Northampton Saints Steal Victory with Last-Minute Try

England fly-half Fin Smith scored a last-minute try to snatch a thrilling 35-28 win for Northampton Saints over Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park. The match seemed destined for a draw after replacement winger Paul Brown-Bampoe scored a charge-down try in the 78th minute, but Smith's dummy and subsequent try broke Chiefs' hearts. Northampton's director of rugby, Paul Dowson, praised his team's persistence, saying, "We stuck at it again in what was another proper game. It's fine margins, but I like the way we carried on playing, carrying that pressure and having that belief we could get over." Exeter had taken an early lead with a try from Immanuel Feyi-Waboso after just 82 seconds, and later doubled their lead with a try from Will Rigg. However, Northampton fought back, with tries from Alex Mitchell and Ollie Sleightholme, and the teams were locked at 14-14 at halftime. The second half was cagey until Campbell Ridl scored his fifth Premiership try of the season, but Santi Carreras' two tries for Bath in a separate match against Harlequins meant that Northampton's lead at the top of the table was narrowed to just one point. Meanwhile, Leicester enhanced their Premiership Rugby charge with a thumping 62-3 victory over Newcastle, with Gabriel Hamer-Webb scoring five tries.