Saints 38 Chiefs 11

Northampton Saints    38

Exeter Chiefs        11

Mark Stevens at Franklin's Gardens


Exeter's wait for a first-ever win at Franklin's Gardens will continue for another year at least as the Chiefs were swot to one side by an impressive Northampton Saints side.

Jim Mallinder's hosts ran in five tries - four of them in the first half - through Dylan Hartley, Ken Pisi, Tom Wood, George Pisi and Samu Manoa, whilst fly-half Stephen Myler added a further 13 points with a faultless display with the boot.

It was simply too much for the Chiefs who, despite a much-improved second half showing, could only counter with a try from Aussie international Dean Mumm and two penalties from fly-half Gareth Steenson.

With pre-season done and dusted for another year, the Chiefs headed into the campaign with a familiar look to their starting line-up. Indeed, of the seven new recruits brought in by Baxter during the summer, it was only Welsh international Tom James who was handed a start in the East Midlands.

Otherwise, the Chiefs - who were led out by new skipper Mumm - were happy to go with their tried and trusted of last season against a powerful Saints line-up, which included three debutants in the form of No.8 Sam Dickinson and victorious British & Irish Lions duo Alex Corbisiero and George North.

Also in from the outset for the home side was skipper Hartley, who was playing his first top flight fixture since being sent off in last season's Premiership final against Leicester Tigers at Twickenham for swearing at referee Wayne Barnes.

And it took Hartley just three minutes to make his mark in this encounter as he claimed Northampton's opening try - converted by Myler - when he snuck over in the right-hand corner following a powerful opening blitz from the Saints.

Although it was an early setback for the Chiefs, the visitors responded well as a solid rolling maul released James into space and in the ensuing play Saints flanker Phil Dowson deliberately killed the ball under his own posts. The England international was duly dispatched to the sin-bin for ten minutes, whilst Steenson happily slotted over his first points of the new campaign.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, the Saints were soon back on the attack and with another raid in behind enemy lines, they regained their seven-point buffer when Myler slotted a penalty after the Chiefs were pulled up for infringing at a ruck deep inside their own 22.

Worse was to follow on 20 minutes, however, as a loose Chiefs line-out allowed the home side to counter-attack with deadly effect. Working the ball back in field through Myler, he released the onrushing Luther Burrell, whose offload to Ken Pisi allowed the winger to canter over in the corner.

Myler slotted the conversion to that score and Northampton's third try which followed just moments later when a high up-and-under allowed full-back Ben Foden to collect the loose ball before offering a simple pop pass to team-mate Wood, who made no mistake from 10 metres out.

The Chiefs needed to quell the home onslaught and this they did as a second Steenson penalty - given after Dowson had again come in from the side - allowed the visitors to cut the deficit just past the half-hour mark.

Instead of building on the score, the Chiefs again slipped back into their shell and with just minutes to the interval, the Midlanders claimed their bonus point as a slick handling move saw forwards and backs combine to good effect to send George Pisi over for a fourth score, which Myler again converted from the touchline.

HALF TIME    NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 31        EXETER CHIEFS 6

With their ears no doubt ringing from a half-time lashing from Baxter and his fellow coaches, the Chiefs re-emerged for the second period determined to haul themselves back into the contest.

The initial signs were encouraging as the Chiefs piled forward in numbers during the early stages, but the Saints defence was holding firm despite them losing the imposing Courtney Lawes to the cooler for a no-arm tackle on Exeter centre Jason Shoemark.

Chances came and went for the Devonians whilst Lawes sat out the action, including a possible try-scoring chance for Haydn Thomas - who was adjudged held up on the line - following the intervention of the TMO.

Exeter's pressure, though, finally paid dividends on the hour mark when using a five-metre scrum, they exploited the blindside through Tom Johnson and Ben White to set-up Mumm, who edged his way over in the corner for the try, which Henry Slade was unable to convert.

It was the lift the Chiefs craved, but as replacements aplenty littered the last quarter, so the game itself descended into a somewhat scrappy affair until the Saints claimed a fifth try with just eight minutes remaining.

Using a penalty to propel them deep into the Exeter 22, the Saints used the resultant line-out to work a well-drilled move inside the field where replacement Manoa - aided by a handful of fellow forwards - crashed over for converted score number five.

The Chiefs, to their credit, continued to battle away and with just two minutes remaining a powerful burst from Irish centre Ian Whitten put the visitors back on the offensive. A succession of scrums followed for Baxter's side, but strong home defence - coupled with some indifferent decision-making - allowed the Saints to simply soak up the danger and claim an impressive victory.


Saints: B Foden; K Pisi (J Elliott 70), G Pisi (J Wilson 60), L Burrell, G North; S Myler, L Dickson (K Fotuali'i 56); A Corbisiero (A Waller 60), D Hartley (capt, M Haywood 59), T Mercey (G Denman 60); C Lawes (C Clark 59), C Day; T Wood (S Manoa 56), P Dowson, S Dickinson.

Tries - Hartley, K Pisi, Wood, G Pisi, Manoa; Conversions - Myler (5); Penalty - Myler

Yellow Cards - Dowson, Lawes

Chiefs: P Dollman; M Jess, I Whitten, J Shoemark (S Hill 56), T James; G Steenson (H Slade 51), H Thomas (D Lewis 56); B Sturgess (B Moon 54), J Yeandle (C Whitehead 54), H Tui (C Rimmer 54); D Mumm (capt, T Hayes 6-15), D Welch (T Hayes 66); T Johnson, J Scaysbrook (B White 51), D Ewers.

Try - Mumm; Penalties - Steenson (2)

Referee: JP Doyle

Attendance: 12,205

UP NEXT FOR THE CHIEFS: v London Wasps (H), Aviva Premiership, Saturday, September 14 (3pm)