Homepage - Northampton Saints © 2016 Northampton Saints. Privacy & Cookies . Website by X Premiership: Northampton Saints 8-3 Exeter Chiefs as it happened - BBC Sport Posted at 3 mins BBC Sport Two sides with a very different run of form just getting a feel for one another in the early minutes on a biting cold day at Franklin's Gardens. Northampton's inconsistent start to the season took on somewhat of a dismal tone on Boxing Day when they were overcome by the previously winless London Irish. If you were to look further into their form in December, they have failed to generate any momentum in the European Champions Cup, having managed a draw against Racing Metro at home after being well beaten by the French side in the away tie. Conversely, Exeter have dropped just two possible league points in a run of six straight wins since losing at Bath on the opening day of the delayed 2015-16 season in mid-October. A win today takes them top for 24 hours at least as leaders Saracens host Leicester on Saturday.

Share #bbcrugby Posted at 14:59 Fancy Northampton getting back to their more formidable ways with a win to start 2016? Or maybe the rise-and-rise of Exeter has captured your imagination, and you are busting at the seams to tell the twitterverse all about it. While many will be getting caught up in the hype of what the new year will bring, we have just waved farewell to what was a huge 2015 of rugby union. What were your highlights, or if you are an England rugby fan, the lowlight? Get in touch with us using #bbcrugby to share your thoughts. Share England rugby squad’s workload puts welfare at risk, warns players’ union | Sport | The Guardian England rugby squad’s workload puts welfare at risk, warns players’ union • Elite squad members face burnout with unprecedented demands, critics warn • ‘Something has to give or the players will,’ says Quins director Conor O’Shea Chris Robshaw exceeded the game limit for players in 2013-14, ending the season as captain on England’s summer tour of New Zealand.

Photograph: Marty Melville/AFP/Getty Images Thursday 5 May 2016 06.55 EDT Last modified on Friday 6 May 2016 12.24 EDT Close This article is 9 months old The Rugby Players’ Association has warned the game limit for England’s elite player squad members is too high and top-flight players face risks to their long-term health unless everyone in rugby union puts welfare first. The Rugby Football Union and Premier Rugby will shortly announce the details of the new heads of agreement, which governs the management of the elite player squad (EPS), and the limit will remain at 32, the figure set when the agreement was first struck in 2008. Rugby union’s brutal reality: the physical and mental toll of an elite playing career | Michael Aylwin Read more Christian Day, the Northampton lock and RPA chairman, despairs that no more sophisticated device to regulate workload will be enshrined in the new deal. “That number is completely arbitrary in our eyes,” he said. “Someone’s stuck a finger in the air and come up with it.

I don’t know where it’s come from, and I don’t think anyone does, beyond the fact that you play 22 Premiership games and then Europe, and you arrive at roughly 32. It happens to be just about the most number of games you could play, realistically.” No player has ever been stopped because of the limit, although several have played more than 32 games, including Chris Robshaw and Mike Brown in the 2013-14 season. Dan Cole played in 41 matches during the British & Irish Lions season of 2013 but even then the Leicester prop did not exceed the cap on playing time, because it is calculated by minutes on the field rather than number of games and his total was 324 minutes shy of the 32 x 80 mark. Alex Corbisiero, the Lions and former Northampton prop , who is on a year-long sabbatical to enable his body to recover from a string of injuries, believes the limit has to be tailored to different positions. “I would say 25 games of around 60 minutes each is right for a prop,” he said.

Feedback from the RPA membership is that minutes played is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to player load. “It’s just not a fair measurement,” Damian Hopley, the organisation’s chief executive, said. “If you’re training and preparing for a game and you only play 15 minutes, you’re still training and preparing for a game.” Even Simon Kemp, the RFU chief medical officer, argues any catch-all limit is inappropriate. “The focus on game load and game load alone is unhelpful. The consideration for a player needs to capture total load – training, game and a range of external factors we call life load. Players need to be managed on an individual basis.” Critics argue the 32-game limit is no more than a token gesture, too high to affect any but the most overplayed and unenforceable when it does. It forms part of the wider debate within the sport over player welfare. In the middle of a two-year stretch bookended by the 2015 World Cup and the 2017 Lions tour to New Zealand, player burnout is the most pressing issue.

