sale reduced their 10-point interval deficit thanks to a George Ford penalty before Pollard missed his third shot at goal in four attempts before landing his fifth.

Rob du Preez's try and a long-range penalty from England veteran Ford helped Sale level the scores at 16-16 with 14 minutes left.

But a powerful driving maul saw the ball released to Perese, whose clever running line and sheer speed swept him over Sale's try-line.

Sale, with the Curry twins Tom and Ben impressing before leaving the field, pressed hard for another try but Leicester's defence held firm.

Leicester Tigers set up a Premiership Rugby final against Bath at Twickenham with a 21-16 victory over Sale Sharks on Saturday, boosted by winger Adam Radwan's two first-half tries which laid the platform for the win.

Radwan showed extraordinary pace, quick feet and athleticism for his scores as Leicester also crossed the tryline through Izaia Perese, the latter's game-breaking effort with the scores level at 16-16 was the winning moment in the match.

The Sharks stayed in the game via the boot of George Ford, with Rob du Preez scoring their only try midway through the second half.

There was a hint of controversy in the final play when Freddie Steward's tackle on Luke Cowan-Dickie was deemed legal following a review, the latter knocking the ball on in the contact to end the game.

Welford Road said goodbye to a trio of club stalwarts on a high note as prop Dan Cole, following 342 first team appearances, scrumhalf Ben Youngs and hooker Julian Montoya leave the club at the end oft he campaign.

"Today was mental, I could not be prouder. We are one win away (from the trophy)," Montoya told TNT Sports. "I like living things with passion and emotion, I love this team so much. The important thing is we trust each other.

"Sale had an unbelievable season, today was a proper game."

Leicester are record 11-time winners of the competition and last lifted the trophy in 2022. They kept up their record of never having lost a Premiership playoff match at home.

The teams traded penalties before Leicester scored the first try as a long pass put Radwan in space on the right wing and he sidestepped tree defenders before diving over.

Radwan added a second try before the half-hour mark and this one was a superb finish. Handre Pollard's cross-kick looked as though it would elude the winger, but he put in an acrobatic dive to collect the ball and cross the tryline in one motion.

Leicester led 13-3 and as the heavens opened early in the second half, the ball became much more difficult to handle in the wet, with both teams guilty of unforced errors.

A well-worked backline move created space for Du Preez to cross the tryline under the posts and a George Ford penalty levelled the score at 16-16.

Almost immediately, however, a rampaging driving maul presented an attacking opportunity for Leicester and Perese burst through a gap to score the winning points.

Premiership club Leicester on Monday named former England and British and Irish Lions lock Geoff Parling as their new head coach from next season, replacing the departing Michael Cheika.

The 41-year-old, who won two English Premiership titles with Leicester as a player, is currently an assistant coach under Joe Schmidt with Australia.

He will remain with the Wallabies for the Test series against the Lions in July and early August before taking charge at Welford Road, where Cheika has been at the helm for just one season.

Parling won 29 England caps and featured in all three tests when the Lions beat Australia 2-1 in 2013.

He joined the Wallabies as forwards coach in 2020, having previously worked with the Melbourne Rebels.

"I was lucky enough to have some incredible moments in the Leicester Tigers jersey, made through hard work by good people, and so I am extremely proud to be coming back to lead the club," Parling said.

"There are not many opportunities that would make myself and my family think about leaving Australia, the place we've called home for the past seven years, but coming back to Leicester Tigers is one that we are really looking forward to."

Club chairman Tom Scott said Parling was a "high-calibre coach and strong leader" who knew the club from his time as a player.

Rugby Australia director of high-performance Peter Horne said: "Geoff has given his heart and soul to Australian rugby and for that we are very grateful."

Cheika's Leicester are second in the Premiership table ahead of the final two rounds of regular season fixtures, strongly placed to reach the play-offs.

Saracens stayed in the hunt for a place in the English Premiership play-offs by demolishing bottom-of-the-table Newcastle 75-28 on Saturday.

The London club scored 11 tries in front of their own fans to go level on points with fourth-placed Sale, with two games of the regular season remaining.

The top four at the end of the campaign qualify for the semifinals, with the winners progressing to a title-deciding Twickenham final on June 14.

Newcastle stunned Saracens 17-12 in the reverse fixture in November but with the hosts at full strength, including a trio of players selected for the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, there was little danger of a repeat.

But that loss to Newcastle could yet prove costly as Saracens may still have to beat both Northampton and Bath in their remaining league fixtures.

Argentina's Juan Martin Gonzalez scored a hat-trick of tries for Saracens, with Ben Earl adding two and Theo Dan, Ivan van Zyl, Lions captain Maro Itoje, Charlie Bracken, Tom Willis and Jamie George also crossing Newcastle's line.

Fergus Burke kicked seven conversions and Louie Johnson three.

Bristol remained in play-off contention after beating west country rivals Bath 36-14 at the Principality Stadium.

The Premiership's first game in Wales attracted an impressive crowd of 51 095, with Bristol coming out on top under the Cardiff venue's closed roof.

Bristol's bonus-point win took them third ahead of next week's match away to Sale.

Bath boss Johann Van Graan made 13 changes following a European Challenge Cup semifinal victory over Edinburgh.

Former France international fly-half Anthony Belleau will join Northampton for the 2025/26 season, the reigning English Premiership champions announced Thursday.

The 29-year-old arrives from Top 14 side Clermont Auvergne - where he has featured for the Top 14 side 81 times to date since joining them in 2022.

Belleau's move will see him competing for the No 10 shirt with England stand-off Fin Smith - who last weekend steered Northampton into the European Champions Cup final as they beat Irish province Leinster 37-34.

But Belleau is relishing the challenge.

"I've always had it in my mind that gaining experience outside of France was something I wanted to try," said Belleau in a Northampton statement.

"I would always speak to the foreign players, to learn more about their culture and the way they see rugby. So, when this new chance at Saints came, I couldn't wait to take it."

Belleau, a member of the Clermont side defeated 46-24 last month as the Saints advanced to the Champions Cup quarterfinals, added: "The way Northampton play, their fast style of rugby is something that really appeals to me."

Northampton director of rugby Phil Dowson, explaining why the Saints had signed the 12-times capped Belleau said: "Anthony is an international, high-quality player who has played a lot of rugby both at Toulon and Clermont."

Dowson added: "It is a shame that so few French players play in England because there is that personality and flair there; and clearly there are some things we can learn from the French in how they play the game.

"France are one of the best international sides in the world at the moment.

"Getting someone here of Anthony's experience is a very positive thing and we're looking forward to having him in our environment."

Four-try supersub Bailyn Sullivan said he was happy "to get one back" on leaders Waikato Chiefs after inspiring Wellington Hurricanes to avenge their defeat in last year's Super Rugby semi-finals.

Sullivan came off the bench to spectacular effect in the 35-17 victory in Wellington on Saturday, crossing four times in the second half as the Hurricanes recovered from 17-9 down at the interval.

Usually a centre, the 26-year-old Sullivan had never scored more than two tries in a Super Rugby match but went on the rampage after replacing the injured wing Kini Naholo in the eighth minute.

"We wanted to get one back on these fellas for taking us out in the semis," Sullivan told Sky Sport.

"It's awesome that the boys fronted up -- it's probably our highlight of the season.

"I was pretty stoked with the four tries. I don't know, I've just seen the space and the space has opened up."

Fifth-placed Hurricanes have claimed two successive big wins after toppling third-placed ACT Brumbies in Canberra last week

Coach Clark Laidlaw said his team were finding their best form as a number of key players returned from injury, including prop Tyrel Lomax and midfield back Billy Proctor.

"We did a lot of work preparing for the Chiefs. They've been the best team so far this year," Laidlaw said.

"We stayed true to our plan in the second half. Obviously we got a bit more ball, got a bit more territory and managed to finish a couple of nice tries."

The Chiefs are level at the top of the standings with Canterbury Crusaders on 37 points but have played one more game.

The Brumbies are third on 34 points after beating the New South Wales Waratahs 40-17 in Canberra on Saturday.