Finn Russell says winning a first Gallagher Premiership title is “special” and “has not sunk in” as the fly-half guided Bath to victory against Leicester Tigers.
The Scotland international kicked 13 points and intercepted a pass before setting up Max Ojomoh to score Bath’s crucial second try in the 23-21 win.
Although it was Bath’s third trophy of the season, having won the Premiership Rugby Cup and Challenge Cup, it was the club’s first league title since 1996 and Russell’s first since claiming the Pro 12 with Glasgow Warriors in 2015.
“It’s not sunk in yet,” Russell told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“Winning the Challenge Cup was brilliant but at the start of the year the goal was to win the Premiership. It’s 10 years since I won it at Glasgow in my second season there, and now I’ve won it here in my second season.
“It’s special. This group, the city, the club deserves it. The work we’ve put in over the last few years, more years than I’ve been here, and then what we do on the pitch is try to represent the city as best we can.
“After last year’s defeat [against Northampton], we bounced back really quickly and we managed to get the job done.”
Russell, who will now tour with the British and Irish Lions, has been a key figure in a dominant season for Bath.
At Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, the 32-year-old was influential again, none more so than when he picked off Handre Pollard’s pass to race towards the line, before flinging the ball inside for Ojomoh to finish under the posts.
Asked why he gave that pass rather than score himself, Russell said: “He’s a kid from Bath that grew up watching his dad [Steve] lifting this trophy. Giving him a little bit of limelight in the final was nice.”
Russell says he will enjoy “a couple of quiet ones” to celebrate and was filmed giving his boots to a bath fan in the Twickenham stands after the game.