Tommy Freeman enhanced his burgeoning reputation with a stunning hat-trick as Northampton romped to the victory they required to book their place in the playoffs for the first time in three years. They racked up 10 tries against a largely dismal Newcastle who, but for a brief rally early in the second half, failed to give Dean Richards an appropriate send-off in his last match as director of rugby. For Chris Boyd, however, the show goes on and while he will also leave at the end of the campaign, Northampton’s season is far from over.
Northampton will face a sterner test when they make the short journey to face Leicester next week but they can go with optimism, having chalked up a sixth bonus-point win in their last seven league matches. When games open up like they did here there is no Premiership side more dangerous than Northampton’s great showmen, but as Boyd acknowledged afterwards, Leicester will pose an altogether different challenge.