In a special investigation by the Guardian, players, their representatives and even leading coaches are in agreement that this season, in which the domestic calendar has been crammed into eight months of back-to-back games, has led to unprecedented demands. “Sooner or later, someone needs to say: ‘Look, we’re going to destroy these guys,’” Day said. “They’re going to retire by the time they’re 30 years old; they’re not going to be able to walk by the age of 45. I just hope someone at the top of the game is planning.” Pinterest Christian Day, the Northampton lock and RPA chairman, barges through the Bath defence at Franklin’s Gardens last weekend. Photograph: Seconds Left/Rex/Shutterstock By the end of the tour to Australia this summer, it will be 12 months since England’s players went into camp to build for the World Cup, while latest figures show the most serious injuries are at their highest level and more days have been lost to injury than ever before. “Something has to give or the players will,” Conor O’Shea , the Harlequins director of rugby, said.

“You cannot keep going to the well in a game as physical as this.” Spare a thought for rugby’s vulnerable gladiators wrestling with their demons | Robert Kitson Read more The heads of agreement governs the management of England internationals but no provisions exist to protect from overload players not in the EPS. A new standard Premiership contract will institute a mandatory five-week off-season but the RPA wants Premiership players to have breaks and limits formalised into their seasons, as the England players do. Hopley hopes to establish measures to spread the load among his membership more evenly: “Our biggest challenge, still, is that we’re asking too few players to play too much rugby.” The solution for many is a global season. Players’ unions around the world are putting pressure on World Rugby to take action. Hopley said: “We have all been assured that we’d be part of the discussions around what the global season would look like. “That was 18 months ago and nothing’s happened. The 2019 World Cup [after which no international fixtures have been set] will be here before we know it. “Rugby doesn’t have a great track record of joined-up thinking.

The [southern hemisphere] Sanzaar nations work incredibly well together but that’s not the case with the Six Nations. God forbid you might park a bit of self-interest at the door.” The RFU management and Premier Rugby declined to comment on the details of the Heads of Agreement deal until it was announced. Northampton brush aside London Irish with five-try display | BT Sport Northampton brush aside London Irish with five-try display Northampton reasserted their Aviva Premiership title credentials as they moved within two points of the play-offs with a 35-7 destruction of London Irish at Franklin's Gardens. Share this Print this story Northampton reasserted their Aviva Premiership title credentials as they moved within two points of the play-offs with a 35-7 destruction of London Irish at Franklin's Gardens. It was a fitting display to mark the opening of the new £6million Barwell Stand, as James Craig, Alex Waller, Jamie Elliott and Lee Dickson all crossed for tries, with a penalty try compounding Irish's misery and leaving them rooted to the bottom of the table.

The outclassed visitors trailed 21-0 at the break and only made an impression on the scoreboard three minutes from time when David Paice went over for a converted try. Despite the wet conditions Northampton, who lost their last home match to Wasps, showed plenty of enterprise in the opening exchanges, more than they had for much of the season. Dickson exemplified this ambition, tapping a kickable penalty on Irish's 10-metre line and when the scrum-half was stopped by Halani Aulika, the prop was shown a yellow card by referee Tim Wigglesworth. Luther Burrell, revitalised at 13, looked particularly lively, and his left-footed diagonal grubber was almost grounded by wing James Wilson in the 16th minute, but Irish full-back Andy Fenby was there just in time to boot the ball dead. But a minute later Northampton opened the scoring through a more familiar route as a 5m lineout drive saw lock Craig touch down for his first try of the campaign. Stephen Myler judged the wind perfectly to put Northampton 7-0 in front.

And when the home pack marched towards the line from another 5m lineout three minutes later, the referee was quick to award a penalty try as Irish brought the drive down illegally. Myler converted as Aulika returned from the sin-bin having watched his side concede 14 points. Irish let the chance of their own 5m lineout drive slip away, but they kept the game in the home side's half to win a penalty from 45m. However, former Saint Shane Geraghty was short with his kick. Northampton again showed their ambition by launching an attack from under their posts with Ben Foden slipping a tackle until it broke down on halfway. But another penalty kicked to the corner by Myler allowed Saints to set up camp in Irish's 22 and, although 19-year-old centre Harry Mallinder was stopped a metre short, the ball was shifted to the right where Elliott offloaded for loosehead Waller to score the home side's third try a minute before the break. Myler converted to make it 21-0 at half-time. Irish came out early for the second half and played like they had been given a rocket by head coach Tom Coventry.

