If Northampton make it to the play-offs – and they are the only realistic contenders now outside the top four – they will consider this the game that defined them. We know they can play a bit, but they showed remarkable character to prevail in the East Midlands derby, away from home.
Dan Biggar and Dave Ribbans played on through ankle injuries, JJ Tonks was shown one of the more unjust yellow cards, and wave after wave of Leicester attacks pounded against their walls in the final minutes. Still they would not yield, Biggar in particular pulling off heroics in defence unbecoming of a fly-half.
They had lost three players before the game; then Alex Mitchell and Piers Francis were injured in the first half. But tries by Ribbans and Rory Hutchinson in the first half put Leicester off balance and a third a few minutes after the break by Sam Matavesi opened up a 13-point lead they defended with remarkable gusto.
For Leicester, any hopes of the top four have now evaporated. This is a blow, too, to their hopes of qualifying for Europe via the league.
They must have fancied their chances beforehand, such is their improving form, but they could make only limited inroads into Northampton’s set-piece and their error count was high. In the end, the difference was a mistake by George Ford who threw a pass straight at Hutchinson midway through the first half. The Scotland centre galloped clear.
A positive for Leicester was the return of Nemani Nadolo, who replaced Dan Kelly in the first quarter. The Fijian was a handful, crashing over for two tries, but, given their recent form and the apparent vulnerability of the opposition, this defeat will feel horribly disappointing.
They ended up dominating the scrum, but the Saints, who lost among others Ehren Painter, their tighthead, on the day, if anything held the upper hand at that set-piece early on. When Leicester earned precious attacking lineouts in the final quarter, they failed to make them pay.
Sale survived a major test of their Premiership play-off credentials before subduing struggling Worcester 35-32 in a Sixways thriller.
Worcester, seven points adrift at the Premiership basement before kick-off, led until 13 minutes from time but Sale stayed third above Harlequins following a powerful finish that produced tries for wing Arron Reed, replacement prop Coenie Oosthuizen and No 8 Dan du Preez. It meant that the Sharks secured a bonus point following earlier tries from centre Connor Doherty and wing Byron McGuigan, while fly-half AJ MacGinty kicked four conversions and Kieran Wilkinson one.
Worcester ultimately slipped to a 14th successive league defeat but pushed Sale all the way through scrum-half Francois Hougaard’s try hat-trick and claimed two bonus points. Full-back Jamie Shillcock also crossed – a brilliant solo effort from inside his own half – and he kicked two penalties and three conversions for a 17-point haul, with Sale forced into sustained defence during added time.
Gloucester staged an impressive second half rally to beat Newcastle 35-24 at Kingsholm. The initially lethargic hosts found themselves 21-7 down after 20 minutes but went on to dominate and secure a morale-boosting victory.
Willi Heinz scored two tries of their tries. Louis Rees Zammit, Ruan Ackermann and Lloyd Evans also crossed, with Evans adding four conversions and Billy Twelvetrees one. Callum Chick scored two tries for Newcastle and George McGuigan got the other, with Brett Connon converting all three and adding a penalty. Gloucester conceded five penalties in the opening quarter and suffered a further setback when England wing Jonny May walked off with an injury – but they finally woke up after being 14 points adrift at the interval.
Within three minutes of the restart, they roared back into contention when scrum-half Stephen Varney broke away from a maul to provide Ackermann with an easy run-in. Newcastle lost Burrell to a shoulder injury but were in charge before Evans and Heinz turned the game Gloucester’s way with late tries. PA Media
It was from a scrum in the shadow of their own posts that Northampton struck first. Tommy Freeman, who had come in for Ollie Sleightholme, was worked clear down the left and Mitchell made further progress, before the superb Ribbans was sent to the line.
Ford replied with a penalty, but a few minutes later he presented Hutchinson with that run-in.
The Tigers were shown two yellow cards, the first to Matt Scott for a high tackle, but they worked Nadolo over for their first during Scott’s absence, this time an attacking lineout working out for them.
Soft penalties either side of half-time handed respite to Northampton, who pulled further clear when a Freeman mini-break set up Matavesi for that 13-point lead.
Ford had hit the post with a penalty and in the confusion Harry Wells was shown Leicester’s second yellow for a late tackle on Biggar.
When he returned Leicester closed to within five when Jack van Poortvliet’s break sparked the try that Nadolo finished on the left.
The Tigers had every chance to complete the job, still more so when Tonks was shown yellow with five minutes to go. Northampton, though, showed an abundance of grit to complement the elan. It is a potent mix.
