Courtney Lawes will ‘run blood to water’ as Northampton

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.