Fin Smith’s last-gasp try breaks Exeter hearts and wins thriller for Northampton

Amid much local glee it soon materialised. Deft passes from Skinner and Woodburn sent Immanuel Feyi-Waboso scooting away for the game’s opening score inside 90 seconds before a tap penalty by the evergreen Yeandle laid the foundations for Will Rigg to crash over with the game barely seven minutes old.

A 14-0 cushion was precisely what the Chiefs management had wanted and, despite a sharp Saints riposte which yielded a converted try for Alex Mitchell, the hosts were also working hard without the ball. An outstanding tackle from Campbell Ridl denied Ollie Sleightholme a seemingly certain try in the left corner and, not for the first time, Saints’ lineout was also misfiring.

Neither side could find consistent rhythm in the second quarter with Yeandle’s premature departure propelling the South African Joseph Dweba into a central role. Not that it changed Exeter’s approach one iota; good line speed, pressure on opposition playmakers and a relentless work-rate are non-negotiables regardless of who is wearing the shirt.

Northampton’s Henry Pollock celebrates after putting his team ahead in the second half. Photograph: Phil Mingo/PPAUK/Shutterstock

Northampton, though, began to enjoy more possession and territory and were rewarded just before the interval when a long period camped in the Chiefs’ 22 finally ended in a long pass to an unmarked Sleighthome who was not going to be denied a second time. Smith’s excellent touchline conversion levelled it up at 14-14 with the breeze now behind the Saints, the scrum battle going the way of the visitors and the away bench looking ominous.

It was certainly not a coincidence that Baxter switched his tighthead props at half-time, bringing on Bachuki Tchumbadze to offer some different pictures to the referee. The scrum equation altered instantly and it was Exeter who scored next, the replacement Will Haydon-Wood carving through a midfield hole and almost making the line before Ridl completed the job in the left corner.

Would it be enough? With Feyi-Waboso sent to the sin-bin for getting a hand to a long looping overhead pass, Saints saw their chance and Smith’s little chip ahead was gratefully snapped up by an alert George Furbank. It appeared the momentum had shifted appreciably when Josh Kemeny went over four minutes later after a Tommy Freeman midfield break but a knock-on was spotted in the buildup. The most breathless drama was still to come.