Saints win 10-try thriller
Northampton and Leeds put on a 10-try spectacle for a sell-out crowd at Franklin's Gardens as the hosts won 38-24 in the LV= Cup.
Last Updated: 05/02/11 5:50pm
Northampton and Leeds put on a 10-try spectacle for a sell-out crowd at Franklin's Gardens as the hosts won 38-24 in the LV= Cup.
Despite having nothing to play for, the visitors gave one of their best performances of the season in the first half and at one stage led a strong Saints line-up 19-7.
The home pack asserted their dominance after the break but even a bonus-point win was not enough to earn Saints a semi-final berth.
After 10 minutes Leeds took the lead with a try of real quality. They moved the ball slickly through numerous phases and after good work from Hendre Fourie and Lachlan Mackay, James Tincknell outflanked the home defence to score.
Five minutes later Leeds went further ahead after Brett Sharman lost possession in his own 22, allowing the visitors to swiftly counter-attack with a movement which ended with Fourie driving over for the score.
Ceiron Thomas converted to give Leeds a 12-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Saints hit back as Shane Geraghty ran strongly for a solo try which he converted, but Fourie again ran powerfully into the heart of the home defence to set up a position from which James Craig crossed for the try which Thomas again converted.
Leeds were then dealt a blow when hooker Phil Nilsen was yellow carded and Saints took immediate advantage when Sharman forced his way over from a lineout.
Impressive
Leeds made a half-time change replacing the impressive Fourie with club captain Marco Wentzel, but the England flanker was missed as the Saints upped their game to level the scores after 50 when Roger Wilson went over under the posts, with Bruce Reihana converting.
Northampton took the lead for the first time in the match after 57 minutes when Ryan Powell dummied over to secure a bonus point.
Despite a series of substitutions, Northampton continued to maintain sustained pressure and it was rewarded with further tries from replacement scrum-half Stuart Commins and Greig Tonks.
With the last play of the match, replacement Jacob Rowan scored a consolation try for the visitors to earn them a deserved bonus point.