Late Smith Try Seals Thrilling Northampton Victory Over Exeter

In a heart-stopping finale, England fly-half Fin Smith scored a last-minute try to secure a 35-28 win for Northampton Saints over Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park. The Saints' victory came after a intense match that saw both teams create numerous scoring opportunities. Northampton's director of rugby, Paul Dowson, praised his team's determination, saying, "We stuck at it again in what was another proper game... We've got a lot of trust in our attacking system and we have that intent to go and try and score. The match began with Exeter taking an early lead, with England flyer Immanuel Feyi-Waboso scoring a try after just 82 seconds. The hosts doubled their lead five minutes later, with centre Will Rigg finishing off a five-metre tap penalty. However, Northampton bounced back, with tries from Alex Mitchell and Ollie Sleightholme, to level the score at 14-14 by half-time. The second half was marked by a cagey defensive battle, until Exeter's Campbell Ridl scored a try just before the hour mark to put his team back in front. But Northampton refused to give up, and Smith's late try sealed the win for the Saints. Elsewhere, Bath reinforced their second place in the Premiership table with a 48-15 victory over Harlequins, while Leicester enhanced their charge with a thumping 62-3 win over Newcastle.