Northampton do enough to hold off late Feyi-Waboso-inspired rally

Reigning Gallagher Premiership champions Northampton got back to winning ways after withstanding an Immanuel Feyi-Waboso-inspired late rally in their 30-24 success over Exeter. Saints appeared to be cruising at 30-10, but the England winger dotted down two converted tries in eight minutes to set up a tense finale.

Their first try of the season at Franklin’s Garden came in the ninth minute when a line-out move saw South African number eight Juarno Augustus gallop deep into Exeter territory before offloading to lock Alex Coles to cross next the posts, with fly-half Fin Smith converting.

Saints showed their eagerness to keep the scoreboard moving when they opted for the posts when awarded a penalty almost on halfway and Smith’s boot put them into double figures. Chiefs were building attacks well but on three occasions when they got into the Saints’ 22, they were penalised for not releasing the ball in the tackle.

The closest they came to scoring came just past the midway point of the first half when young winger Paul Brown-Bampoe – making his first Premiership start – made a 50-metre break down the left touchline, but Smith got back well to halt him.

Another Smith penalty after a scrum infringement by Exeter right in front of the posts stretched Northampton’s lead to 13 points, and they appeared to be comfortably keeping Chiefs at bay as half-time approached.

However, fly-half Harvey Skinner sold a dummy in midfield and created the space to send Olly Woodburn – playing out of position at centre due to Exeter’s extensive injury list – under the posts, with Josh Hodge converting to leave Exeter only seven points adrift at the break.

The Chiefs changed the whole of their front row at the interval and it took them only three minutes to eat further into that gap with a 53-metre penalty by Hodge. However, Saints’ riposte was instant, straight from the restart, when lock Chunya Munga charged down scrum-half Sam Maunder’s attempted box kick to cross for a 20-10 lead.

Four minutes later, Saints seemingly put the game beyond Exeter’s reach when a cross-field kick by England full-back George Furbank found Scotland centre Rory Hutchinson loitering on the touchline to dot down.

Smith’s 35-metre drop-goal on the hour made it 17 points in 15 minutes for Saints as they eased well clear. Feyi-Waboso was denied a try in the corner by England team-mate Tommy Freeman, but moments later he did cross despite hints of a knock-on in the build-up by Woodburn, with Hodge converting off the post.

Hutchinson was sent to the sin-bin for a high tackle on Woodburn with three minutes left and from the scrum Exeter took from the penalty, Feyi-Waboso was given the room to get over for his second touchdown to get them to within bonus-point range and hope of victory, but time ran out.