Mitchell: We want to send legends off with silverware

Alex Mitchell admitted it feels ‘weird but cool’ to be involved in a Gallagher Premiership Final in his seventh season as a Saintsman.

The England scrum-half was aged 17 and in the Sale Academy when his current employers last lifted the trophy at Twickenham Stadium in 2014.

And while some of his teammates for this weekend’s showpiece event against Bath featured in the gripping victory over Saracens in 2014, or were watching on from the stands, Mitchell was a long way from headquarters.

“I was at my grandma’s house watching the game,” he said. “I was still with Sale but had been looking at Northampton as well. I watched [Alex] Waller get the final try, then when I turned up aged 18 and saw them all, I was so starstruck. 

“Watching it back then feels so weird as it’s such a massive game, and now I am actually lucky enough to be involved in one. It is awesome that whole cycle of watching them when I was younger, at my grandma’s house and admiring them, now I am getting a chance to do it myself, it is quite cool.”

Mitchell signed on with Saints’ Academy a year after the 2013/14 triumph, and made his debut in Black, Green and Gold at Twickenham Stadium against Saracens in September 2017.

In the starting line-up that day was Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam and Alex Waller – who will all sign off their Saints careers this weekend having collectively made nearly 800 appearances for the Club.

Alongside that trio, fellow long-serving Saintsmen with more than 400 appearances between them; Alex Moon, Ethan Waller and Paul Hill, are also into the final chapter of their journey with the Club this week.

“We have had a lot of emotion the last couple of weeks about it [departing players],” said Mitchell, who stands on 129 appearances. “Last week [versus Saracens] was huge because if we lost, that was it, so we wanted to earn one more week with the boys which we have done.

“But I think it has been echoed the last couple of weeks, everyone appreciates that. It is the last dance, it is a massive thing for us, so we don't need to touch on it too much now.”

While the 27-year-old was denied a try by a brilliant last-ditch tackle from Juan Martin Gonzalez in the 22-20 victory over Saracens, Mitchell was awarded man-of-the-match with his excellent kicking game proving crucial to defeating the defending champions.

“For me I was trying to do my job,” Mitchell reflected. “I didn’t think I did unbelievably well, I made a few mistakes out there. It was just about getting the team to tick, put us in the right areas, especially against a team like Saracens who have got a very good kicking game with internationals across the board. 

“You have got to play in the right areas, do the right things at the right time. Little mistakes will cost you against them. It is trying to get the forward pack going and our backs to stick to our gameplan in a sense, which we did and got the job done so I was very happy.”