Dylan Hartley leads his Northampton team-mates in Saturday's celebrations © Getty Images

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Northampton hooker Dylan Hartley has hailed his side's victory in the Aviva Premiership final as the "perfect warm-up" ahead of England's three-Test series against the All Blacks.

Hartley had been an injury doubt for Saturday's final but was passed fit to take his place on the bench as the Saints beat Saracens 24-20 in the last minute of extra time. He appeared as a second-half substitute to make amends for his behaviour in last year's final, which saw him sent off for swearing at referee Wayne Barnes.

"That was the perfect warm-up for New Zealand," said Hartley. "Having not played for so long I was happy to come off the bench. The selection was proved right and I managed to get 50 minutes so it was a good workout.

"You can't replicate Test rugby but in terms of game time and the intensity this was just what I needed before going to New Zealand. It was the perfect warm-up. I'd love to play in the Second Test but that's not up to me.

"It's an unbelievable feeling to win this title and for the club to be English champions. We always felt we could do it, and now we have after so many setbacks over the years."

Hartley's Northampton team-mate Stephen Myler paid tribute to the efforts of the squad on the training field: "It's something else. It's unbelievable and the culmination of years of hard work. I'm so proud.

"It's hard to describe - it was a strange game. It ebbed and flowed. It's heartbreaking for Saracens, but there has to be a winner and I am absolutely over the moon that it is us. The squad is the strongest it has been and I'm really proud to be part of this team."

And captaining the side in place of Hartley, Tom Wood said Northampton never stopped believing they could win their first Premiership title.

"We always believed in ourselves," Wood told BBC Sport. "We saw them tiring. We had the edge. I felt the advantage was with us. We pride ourselves on fitness and, as tired as we all were, we only had to look at them. I always felt it was ours to win."