| Northampton: (10) 26 |
| Tries: Freeman 2 Cons: Smith 2 Pens: Smith 4 |
| Exeter: (7) 19 |
| Tries: Van Heerden, Simmonds 2 Cons: Simmonds 2 |
Northampton moved as much as fourth within the Premiership by beating Exeter 26-19 at Franklin’s Gardens.
Ruben van Heerden’s early rating for Exeter was cancelled out by a Fin Smith penalty and Tommy Freeman’s Thirtieth-minute strive because the hosts led 10-7 on the break.
Two Smith penalties prolonged the lead earlier than Joe Simmonds took benefit of an Aaron Hinkley yellow card to attain two tries in fast succession.
However one other Smith penalty and Freeman’s second strive sealed Northampton’s win.
Exeter obtained a shedding bonus level after George Furbank missed a late penalty, however a 3rd successive defeat leaves the Chiefs sixth within the desk after seven matches.
Exeter had received on their previous three visits to Franklin’s Gardens and Van Heerden’s early strive after 15 phases of Chiefs strain on the Saints line confirmed they have been eager to make it 4 in a row.
However Smith replied with a penalty in a primary half dominated by a tactical kicking battle, as Northampton’s Fraser Dingwall had a Nineteenth-minute strive disallowed after a knock-on within the build-up, earlier than Freeman took a quick-tap penalty from a few metres out to go over 11 minutes later.
Smith kicked two penalties within the first 10 minutes of the second interval to place Saints 9 factors clear, earlier than Hinkley was sin-binned for a harmful deal with following a head-on-head conflict with Chiefs scrum-half Jack Maunder.
Exeter have been over quickly after as they received the ball from a Saints lineout near the hosts’ line and eight phases later Simmonds scored within the reverse nook, earlier than the Exeter fly-half charged down Fraser Dingwall’s kick 5 minutes later and he sprinted in from half-way.
However Exeter’s indiscipline value them – they conceded 15 penalties on the night time and Smith kicked a fourth to place the edges degree at 19-19 with 13 minutes left.
4 minutes later, Freeman darted into the left nook after some affected person play from a close-range maul as Phil Dowson’s aspect received for the fourth time in 5 Premiership matches.
Northampton director of rugby Phil Dowson:
“There was very heavy dew and the circumstances have been moist beneath so the sport was scrappy and we needed to do loads of ugly work.
“It was very tight for a very long time and we confirmed nice resilience on the finish, however the efficiency was gritty and never in any manner typical Saints.
“Within the opening 20 minutes they hemmed us in and put us beneath strain and it actually wasn’t an evening to play an expansive sport.”
Exeter head coach Ali Hepher instructed BBC Radio Devon:
“To get a bonus level from the place we have been in was clearly pleasing at that stage.
“We obtained ourselves in it, we have been within the combat and we obtained somewhat bit naïve to offer them the shot again into it, whether or not it was the penalty or our maul defence on the finish.
“I am happy with the angle of the gamers. We have been proper within the combat, and if we keep that we’ll iron our all these little errors across the discipline and we’ll get higher.”
Northampton: Freeman; Skosan, Dingwall (capt), Hutchinson, Sleightholme; Smith, James; Iyogun, Haywood, Painter, Salakaia-Loto, Moon, Scott-Younger, Hinkley, Graham
Replacements: Smith, Waller, Hill, Nansen, Sylvester, Mitchell, Furbank, Proctor
Exeter: Hodge; John, O’Loughlin, Whitten, Woodburn; J Simmonds, J Maunder; Sio, Yeandle (capt, Williams, Dunne, van Heerden, Ewers, Pearson, Vermeulen
Replacements: Innard, Hepburn, Iosefa-Scott, Jenkins, Tuima, S Maunder, Becconsall O’Brien
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys
