Exeter Chiefs vs Northampton Saints

A Biggar pass slips through Fish's grasp and the following scrum sees referee Tom Foley award a Chiefs penalty, and Slade clears.

Here comes loosehead Alex Seville for his Saints debut. What a game to do it. Iyogun has been sensational second half, and makes way.

Moon and Adendorff enter the fray for Saints, with Ludlam and Harrison making way.

Saints' lineout has been so consistent this afternoon but this crucial one is untidy, and Exeter clear 60m downfield. Gutting for Saints.

Naiyaravoro is on for Tuala.

Free ball for Saints as Exeter go offside but Whitten is up quickly on Dingwall. Into the corner once again...a try here makes it very interesting.

Hutchinson advances up the field and Dingwall is tackled high. Furbank tries a crossfield kick with the advantage but Tuala is tackled and we come back for the pen. Into the corner again.

Another turnover from a lineout drive. Neither side been good in that area today. Exeter will have a scrum on their own 5m line.

Iyogun wins a penalty back! Biggar goes into the corner.

Biggar's conversion attempt from the right toughline sails wide.

Iyogun wins a penalty for Saints after making the tackle and getting over the ball. Another opportunity to come inside the 22...

Taylor looks to make a break from the base of a scrum but but grubber is returned with interest from O'Flaherty. Simmonds has some time and chips into the corner, putting Saints under some pressure. Taylor and Ratuniyarawa are replaced by Mitchell and Isiekwe.

Hill comes onto the field, replacing Owen Franks.

Scrappy couple of passages of play and Saints infringe on halfway as Harrison goes in at the side. Simmonds kicks to inside the 22 for Exeter.

The ball gets trapped at the back of the rolling maul and Exeter win a penalty from the resulting scrum to relieve the pressure.

Penalty straight after the kick off at the breakdown for Saints and Biggar sends it to the corner again.

Taylor makes a brilliant dart but just slips as he looks to go around O'Flaherty! So unlucky from the scrum-half, and as Exeter get numbers back, Saints look to go another phase and get pinged for holding on.

Penalty to Saints from the restart! Biggar smacks it to the 22 and Northampton will have another go before the interval.

Proctor makes a dart down the left but can't get his offload off to Hutchinson on his shoulder. So close to an opening for Saints! Another penalty goes to Saints and into the corner it goes...

Chiefs go off their feet and Saints send the penalty into the corner. But Haywood's throw is long and Chiefs can clear. 

Saints win back the kick-off and have a go! Hutchinson almost darts through a gap, before Furbank chips over the top and Hogg hacks his clearance. Saints up to the 22...

Biggar and Hogg exchange kicks before the Chiefs fullback runs himself and makes ground. Exeter building the phases well inside Saints' half and some gaps open up. Desperate defence from Northampton.

Exeter exit well from the kick off but Biggar gathers and Lawes trucks it up. Great offload from Ratuniyarawa out the back! Furbank then cuts inside and Saints look dangerous here! Tuala is knocked into touch however, but good rugby from Saints.

Saints concede a penalty but straight away Lawes wins back the ball at the resulting rolling maul. However Northampton are shoved off the scrum and after Slade goes through a gap, he finds Maunder inside him to score under the posts.

Biggar still spraying kicks all over the park, looking for his teammates on the wings. If one of these sticks...

A couple of box kicks go back and forth and Saints make some ground, with Chiefs knocking-on under their own kick. Scrum to Northampton in Exeter's half.

Another big crossfield kick from Biggar looking for Tuala, and the Samoan is unlucky to knock on under pressure from O'Flaherty. Saints look dangerous but Chiefs get the ball back.

Great turnover from Proctor after Dingwall hits Slade, getting over the ball to win a penalty. Biggar finds touch and Saints will attack again from 40 metres out.

Phase after phase for Saints in front of the posts and they have the advantage. Northampton knock on and the tee comes on.

Five-metre scrum to Saints! Another Exeter lineout is wobbly and Saints capitalise with Dingwall grubbering through and Nowell getting caught in the in goal area.

Early lineout for Exeter goes awry and Saints have a good position to attack from, just inside their hosts' half. Beautiful chip across the pitch from Biggar looks to be heading into Tuala's hands but the bounce is cruel and the ball goes into touch. Unlucky.

Northampton and Exeter are both out of the tunnel at Sandy Park and we're just moments away from the start of this contest!

The men in Black, Green and Gold are at Sandy Park for the first-ever meeting between these sides in European competition – it is however the ninth time Saints have reached the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup, winning on three previous occasions.

Here are your Saints…

SAINTS: Furbank, Proctor, Dingwall, Hutchinson, Tuala, Biggar, Taylor; Iyogun, Haywood, Franks, Ribbans, Ratuniyarawa, Lawes, Ludlam, Harrison (c)
Replacements: Fish, Seville, Hill, Moon, Isiekwe, Adendorff, Mitchell, Naiyaravoro

Courtney Lawes, who already has more than 200 Club appearances to his name, notches up another milestone in his storied career this afternoon as he brings up a half century of Champions Cup appearances. Elsewhere in the line-up, Henry Taylor comes in at scrum-half to join No.10 Dan Biggar, with young prop Manny Iyogun named in the front row for his first Champions Cup appearance. Scotland’s Rory Hutchinson is selected at inside centre with Fraser Dingwall completing the midfield, and Boyd opts for a back three of Ahsee Tuala, Matt Proctor and fullback George Furbank.

Here’s how today’s hosts line up…

CHIEFS: Hogg, Nowell, Slade, Whitten, O’Flaherty, J Simmonds (c), Maunder; Hepburn, Cowan-Dickie, Williams, Gray, Hill, Ewers, Vermeulen, S Simmonds
Replacements: Yeandle, Moon, Francis, Skinner, Kirsten, Hidalgo-Clyne, Steenson, Devoto

It’s Champions Cup quarter-final day! Here we are at Sandy Park for Northampton Saints’ biggest match of the season so far – with a place in the final four of Europe’s elite competition the prize against Exeter. Win, and Saints will book a trip to face Top14 giants Toulouse next weekend, but an imperious Chiefs line-up stands in their way. The men in Black, Green and Gold will have to be at their very best today to leave the West Country with a win.