Northampton Saints’ pursuit of a third knock-out final in three years now lies in their Gallagher PREM and Investec Champions Cup campaigns this term as their PREM Rugby Cup journey ended at the hands of Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park.
The visitors trailed by ten points at the break in Sunday’s semi-final with Tom Litchfield’s try, converted by Anthony Belleau, providing their only scoring actions of the half.
Exeter doubled their try tally to four in the second half and took control of the contest, with Charlie Ulcoq’s stoppage-time try proving to be of little consequence as Saints tasted defeat for only the second time in 14 games and Chiefs progressed into the final.
FIRST HALF:
Saints fell behind in the third minute with the first attacking foray from either side as scrum-half Tom Cairns side-stepped free from the fringes of a ruck, drew the final defender and freed Josh Hodge on a clear run to the line.
The response was swift and empathic. Tom West’s endeavours earned back-to-back scrum penalties that took the visitors up to the five-metre line. After JJ Van Der Mescht went close, Archie McParland teased a pass out in front of Litchfield to arrive at force and cross the line. Belleau’s conversion tied the scores.
Henry Slade struck over a successful penalty at the game’s quarter-way point, preceding a lengthy stoppage in play that resulted in George Hendy limping from the field of play and Amena Caqusau getting a longer-than-expected run out.
Rory Hutchinson’s linebreak was a fleeting moment on the front foot as Exeter built a ten-point lead by the interval when Zack Wimbush bundled his way over under the posts after his side tapped a close-range penalty.
SECOND HALF:
Josh Kemeny became the second injury-enforced replacement of the afternoon when the Australian failed the head injury assessment from a first-half knock, as Archie Benson’s substitution was made permanent.
There was unfortunate symmetry between the start of both halves for Saints as Exeter built their lead three minutes after the restart. Northampton were penalised for being in front of the kicker, Slade punched the penalty deep, and after a powerful Wimbush carry, Rusi Tuima sniped over from a few inches out.
Trailing by 17 points and with more than half-an-hour to play, Saints’ replacement front row arrived onto the field at once, as guest player from Cardiff, Will Davies-King, earned his debut and Curtis Langdon made his return to action following his shoulder injury, ten months on from his last outing in the 2024/25 Champions Cup Final.
The England hooker showed encouraging moments upon his return, offloading and stepping in the tackle area, as well as launching his first lineout of the season accurately to the tail.
Saints were starved of possession and hampered by ill-discipline as Exeter stoutly defended their lead then stretched it in the final minutes with a 90-metre counter-attack that saw Campbell Ridl be chased down by James Martin, only for the offload to land invitingly into the hands of Hodge to finish the score.
Northampton finally made a second-half attack stick with the clock nearing the red as teenage Australian flanker Ulcoq finished from close range.
Saints now take a week off from competitive action before returning to their Gallagher PREM campaign against Newcastle Red Bulls at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday 21 March – tickets are available by clicking HERE.
LINE-UPS:
Chiefs: 15 Josh Hodge, 14 Paul Brown-Bampoe, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Zack Wimbush, 11 Olly Woodburn, 10 Harvey Skinner, 9 Tom Cairns, 1 Will Goodrick-Clarke, 2 Jack Yeandle (c), 3 Jimmy Roots, 4 Lewis Pearson, 5 Rusi Tuima, 6 Martin Moloney, 7 Finn Worley Brady, 8 Greg Fisilau.
Replacements: 16 Julian Heaven, 17 Ethan Burger, 18 Khwezi Mona, 19 Joe Bailey, 20 Oscar Beckerleg, 21 Charlie Chapman, 22 Will Haydon-Wood, 23 Campbell Ride.
Saints: 15 George Hendy, 14 James Martin, 13 Tom Litchfield, 12 Rory Hutchinson, 11 James Ramm, 10 Anthony Belleau, 9 Archie McParland, 1 Tom West, 2 Henry Walker, 3 Luke Green, 4 Tom Lockett, 5 JJ Van Der Mescht, 6 Josh Kemeny, 7 Charlie Ulcoq, 8 Callum Chick (c).
Replacements: 16 Curtis Langdon, 17 Joe Cowell, 18 Will Davies-King, 19 Chunya Munga, 20 Archie Benson, 21 Tom James, 22 Toby Thame, 23 Amena Caqusau.