It began with a keen sense of expectation and promised to become one of the great Premiership Finals. For 20 minutes it was, as it crackled with power and movement. But, by the time it ended, both sides had lost their captain, Leicester were champions for a tenth time and Northampton were ruing a sequence of events that, it could easily be argued, cost them their first league title.
The hiatus just before half-time aside, Northampton were often the superior side, showing the greater wit and invention, finding ways around the hulking figure of Manu Tuilagi in the wider channels and with Ben Foden offering glimpses of his superb talent and what he can produce for England.
Foden scored one try and had an effort