Northampton Saints v Bath: Big match preview for the Gallagher Premiership final

Competition: Gallagher Premiership (final)

Venue: Twickenham Stadium, London

Date and kick-off time: Saturday, June 8, 2024, 3pm

Weather forecast: 18c, mostly cloudy

Live television coverage: TNT Sports and ITV

Referee: Christophe Ridley

Assistant referees: Luke Pearce and Anthony Woodthorpe

No.4: Ian Tempest

TMO: Tom Foley

Saints: Furbank; Freeman, Odendaal, Dingwall, Sleightholme; F Smith, Mitchell; A Waller, Langdon, Davison; Moon, Coles; Lawes (c), Pearson, Augustus.

Replacements: S Matavesi, Iyogun, Millar Mills, Mayanavanua, Graham, Ludlam, James, Hendy.

Bath: Gallagher; Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Redpath, Muir; Russell, Spencer (c); Obano, Dunn, du Toit; Roux, Ewels; Hill, Underhill, Barbeary.

Replacements: Annett, Schoeman, Stuart, Stooke, Bayliss, Schreuder, Bailey, Reid.

Not considered for Saints selection: Callum Braley

Most recent meeting: Saturday, May 18, 2024: Bath 43 Saints 12 (Gallagher Premiership)

Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson: "I would have been fairly excited whoever we played. Having the calibre of players they have - Finn Russell is box office - it generates loads of interest from fans and media. Bath is a very well supported club and that's good because at Northampton we're very lucky to have a very fanatical supporters base. They're the things you really focus on and whether that style is exciting to go up against, I'm not sure because it's all week to week. The fact they're well supported, the fact they've got world class players, they're the things we want to challenge ourselves against."

Bath head coach Johann van Graan: “This is certainly not just another normal week, this is the Premiership final and we have embraced every single part of it but in terms of our process we have stuck to our normal routine, prepared well and trained well but kept a good balance with time away from the club. We haven't done anything out of the ordinary."

Opposition dangerman: Finn Russell is clearly a huge threat, but Bath have so many of them. Ben Spencer is such a key cog in the wheel and the scrum-half will look to pull the strings this weekend.

Tom Vickers’ prediction: This is a meeting between the two best teams in the league this season. There is no real way to predict this one as it’s all about who handles the occasion the best and who is able to show their true colours on the day. It could easily go either way. Saints 25 Bath 23.