Geraghty and Topsy Ojo almost broke through the Saints defence, but when the attack broke down the home side countered through Burrell and Wilson. The move shifted right where Dickson sent a lovely kick over the top for Elliott to run on to and shrug off Geraghty to score the fourth try. From the restart Dickson scored his side's fifth try and Saints took full advantage of fourth-placed Harlequins' defeat at Gloucester. Tom Wood ghosted out of a ruck on his 22, passed to Burrell, who fed Jamie Gibson and the flanker offloaded to Dickson for a superb 80m team try. Myler converted both scores to make it 35-0 after 50 minutes. With 12 minutes remaining Saints' replacement centre JJ Hanrahan was sin-binned and team-mate Gibson followed him to the bin with four minutes left, and against 13 men, Irish finally got something to show for their efforts as hooker Paice rumbled over, with Geraghty added the extras.

Share this Sale Sharks confirm groundshare with Salford City Reds - BBC Sport BBC Sport Sale Sharks confirm groundshare with Salford City Reds 4 Apr 2012 From the section Rugby Union Share this page Read more about sharing. Sale Sharks have confirmed they will groundshare with rugby league side Salford City Reds from next season after signing a 25-year lease. The Sharks will leave Edgeley Park in Stockport, where they currently play, for the new City of Salford Stadium in Barton, which has a capacity of 12,000. "This is a tremendous move for Sale," said Sharks co-owner Ian Blackhurst. "The first-class facilities will provide a great platform as we aim to become one of the top sides in Europe." The move has also been welcomed by Super League club Salford, who moved from their old ground, The Willows, at the end of last season. "It is a real boost for the city of Salford to have an elite club from both codes within its boundaries," said chief executive David Tarry. "The deal announced today has significant benefits for Salford City Reds.

Success at Salford City Stadium is now a more affordable proposition." The move saw a merger with Stockport County, who were then in the Football League but now play in the Blue Square Bet Premier, as Brian Kennedy took over both clubs.

Current Premiership stadium capacities Exeter Chiefs (Sandy Park) - 10,744 Gloucester (Kingsholm) - 16,500 Leicester Tigers (Welford Road) - 24,000 London Irish (Madejski) - 24,161 London Wasps (Adams Park) - 10,516 Newcastle Falcons (Kingston Park) - 10,200 Northampton Saints (Franklin's Gardens) - 13,600 Sale Sharks (Edgeley Park) - 10,852 Saracens (Vicarage Road) - 19,920 Worcester Warriors (Sixways) - 12,068 Kennedy later relinquished his interest in County and, although there had been rumours the football club may leave their home of 110 years, Blackhurst has confirmed that Stockport will continue to play their home matches at Edgeley Park. Both Premiership club Sale and Salford have previously spoken about the possibility of the move, with Reds chairman John Wilkinson and Sale co-owner Kennedy wanting the groundshare to go ahead.

Salford moved into their new £26m home at the start of the new Super League season, although crowds have been lower than anticipated. They are currently attracting attendances of about 6,000, around 2,000 down on the club's expectations at the start of the year. Although the City of Salford Stadium was scaled down from initial plans, the capacity can be increased from 12,000 to 20,000 with further development. Share this page Premiership: Northampton Saints 24-29 Saracens - BBC Sport Premiership: Northampton Saints 24-29 Saracens 23 May 2015 From the section Rugby Union Share this page Saracens have reached the Premiership final for the fourth time in six seasons Northampton (13) 24 Tries: Penalty try, Wood Con: Myler Pens: Myler 4 Saracens (13) 29 Tries: Strettle, George Cons: Farrell 2 Pens: Farrell 5 Saracens reached the Premiership final after beating Northampton in a pulsating match at Franklin's Gardens.

Owen Farrell's late penalty secured victory over Saints, who had finished the season at the top of the table. David Strettle's converted try gave the visitors the lead but the 2013-14 champions levelled by half-time. Jamie George's try helped Saracens carve out a five-point lead and they held on to reach Twickenham where they will face Bath on 30 May. The Blue, Black and Whites beat Leicester Tigers 47-10 in the other semi-final at the Rec. Mark McCall's Saracens only secured their play-off place on the last day of the regular season and they are into the Premiership final for the fourth time in six seasons. Northampton had won both league meetings between the two sides this season, and beat Saracens in extra-time to lift the Premiership trophy for the first time in their history last May.

