Prem Final Matchwinner Hendy Tipped for England Call: 'He's a Special Player'

The Lead

Northampton's matchwinner George Hendy has been hailed as a player of international class after helping his side win their second English domestic title in three seasons. The uncapped wing scored twice inside four minutes in the second half, staking a late claim for a place in England's Nations Championship squad which will be named on Monday.

Hendy's Matchwinning Performance

Hendy was the man who set up Saints' winning try against Bath in the Prem final two years ago, and his club captain, George Furbank, believes the 23-year-old wing is as good a finisher as anyone around. "He's a pretty special player," said Furbank, who will be leaving Northampton to join Harlequins this summer. "He's one of those guys who can pull things out of the hat. He scores tries that potentially no one else in the league and potentially in the world can score. He's someone you want on your team."

Emotional Victory for Northampton

Furbank admitted to a wide range of emotions after his side's hard-fought 26-17 victory over Exeter Chiefs. "It was a mix of relief, happiness and sadness all merged into one. It's been a pretty emotional few weeks, to be honest. It's tough when it's your last game for a club that means so much to you. It's been a hell of a journey. I owe a lot to a lot of people for that journey. I've loved my time here and to finish this way is incredibly special."

Exeter's Response to Defeat

Exeter's captain, Dafydd Jenkins, who scored his team's third try before being sent to the sin-bin, took consolation from Exeter's impressive season having finished ninth last year. "I think we've seen an immense amount of growth from last season," said Jenkins. "We're going to have to learn from today and get that extra bit out of ourselves to lift the trophy next year. You've got to use this feeling as motivation. We'll be back."

England Squad Implications

England's head coach, Steve Borthwick, will be awaiting an update on the fitness of Saints' scrum-half Archie McParland, who suffered a deep gash just above his knee early in the game. Manny Feyi-Waboso also needed stitches just above his left eye but will be available for England duty this summer, as will Alex Mitchell, who made a timely comeback in the final from a torn hamstring.