Northampton v Leicester – 'Epic' derby showdown in race for Prem glory

An "epic" in the making, a derby showdown that spreads "infectious energy".

Northampton Saints full-back George Furbank and Leicester Tigers winger Adam Radwan were not short of grandiose sentiment when looking ahead to the 262nd meeting of the East Midlands rivals.

History - 138 years of it – binds together two giants of English rugby union that are separated by less than 30 miles.

Under the lights at cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens on Friday, Saints host their regional neighbours in the first of the Prem semi-finals.

Northampton topped the league standings to earn the right to host Tigers, who finished fourth in the table after back-to-back defeats ended their regular season.

"My first thought was this is going be an epic game, and it adds to the occasion here," Furbank told BBC Radio Northampton.

When Furbank talks about the rivalry, he does so as a lifelong Northampton fan who grew up on a diet of derby drama.

Tigers winger Radwan, who moved to Leicester from Newcastle in January 2025, does not have the same back catalogue of derby experiences – but the significance of the occasion is not lost on him.

"There is always a little bit of extra fire," Radwan told BBC East Midlands Today.

"I'm not a Leicester lad by origin, but as soon as you come to the club you understand the importance of these games. As soon as we found out the fixtures, there is that extra edge around training and everything.

"It's like a really infectious energy and we are just trying to bottle that up and keep it there for Friday."

For Furbank - a boyhood fan and Saints academy graduate who has gone on to captain the club where he has won a Premiership title - it will his final home game as a Northampton player before joining Harlequins next season.

Win, and the 29-year-old will have the chance to sign off as a Saints player by lifting silverware at Twickenham later this month.

Lose, and have his Northampton career ended by the most bitter of foes on home turf.

"I'm desperate to go out on a high and lift that trophy again," he said.

"I'm always hungry for silverware and to be at the top. I'd love a fairytale ending, but they don't just happen - you have got to go out and and earn those fairytale endings. So the first thing to do is put in a performance on Friday."

Leicester's narrow final-day defeat at Bath last week set Tigers up for their first Prem semi-final showdown at Northampton since Saints battled back for a one-point victory on the way to lifting the title in 2014.

That meeting 12 years ago - which came just 12 months after Leicester beat Northampton in the Premiership final - is a game Saints centre Rory Hutchinson recalls with childlike wonder, having been in the crowd as a teenager that day.

"I'll never forget that game," Hutchinson said.

"Dad and I were sat somewhere over in the Church's [Stand] and I just remember it was unbelievable, so if that atmosphere is anywhere near close to that [on Friday], it will be nothing short of amazing."

While three places and 11 points separated table-topping Saints and Tigers after 18 Prem games, they have beaten each other twice across all competitions this season - with both sides winning their home games in the league and Prem Cup.

Statistically, Northampton will have history stacked in their favour on Friday, with 86% of all teams to host a semi-final over the years going on to earn a place in the Grand Final.

And yet, despite the track record of success for home teams and the manner in which Northampton finished top of the heap, there are arguments against making them obvious favourites for this latest high-stakes meeting.

The way Tigers thumped Saints 41-17 just four weeks earlier at Mattioli Woods Welford Road has ensured Leicester's billing as genuine title contenders - home or away and with or without history on their side.

"We'll create our own buzz, we will create our own excitement," Tigers winger Radwan said.

"It's a big game with a lot of outside noise, and it doesn't matter who expects us to win or lose.

"The group is ready for it and we are in a good place - we will be gunning for it on Friday."