Northampton Saints’ George Hendy Reflects on Premiership Final Heroics

Young Centre Admits Teammate’s Displeasure After Match-Winning Moment

Northampton Saints’ match-winning hero George Hendy reflects on his decisive role in the Gallagher Premiership final triumph. The 23-year-old, who was named player of the match, chuckled about his Saints teammate Tom James’ displeasure after Hendy opted not to pass to him in the crucial match-winning moment.

“He (Tom James) told me about four or five times after the game that I should have passed him the ball and he will never forgive me,” Hendy revealed on The Rugby Pod. “I said, ‘So next season, even if I’m under the posts, I have to pass you the ball?’ And he was like, ‘100 per cent’.”

With Northampton trailing 18-21 in the 73rd minute, Hendy, who had come on as a substitute, found himself in possession just inside the opposition half. Receiving a pass from George Furbank, the young centre embarked on a searing run, beating several Bath defenders to set up the match-winning try for scrum-half Alex Mitchell.

Hendy’s decisive play capped a dramatic Premiership final, in which Northampton had struggled to make the most of their numerical advantage after Bath’s Beno Obano was sent off in the 22nd minute. The Saints’ victory was sealed by Mitchell’s converted try, securing a 25-21 triumph.

The match-winning moment was the highlight of a memorable day for the young Saints star, who described the experience of the open-top bus parade through Northampton as “mind-blowing.”

“The amount of people that turned up was unbelievable. All us younger lads were going, ‘We have never seen Northampton like that’ so it was pretty special to be part of that,” Hendy said.

Despite the accolades, the modest Hendy remained unfazed, saying he was simply “purely thinking how far can I get in that moment” when he made the crucial play. However, his teammate James is unlikely to let him forget the snub anytime soon, as Hendy acknowledged with a chuckle.

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