Saints leave Leeds cursing
Northampton battled back from a 21-point first-half deficit to earn a play-off berth and relegate Leeds Carnegie.
Last Updated: 07/05/11 5:48pm
Northampton battled back from a 21-point first-half deficit to earn a play-off berth and relegate Leeds Carnegie.
Neil Back's men at least went out on their shields, shocking Heineken Cup finalists Northampton through early tries from England flanker Hendre Fourie, his back-row colleague Rhys Oakley and wing Pete Wackett.
Saints, needing two points to secure a title play-off place, were out of the 'in-running' top four at 24-3 adrift, but hit back through scores from skipper Phil Dowson and England wing Chris Ashton either side of a penalty try.
Fly-half Shane Geraghty kicked a penalty and two conversions, before his replacement Stephen Myler edged Northampton in front for the first time with a 53rd-minute penalty, and then added two later strikes.
Leeds had two players sin-binned and never came close to matching Saints' scrummaging power, and they spent most of the second-half camped deep inside their own territory.
Despite making hard work of it, Saints' sealed the fourth play-off spot, with Leeds' losing bonus not enough to finish above Newcastle - who were well beaten at Bath.
But Leeds had made a remarkable start, stunning Saints with two converted tries inside the opening eight minutes.
Northampton were off the pace, and Leeds punished them sustained forward pressure resulted in a close-range try for Fourie, then scrum-half Scott Mathie's break and pass allowed Oakley a clear run to the line.
Adrian Jarvis slotted both conversions, and although Geraghty opened Northampton's account with an 11th-minute penalty, Leeds retained control of the contest at 14-3 ahead.
Leeds completed an astounding opening quarter by posting their third try, helped by Ben Foden letting a steepling kick bounce.
As Saints struggled to regroup under pressure, Leeds effortlessly moved possession wide and Wackett touched down unopposed, with Jarvis' touchline conversion making it 24-3.
Saints' frustration was underlined by a brawl involving home wing Paul Diggin and his opposite number Lee Blackett that resulted in both players being sin-binned by referee Andrew Small.
But Northampton ended the first-half by scoring two tries in quick succession, the second after Leeds were briefly reduced to 13 players.
Pressure
Dowson crossed wide out before repeated scrum pressure from the home side left Small with little option other than to yellow-card Leeds prop Juan Gomez, before his patience completely ran out and he awarded Saints a penalty try that Geraghty converted.
Leeds though, ended the opening period 24-15 ahead, with their survival hopes still very much alive.
Mallinder sent on scrum-half Dickson and flanker Calum Clark for the second period, then skipper Dylan Hartley joined the action just five minutes later, underlining Saints' escalating sense of urgency.
And Northampton further reduced their deficit within 60 seconds of Hartley's arrival as Ashton claimed his 10th Premiership try of the season, after Geraghty's searing outside break created a score that he also converted.
It brought the Saints to within two points, and worryingly for Leeds they were conceding regular penalties and lacked momentum.
When Myler inched Northampton ahead, the home side were in no mood to let it slip, and although resilient Leeds never gave up the ghost, their cause was lost.
Leeds' last hope of avoiding the drop is now dependent on Cornish Pirates.
If Worcester win the two-legged Championship play-off against the Pirates, then Leeds will drop out of English rugby's top flight as only Warriors meet Premiership entry criteria.
But should Pirates upset the odds - the second leg is at Worcester on May 18 - then Leeds will survive on a technicality.