Tempers flared at the end of the first half after Saracens forward Jacques Burger put in a big hit on Ken Pisi and then shoved Lee Dickson But it was the north London side who went ahead when Strettle kicked down the touchline and, with Saints full-back Ahsee Tuala out of position receiving treatment, Duncan Taylor outpaced Lee Dickson to chase down the loose ball and fed Strettle, who crossed in the corner. Northampton's pack drew the home side level with a penalty try as Sarries were repeatedly penalised and had prop Mako Vunipola sent to the sin-bin. With Saints dominating possession and territory, Saracens relied on the boot of Farrell to twice give them a three-point lead, but Northampton fly-half Stephen Myler replied to level the scores on the stroke of half-time. A Myler penalty early in the second period gave Northampton the lead for the first time but George drove over to restore the away side's advantage. Saints hit back as Tom Wood touched down from a rolling maul but crucially Myler missed the conversion, which gave Saracens a two-point advantage heading into the final 20 minutes.

Farrell extended that lead to 26-21 with a penalty and Saracens then managed to soak up pressure from Northampton's forwards. Farrell kicked his fifth penalty of the afternoon to take Saracens two scores clear with three minutes left and, although Myler replied, Saracens saw out the final minute without alarm to secure their place at Twickenham. Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder: "We knew what their plan would be and they did what we expected, but they do it very, very well. "At the breakdown they were physical. "Those Vunipola brothers....once they get over the ball their stomachs are touching the ground already. It's near impossible to move them. "Everyone decides how they want to play and Saracens have gone down their route. To become champions you have to beat all styles and we didn't get over this hurdle." Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall: "We had a mass of sickness around the squad this week. Schalk Brits was in hospital for two days and lost seven or eight kilograms. "There were 10 other people who had it, but you wouldn't have known.

You add the bug to the occasion and it tells you the sort of group we have. "That was us out there hunting people down, getting off the floor to make tackle after tackle. It was a performance to be proud of. "That was a Titanic semi-final of unbelievable intensity and we're thrilled to come out on the right side of it." Northampton: Tuala; K. Pisi, G. Pisi, Burrell, Elliott; Myler, Dickson; Corbisiero, Hartley (capt), Ma'afu, Lawes, Day, Wood, Clark, Manoa. Replacements: Wilson for Tuala (3), Waller for Corbisiero (32), Stephenson for Wilson (41), Fotuali'i for Dickson (51), Denman for Ma'afu (53), Haywood for Ashton (68), Fisher for Day (69), Dickinson for Clark (75). Saracens: Goode; Wyles, Taylor, Barritt, Strettle; Farrell, Wigglesworth; M. Vunipola, George, Du Plessis, Kruis, Hargreaves (capt), Itoje, Burger, B.

Vunipola. Replacements: Figallo for Du Plessis (59), Ashton for Strettle (59), Hamilton for Hargreaves (62), Wray for Itoje (65). Not Used: Saunders, Barrington, de Kock, Hodgson. Sin Bin: M. Vunipola (12) Referee: Greg Garner (RFU) Should Premiership clubs really be prevented from playing while Namibia face the Galapagos Islands in next year’s World Cup? | The Independent Should Premiership clubs really be prevented from playing while Namibia face the Galapagos Islands in next year’s World Cup? Comment Sunday 31 August 2014 19:08 BST Click to follow The Independent Online Northampton parade the Premiership trophy they won last May.

Come next autumn, they and other clubs will be expected to shut up shop for the duration of the Rugby World Cu GETTY IMAGES When Northampton and Gloucester usher in the 2014-15 English rugby union season at the human sardine tin known as Franklin’s Gardens on Friday night – the fight over the oval ball means infinitely more than the pursuit of the round one to the people of both towns, so you won’t be able to move in there – they will do it against the backdrop of an escalating argument about the 2015-16 season. There’s forward-thinking for you. The sport may not be wholly free of medievalists with handlebar moustaches who would return us to the age of Dr Arnold, but those people are stranded ever more helplessly on the wrong side of history. These days, the union game is as modern as modern gets. Modernity is at the heart of this latest spat between the Rugby Football Union and the senior clubs it once ruled with a rod of reinforced iron – clubs who have learnt how to stand up for themselves and have grown used to the taste of victory, both political and commercial.

