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 match had 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 perseverance, 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 Saints' victory was a testament to their never-give-up attitude, as they overcame an early deficit to claim a thrilling win. Exeter had started strongly, with England flyer Immanuel Feyi-Waboso scoring a try after just 82 seconds, but Northampton bounced back with tries from Alex Mitchell and Ollie Sleightholme. The match remained closely contested throughout, with both teams creating scoring opportunities.
However, it was Smith's late heroics that ultimately decided the outcome, as he coasted over the line to secure a 35-28 win for the Premiership leaders.