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Northampton Saints skipper Lewis Ludlam has insisted there is still "heaps to get excited about" despite losing their final regular-season Premiership game at Bath.

A much-changed Saints side went down 43-12 at The Rec but finished top of the table for the first time since 2015.

And they will have home advantage for their play-off against 2023 champions Saracens on Friday, 31 May.

"At this point of the season, the way things have gone, every team you play is going to be desperate and we didn't deal with that well enough," Ludlam told ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio Northampton.

"We lacked a bit of press in our defence, a little bit of speed in our breakdown and fine margins like that, all of a sudden the game runs away from you."

On the prospect of taking on Saracens, who they beat 41-30 at the Cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens in March, the England back rower added: "They are a brilliant team, but that's why you play the game.

"Everything we do over the next two weeks has got to lead to a result [in that match]."

Saints managed a try at the end of each half against Bath, from James Ramm and Tom Seabrook, but never really recovered from conceding twice in the early stages of the game.

"We weren't able to put our game on the park and frankly didn't turn up in the first part of both halves," full-back Ramm said.

"To be able to play that [semi-final] at home is massive for us. As a squad, we must take our learning from this but then look forward and really get excited for the next one.

"Our training levels have been through the roof and we need to keep that going."

Saints or Saracens will play Bath or Sale in the Premiership final at Twickenham on Saturday, 8 June.