As things stand, the Premiership teams are threatening to play league matches next September, thereby offering an alternative attraction to the home World Cup, the pool stage of which will be unfolding at precisely the same time. And they are doing it for two reasons, which happen to be… political and commercial. To take the second issue first, they object to the meagre level of compensation currently being offered by the RFU, claiming it does not even begin to ease the financial burden of shutting down the business of professional club rugby for weeks on end. So far, so simple. But more than that, they are profoundly cheesed off at what they consider to be Twickenham’s high-handedness in signing the World Cup host agreement – a document that specifically forbids major domestic matches being played during the tournament – without a word of consultation. It is this perceived breach of good faith that poses the gravest threat to relations between the two sides. But there is a far wider problem here, concerning the insufferable sense of entitlement common to organisations running major sporting tournaments of every stripe. It is now taken as read by the International Olympic Committee that a host nation’s tax laws will be flushed down the nearest loo the moment the Games loom into view.

A promise of exemption from income tax, corporation tax and all the rest of it is part and parcel of the bidding process and if this painful truth has the average Treasury official spluttering over his pinstripes – according to some estimates, the £2.7bn generated by the 2012 Olympics in London might, under different conditions, have realised £600m in revenues – so be it. Who needs a dozen new hospitals when Usain Bolt will soon be lolloping down a track near you? Needless to say, Fifa pulls the same kind of stunt – if recent Qatar-connected revelations are to be believed – whenever the football World Cup is up for grabs: another grotesque example of one rule for them and another for the rest of us. If Sepp Blatter and Co demand tax breaks for their increasingly questionable organisation, they get them. If we demand a break from Sepp Blatter, we’re told to sit down and shut up. What we should do, of course, is tell Fifa to bugger off and stage its tournament in Luxembourg or the Cayman Islands, where people breathe in tax avoidance with the morning air.

Just last week, the International Rugby Board announced plans to rebrand itself as “World Rugby” – presumably because the word “international” is too small-scale these days, too Mickey Mouse. First prize for grandiloquence, bottom of the class for relevance. It is not hard to think of a better use of delegates’ time. They might, for instance, have revisited their own protocols and asked themselves exactly why their World Cup needs the rest of the world to stop turning. Is it really fair to tell Northampton and Gloucester that they cannot play each other because Namibia are taking on the Galapagos Islands? The union game’s governing class is less obviously self-important than it once was – the average IRB member is almost a man of the people compared to his Fifa brethren, many of whom could strut sitting down – but when it comes to World Cups, the ingrained superiority complex quickly resurfaces.

You can almost hear them asking: “Do you know who we are?” To which the response should always be: “Who the hell do you think you are?” Saturday's Premiership rugby as it happened - BBC Sport BBC Sport Saturday's Premiership rugby as it happened 30 Apr 201630 Apr 2016 1h1h Got a TV Licence? You need one to watch live TV on any channel or device, and BBC programmes on iPlayer. It’s the law. Tigers' win secures play-off spot Northampton 15-14 Bath Saints move up to fifth after recovering from 14-0 down Live Reporting By Rob Stevens and Emma Thurston All times stated are UK Get involved Posted at 17:43 30 Apr That's it from us this evening - thanks for joining us. We'll be back tomorrow for live text commentary on Sunday's three Premiership games. Here's what's in store: Exeter v Wasps (13:00 BST) London Irish v Harlequins (15:00 BST) Saracens v Newcastle (15:15 BST) Until then, goodbye.

Posted at 17:39 30 Apr Getty Images Northampton moved up to fifth in the Premiership table thanks to a second-half comeback against Bath. Saints dominated possession and territory in the first half but trailed 14-0 at the break through two converted tries from winger Jeff Williams. After Bath's Chris Cook was sin-binned, Teimana Harrison touched down in the corner and a penalty from Stephen Myler reduced the arrears. Mikey Haywood powered over late on and Myler converted to seal victory. Posted at 17:36 30 Apr BBC Sport Leicester secured their place in the Premiership semi-finals for the 12th successive year with a bonus-point win over Worcester. The hosts led 21-17 at the break with tries from Vereniki Goneva, Opeti Fonua and Telusa Veainu. Bryce Heem and Andy Symons went over to keep Worcester in touch but as the weather worsened Leicester's pack gained the ascendency. Will Evans secured the bonus point for Tigers and booked their play-off spot. You can read the full report here.

