Gallagher PREM recap - Henry Slade-inspired Exeter stun Saracens to secure play-off spot against champions Bath, who edge Leicester in thriller
Play-off places, home semi-finals and Champions Cup qualification will be on the line when the Gallagher PREM season reaches its thrilling climax on Saturday afternoon, with Northampton, Bath, Exeter and Leicester all securing a top-four finish in another dramatic conclusion of the domestic season.
By Desmond Kane | Updated 06/06/2026 at 20:40 GMT+1
'Chiefs in the play-offs' - Varney sends Exeter into semi-finals with sublime solo try
Video credit: TNT Sports
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Gallagher PREM LIVE - Latest updates as Exeter and Saracens battle for play-off spot on hectic final day of regular season
17:45
17:45
HOW THEY FINISHED IN GALLAGHER PREM
Play-offs are confirmed:
Northampton Saints v Leicester Tigers - Friday, 12 June 19:45, Franklin's Gardens
Bath v Exeter Chiefs - Saturday, 13 June 15:00, The Rec
Final: Northampton or Leicester v Bath or Exeter - Saturday, 20 June 15:00, Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
Highlights: Exeter secure stunning win over Saracens to seal spot in play-offs
Video credit: TNT Sports
17:40
17:40
PARLING PROUD OF TIGERS DESPITE BATH DEFEAT
”Frustrated at the end, but really proud of the players efforts," said Leicester Tigers head coach Geoff Parling on TNT Sports ahead of his play-off trip to Northampton.
”We’ll move on pretty sharpish.
"It’s a short week and we’ll focus our attentions on Friday now."
"When you go through what we went through last season and then get a day like today, the high's and lows of sport are incredible.
"I don't think I have enjoyed a two minutes of rugby as much as the two minutes after Stephen Varney scored, for a long, long time.
"We need to make sure we are competitive and ready to go next week. There is a long way to go.
"I have to give credit to the players, because they decided they were going to score.
"At the end of the first half, we played how we said we would play. That was the blueprint for the second half and built us the pressure we needed to win the match.
"The big thing is to talk about that games are decided by things you do, not that you don't do, so we have to live in the moment. We did that really well at Leicester, but we were nervy in the first half today.
"We started the second half well.
"The bigger the games get, players like Henry Slade just get better. The pressure of the game has less of an effect on players like him, they just grow.
"If they make mistakes, they don't care and they just grow and grow and grow."
17:31
17:31
WHO IS GOING TO CLAIM THE BIG PRIZE AT TWICKENHAM?
17:26
17:26
EXETER ICON HENRY SLADE HAS BEEN SPEAKING TO TNT SPORTS
"It is a really good feeling, we got used to it a while back, but you don't really know how much you enjoy something until you have not got it," said Slade after the 32-12 win over Saracens.
"It is awesome to have done it, especially after what we went through last season.
"The boys came in for pre-season with the bit between their teeth and worked really hard. Credit to the boys, they have been fantastic and have given us a great opportunity to keep going for another couple of weeks, hopefully.
"Of course it felt better against these opponents (Saracens), just a little bit more.
"We started with a bit of nerves, we spoke about not playing with nerves, but we did start with nerves, understandably. A lot of the boys have not played in the play-off's before.
"Maybe they were worried about getting knocked out. Once we got over that, we did really well and grew into things.
"Rob Baxter set it out for us at the start of the year that we want to be an incredibly hard team to beat, that if we don't win, then we draw. We have to scrap and fight for everything and that's what we have been doing.
"Whoever we play against, we know it is going to be an incredibly tough game, but we are looking forward to it."
After scoring a hat-trick of tries Thomas du Toit paid tribute to Leicester Tigers, who they could still meet in the play-off final in two weeks time.
”Leicester Tigers are just a formidable side.
”They've got an unbelievable scrum, brilliant players, and they are rock hard. They play such a physical game, and it's amazing to measure yourself up against a team like that.”
About his hat-trick: ”It was brilliant. We were joking before, the closest I've come to a hat-trick was scoring three games in a row.”
CONFIRMATION OF TWO MASSIVE MATCHES ON TNT SPORTS AND HBO MAX
17:13
17:13
FAREWELL TO A GALLAGHER PREM GREAT
17:08
17:08
AROUND THE GROUNDS: LATEST SCORES
Bath 24-22 Leicester Tigers FT
Exeter Chiefs 32-12 Saracens FT
Gloucester 54-21 Newcastle Red Bulls FT
Harlequins 38-31 Northampton Saints FT
Sale Sharks 38-17 Bristol Bears FT
Northampton will host Leicester, while Exeter head for Bath in the play-offs next weekend. What a day, what a competition.
17:05
17:05
SCENES AT SANDY PARK! EXETER ARE HEADING FOR PLAY-OFFS!
Surely the last say for Chiefs as they finish off the match in style with another stunning try. They lead 32-12. Varney wins the sprint to claim the try. Slade with the convertsion. Exeter heading for Bath next week, and Leicester will be at Northampton.
17:02
17:02
THE CLOCK IS A HUGE ENEMY FOR SARRIES!
The visitors have to go from 60 or 70 yards with four mins remaining. Meanwhile, Leicester close to 24-22 behind against Bath with one minute remaining. All happening across the Gallagher PREM.
16:58
16:58
TRY! A LATE LIFELINE FOR SARRIES?
Back to 25-12 behind with seven minutes of regulation time remaining. Isiekwe dives over in the corner before Farrell adds a testing conversion. Can they set up a grandstand finale?
16:55
16:55
A FEW CHANGES AT BATH
Still in the driving seat for a home match against Exeter in the play-offs next Saturday. Still 24-17 to the defending champions.
Molony comes on for Ewels; Reid on for Barbeary; also Tuipulotu is on for Frost.
Win a penalty off the line-out and Andrea Zambonin with the finish before Hendry Slade adds the extras. 25-5 now. All so simple in its execution. Sarries look spent. "A huge uphill battle for Saracens now," comments Brian O'Driscoll on TNT Sports.
16:48
16:48
WATCH: HOW IMPRESSIVE IS THIS TRY FROM SLADE?
16:46
16:46
DO SARRIES HAVE THE ENERGY FOR THE GREAT ESCAPE?
"Sarries are blowing gaskets right across the board," comments Brian O'Driscoll on TNT Sports. Which is not good news when you are 18-5 down.
16:44
16:44
CAN OWEN FARRELL INSPIRE A SARRIES COMEBACK?
Owen Farrell, Theo Dan, Nick Isiekwe, Noah Caluori all enter the pitch, replacing George, McFarland, Burke and Segun. Heading for final 20 minutes with an 18-5 lead for Chiefs.
16:39
16:39
AROUND THE GROUNDS: LATEST SCORES
Bath 24-17 Leicester Tigers
Exeter Chiefs 18-5 Saracens
Gloucester 49-14 Newcastle Red Bulls
Harlequins 19-19 Northampton Saints
Sale Sharks 33-12 Bristol Bears
16:35
16:35
SARRIES HAVING A NIGHTMARE AT THE MOMENT!
Slade, who else, pops over a penalty this time as the home side move 18-5 clear. Changes coming as we speak for Sarries.
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Highlights: Exeter secure stunning win over Saracens to seal spot in play-offs
Video credit: TNT Sports