Northampton Saints beat Bath 25-21 at Twickenham on Saturday to win their first Premiership title in a decade despite trailing in the dying minutes against their 14-man opponents who dominated swathes of an intense final.
Scrum-half Alex Mitchell broke Bath hearts with a late sniping score to clinch victory for Northampton, after Bath had battled into the lead after their prop Beno Obano was sent off early in the game for a high tackle.
The England prop, who stayed high as he clattered into Northampton No.8 Juarno Augustus, left referee Christophe Ridley with little choice and Bath with a mountain to climb.
Northampton opened up a healthy 15-3 lead through tries from wingers Tommy Freeman and Ollie Sleightholme, and seemed set to march to the title before Bath put in a second-half performance for the ages.
"Scoring that try was massive, I was just there to finish it off after George Hendy took on about five other boys, I didn't have to do much," Mitchell said.
"We were actually a bit off it today but we found a way and now we're champions so I'm delighted," the England scrum-half added.
Prop Thomas du Toit had given Bath hope just before the break, barrelling over from short range to drag the deficit back to 15-10 after Finn Russell nailed the touchline conversion.
Behind on the scoreboard and down a player, Bath needed to start the second half strong and their talisman Russell duly delivered, earning a penalty with a lovely dummy and half-break that forced Saints into a breakdown infringement.
The maverick playmaker was on top form, exemplified by a pinpoint 50-22 touchfinder to keep the pressure on and Bath levelled the scores at 18-18 when Will Muir leapt to claim a high kick and cross the line.
Bath dominated the second half, their snarling energy in the tackle fouling the gears of the usually well-oiled Saints attack.
Russell dragged them ahead with a penalty on 65 minutes to make it 21-18 and an upset looked on the cards before Saints finally clicked through Hendy and Mitchell.
As smoke drifted over the stadium and Northampton lifted the trophy, they could reflect on a title well earned over the course of a season in which they topped the table and frequently thrilled with their slick running and passing game.
Bath, meanwhile, can reflect once the pain has subsided on a remarkable journey from the nadir of two seasons ago when they finished bottom of the table.
Coach Johann van Graan has moulded a much more resilient side since, aided by the recruitment of Russell and a host of top talent from the now defunct Worcester Warriors, including centre Ollie Lawrence and back-row workhorse Ted Hill.
"What a game of rugby from our side, we were tough to beat today but congratulations to Saints, I can't be more proud of my team," Van Graan said.
"To play for 60 minutes with 14 men in a final makes it extremely difficult but we are one group united, we'll stick around Beno Obano."