Share Your chance to work at the BBC Posted at 17:30 30 Apr That was a fairly tense end to the game at Northampton. While we catch out breath, have you ever fancied getting into journalism or sports reporting yourself? Well, this could be your chance to take the first steps on that road at the BBC. The BBC Kick Off Trainee Sports Reporter scheme is open for applications for 2016. You can read more about it and apply here. BBC Sport FT: Northampton 15-14 Bath Posted at 17:27 30 Apr What a way to finish the game. It was hard-fought. The fans are our 16th man on the field and Franklin's Gardens is an amazing place to play Teimana Harrison Northampton forward on BT Sport Share FT: Northampton 15-14 Bath Posted at 17:24 30 Apr Saints left it late there but managed to secure a crucial win, which moves them up to fifth in the Premiership table. Northampton face Gloucester next weekend at Kingsholm and their destiny is still in their own hands.

Share Northampton 15-14 Bath Posted at 17:19 30 Apr The clock goes red, the ball is worked back to Northampton fly-half Stephen Myler and he dabs into touch. A great comeback from the hosts to overcome a dogged Bath side. The Champions Cup dream is still alive for Saints. Northampton 15-14 Bath Posted at 17:17 30 Apr But Bath see the line out stolen after Victor Matfield gets a big paw to the ball! Less than a mintue to go, surely there is no way back for the visitors? Share Northampton 15-14 Bath Posted at 17:16 30 Apr Northampton are eating up the clock in the Bath half, with replacement scrum-half Kahn Fotuali'i controlling the ball and marshalling his troops. But Bath steal after another handling error with just 90 seconds to go and set-up a line-out on half-way. Share Posted at 17:14 30 Apr Bath had held out for so long and defended well for most of the game. Do they have anything left in the tank to provide a sting at the death?

Share Posted at 17:09 30 Apr Getty Images But there's no denying this one! From the resulting line-out Northampton show patience to set up the rolling maul and eventually Mikey Haywood breaks off and bundles over. Stephen Myler adds the extras from the tee to give Saints the lead for the first time this afternoon. Five minutes remain at Franklin's Gardens. I have not seen a game like this for a long time. The team that has the possession has been the one that has let the tries in. Kane Palma-Newport Bath prop on BBC Radio Bristol Share Posted at 17:09 30 Apr Wayne Barnes has another long hard look at the replays with Northampton claiming another try. Tom Wood powers over the line from two metres out but is held up by Will Homer and Francois Louw. However Luther Burrell comes in and the bodies roll over once again - but Barnes decides not to award the try. Great defence from Bath again - but they've conceded another penalty. Share Posted at 17:06 30 Apr Northampton come again and go close to a second try out on the left flank.

But Bath prop Nick Auterac puts in a big hit on Tiemana Harrison which was high, and stops the number eight in in tracks. Referee Wayne Barnes decides not to go to the TMO, and just awards a penalty. Share Northampton 8-14 Bath Posted at 17:04 30 Apr George Ford hasn't been on for long and decides to have a pop at goal from the latest penalty The England international is five metres in from the left flank on the 10-metre line. The wind at Franklin's Gardens means Matt Banahan has to lie down and hold the ball on the tee. Ford's kick doesn't quite have the legs and drops just short. IT was a good effort, from a tricky position. There are 10 minutes left. Share Leicester 31-17 Worcester Posted at 17:01 30 Apr As the full time whistle blows Leicester secure a Premiership semi-final place for the twelfth successive season. Will Evans' first Premiership try added the bonus-point and their solid defensive work ensured that Worcester didn't add to their own tally after the break.

