Late Smith Try Seals Thrilling Northampton Victory Over Exeter

In a stunning finale, England fly-half Fin Smith scored a last-minute try to give Northampton Saints a thrilling 35-28 win over Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park. The victory was a testament to the Saints' perseverance, as they had been on the brink of a draw after replacement winger Paul Brown-Bampoe's charge-down try in the 78th minute. However, Smith's dummy and subsequent try broke the hearts of the Chiefs, securing a crucial win for the Premiership leaders. 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 - and I think we're good at it." The match was marked by a dream start for Exeter, with England flyer Immanuel Feyi-Waboso scoring a try after just 82 seconds. The hosts doubled their lead five minutes later, but Northampton bounced back with tries from Alex Mitchell and Ollie Sleightholme, leaving the teams locked at 14-14 at halftime. The second half was cagey until Campbell Ridl scored his fifth Premiership try of the season, but the Saints refused to give up, ultimately snatching victory with Smith's late try.