Aviva Premiership: Chiefs fight back for important win over Saints
Last Updated: 20/03/16 3:19pm
Exeter scored 17 unanswered points in the second half to beat Northampton 20-12 at Sandy Park on Sunday.
Tries from Lee Dickson and Ken Pisi gave Saints a 12-3 lead at the break against an uncharacteristically abject Chiefs side. But the home side came out firing in the second 40, scoring a try through Olly Woodburn while fly-half Gareth Steenson offered four penalties.
It was a win that put Exeter top of the Premiership standings, though Saracens can reclaim pole position with a win over Leicester Tigers.
The victory was a long way from guaranteed, and their early three-point lead from Steenson's kicking tee was eradicated in the 13th minute when the loose Chiefs defence was exploited by a sniping run around the blindside by Dickson. The conversion was missed by Hanrahan, but he made no such mistake with his second attempt from the Pisi score, giving Saints a 12-3 lead with half-time looming.
Northampton held onto the nine-point lead until the break, but the resumption saw a resurgent Exeter side take the field.
When the Chiefs broke through the Saints defence early in the second half it looked like they might score immediately. However as Jack Yeandle threatened towards the line he was tackled by Mike Haywood, and when Haywood was deemed to have slowed his release of the ball carrier metres short of the line, he was shown a yellow card for the cynical act.
The Chiefs kicked for the lineout, and though they failed to score a try from the opportunity, they had a second chance from a throw-in from close range following a poor clearance kick from Hanrahan.
The ball was shifted left and recycled, with the forwards crashing it up before it was spun right to Henry Slade, who dummied to hold up the defence before throwing a pass to Olly Woodman down the right touchline for the winger to dot down in the corner.
The conversion was missed, but Steenson added a penalty shortly thereafter to bring his side within a point. Slade then missed a chance to take the lead when he sent a penalty attempt to the right of the uprights on the hour mark.
However the Chiefs were back on attack in the 65th minute and Slade did well to draw the last defender with the tryline begging, and all he had to do was pass to Woodburn for the try, but the England centre spilled the ball as he tried to get rid of it.
Fortunately for Exeter, the referee was playing advantage at the time, and the home side opted to put the ball into the corner for an attacking lineout. Northampton stole the ball, but were then caught in possession in their in-goal area to give Exeter an attacking scrum. Saints were penalised at that scrum, and the home side asked to pack down again from the mark to pile the pressure on their guests.
When the visitors strayed offside at the ensuing possession, Steenson called for the kicking tee to hand his side the lead for just the second time in the game, with 12 minutes remaining.
A driving maul from the Chiefs then proved tough for Saints to stop, and they were forced to concede a penalty which gave Steenson a chance to make it a five-point game which he duly took.
The fly-half then robbed Saints of a losing bonus point when he sent a 78th-minute effort sailing over for a 20-12 win.
