Spring is here, the pitches are firming up and the playoff race is intensifying. As dramatic finishes go this was right up there, with both Northampton and Exeter sensing they had the game won at different moments. In the end the decisive thrust came from the Saints via a last-minute try from their England fly-half Fin Smith which kept the league leaders on track for a home semi-final.
It had briefly seemed that a 77th-minute try from the Chiefs replacement Paul Brown-Bampoe, magnificently converted from wide out by Henry Slade, would ensure three points for both teams. Instead Smith came scampering past a couple of tired would-be Chiefs tacklers and had both the pace and nerve to skip away for a hugely valuable score.
