It nearly came off as Exeter only just managed to snag the fly half before he released Chris Ashton on the outside. Instead Spencer was forced into touch and the Chiefs tried to power their way upfield. However they found the home defence in an uncompromising frame of mind and it took half a dozen phases for the visitors to get back to the gain line of the original lineout.

Nevertheless they still won a 4th-minute penalty that full back Gary Kingdom pushed wide, and another in the 12th that also sailed right. These sandwiched a powerful Dylan Hartley run, and it was he who created and scored the first try two minutes later.

Spencer launched a towering bomb that Jason Luff – who had earlier spilled a potential try opportunity – caught before being forced into touch by Hartley. The lineout was won and the ball sent first right, then left and finally to Hartley who powered over in the left corner.

Bruce Reihana’s touchline conversion dropped agonisingly short, and the kicking misses continued when Tony Yapp pushed a penalty attempt wide. Unfortunately for the Saints Spencer’s drop-out went straight into touch, giving Exeter a platform from which they eventually scored through hooker Simon Jenkins.

Josh Drauniniu had been screaming for a cross kick in the play before the try and the winger showed his pace not long after with a threatening break. But it was Saints’ number 11 Paul Diggin who threatened the more from within his own 22.

The forwards had won a turnover and Spencer put Diggin clear up the left wing. The support was there quickly, Exeter were in disarray and Hartley was over for his second, again in the left corner.

Reihana missed this touchline attempt too, but had another go in the 34th minute. Again this was forced just short by the wind but nobody minded that much as the try had again showed Saints’ attacking prowess. James Downey did well to sweep up a loose ball to keep the momentum going and Diggin wriggled his way over, again in the left corner. Blocks Y and Z in the Church’s Stand were certainly getting their money’s worth!

Reihana’s fourth shot, a penalty five minutes later, was also blown wide but the half ended with the first success of the afternoon from Yapp that took the score to 15-8. To that point Saints had been the more inventive of the teams but the quality of the off-loading shown by the visitors in the run up to the penalty showed that the game was still very much alive.

The interval was notable for another heavy snow flurry which had obligingly moved on when the teams ran out for the second half. Saints began with the ball up their jumper and, thanks to a well placed Reihana kick, inside the Chiefs’ 22.

This became even an even better position thanks to a penalty on the Chiefs’ five-metre line. Saints opted for the scrum, but after a couple of re-sets the attempted drive disintegrated and Exeter managed to clear. They were still under the cosh though and were fortunate when Darren Fox’s drive did not end in another try.

As the hour approached it looked as if Saints’ inability to score might cost them as Exeter set up camp on the home line thanks to their being awarded several penalties in succession. Again they opted for the power approach and got within sight of the posts before knocking on. Saints then won a penalty at the scrum and Spencer sent the ball to the 10-metre line.

The Kiwi also had a shot at goal from inside his own half in the 70th minutes. It had the legs but not quite the accuracy and though the score remained the same the play was in the right half of the field from a Saints perspective.

Indeed with Exeter still within a try of the Saints time seemed to be ticking by agonisingly slowly for the capacity crowd, especially when Reihana missed his fifth shot at goal four minutes later. But when the Saints skipper finally marked his 150th club appearance with a 78th-minute penalty from in front of the posts the celebrations began.

Not even Mark Fatialofa’s late charge towards the line could inspire the Chiefs to a final flourish. Instead the Saints pack turned the ball over again, Diggin sprinted upfield and not even another late flurry of snow could cool the promotion party.

Teams:
Northampton Saints – Reihana (capt); Ashton (Myler 87 mins), Ansbro, Downey, Diggin; Spencer, Howard (Robinson 66mins); Smith (Tonga’uiha 66mins), Hartley (Shields 56mins), Stewart (Murray 56mins), Lord (Cannon 72mins), Rae, Fox, Lewitt (Tupai 73mins), Easter.

Exeter Chiefs – Kingdom; Luff, J Fatialofa, M Fatialofa, Drauniniu; Yapp, Barrett (Stuart-Smith 55mins); Parkes (Dunlea 52mins), Jenkins, Sturgess, Stevenson (Bentley 70mins), Hanks, Slade (Alan Miller 61mins), Andy Miller, Baxter (capt).

Scorers:
Northampton Saints – Tries: Hartley (2), Diggin; Pen: Reihana.

Exeter Chiefs – Try: Jenkins; Pen: Yapp.

Attendance:
13,498

Referee:
Greg Garner

TIMELINE:
4mins CHIEFS Miss pen Kingdom
12mins CHIEFS Miss pen Kingdom
14mins SAINTS Try Hartley 5-0
18mins CHIEFS Miss pen Yapp
22mins CHIEFS Try Jenkins 5-5
27mins SAINTS Try Hartley 10-5
33mins SAINTS Try Diggin 15-5
38mins SAINTS Miss pen Reihana
40+1mins CHIEFS Pen Yapp 15-8
HALF-TIME SAINTS 15 CHIEFS 8
70mins SAINTS Miss pen Spencer
75mins SAINTS Miss pen Reihana
78mins SAINTS Pen Reihana 18-8
FULL-TIME SAINTS 18 CHIEFS 8