Share Posted at 17:00 30 Apr And Willimas is denied a hat-trick by the bounce of the ball! Francois Louw turns the ball over, Tom Homer puts in a great break and then George Ford chips towards the corner. But Williams, in space, sees the ball bobble across him and into touch. Bath could have seized control of the scoreboard there. Share Northampton 8-14 Bath Posted at 16:59 30 Apr Bath have their own spell on the attack and Jeff Williams goes in search of a third try after receiveing a low pass from George Ford, who's on as a replacement. But Saitns steal the ball well at the break down and clear up to their 10-metre line. Share Posted at 16:54 30 Apr This time Stephen Myler opts to kick for goal from in front of the post. His attempt wobbles a bit but does bisect the posts. Saints back to within a converted score with 18 minutes to go. Share Posted at 16:53 30 Apr Getty Images Bath show more great and committed defence to thwart another wave of Northampton attacks.

The Saints go through the phases and pound away at the Bath line but the visitors turn the ball over. However Will Homer's clearing kick is a poor one and Saints get another penalty... Share Try (Harrison, con missed Myler) Northampton 5-14 Bath Posted at 16:49 30 Apr Teimana Harrison has the ball down for Saints and they finally have their breakthrough. Bath looked like they might survive conceding while down to 14 men but Saints do the damage from a line-out five metres out. Harrison eventually gets hold of the ball and finishes well, holding off Matt Banahan. Stephen Myler misses the conversion from out wide. Just over 22 minutes left at Franklin's Gardens. Share Posted at 16:49 30 Apr The second half hasn't quite lived up to the high standard set by the first. Positively Leicester's pack have really exerted themselves on their visitors and Owen Williams' boot remains on song. On the flip side Worcester will be slightly frustrated that they haven't managed to make their opportunities count, knocking on at key points. As the clock ticks down Leicester are edging ever closer to booking their semi-final spot.

Share Posted at 16:41 30 Apr Northampton get another kickable penalty but opt to go for the corner again. But Bath are strong in defence again and frustrate the hosts once more by winning a scrum, which gives them a chance to eat up some of the clock while they're down to 14 men. They have just over five more minutes to survive while a man down. Share Northampton 0-14 Bath Posted at 16:36 30 Apr Northampton finally find their stride and stretch the Bath defence for what feels the first time today. George North bursts down the left flank and puts the ball back inside. Bath are starting to look desperate in the tackle and, as Lee Dickson looks to spread the ball at the breakdown, Chris Cook kicks it out of his hands. The Bath scrum-half is shown yellow - his third and Bath's 19th sin-binning of the season. Share Northampton 0-14 Bath Posted at 16:34 30 Apr Bath are on the attack but, in one passage of play, there were several loose balls, turnovers of possession and a few players scattered on the ground needing treatment.

Scrappy rugby all round. The visitors came close to their third try of the afternoon through Jeff Williams but what could have been the crucial pass was missed. At the end of all that, Saints have a scrum in their own 22 for a knock-on. Share Posted at 16:32 30 Apr Getty Images With a Leicester lineout 5m short of the Worcester line it's a sight that the Welford Road faithful know well. The pack set up their famous driving maul and Will Evans finishes the move and scores his first Premiership try. It's an important score in the context of the match as it secures Leicester's bonus point. Share Northampton 0-14 Bath Posted at 16:30 30 Apr Bath begin the half with possibly their best spell of possession of the afternoon, reaching five phases. But then the ball is lost forward in the tackle, and Saints get the scrum just outside their 22. Handling errors have been rife today despite sunny conditions. Share Northampton 0-14 Bath Posted at 16:25 30 Apr The second half has started at Franklin's Gardens after Bath's Rhys Priestland gets us under way.

England head coach Eddie Jones is in the stands today. Share Leicester 21-17 Worcester Posted at 16:25 30 Apr Worcester have been threatening Leicester's defensive line for a number of minutes and a penalty given away by Dan Cole, for not rolling away, gives Worcester an easy shot of goal. In the conditions Tom Heathcote's kick bounces off the post and heading torwards the final quarter Leicester's lead remains. Share Leicester 21-17 Worcester Posted at 16:15 30 Apr Worcester fired out of the changing rooms with purpose but after their initial endeavour both sides are not enjoying the worsening conditions. We've gone from spring sunshine to April showers and, like the opening few minutes, the majority of the rugby is being played in the middle of the park. Posted at 16:10 30 Apr And that is half-time at Franklin's Gardens. Northampton have been on top in terms of possession and territory but it's been a scrappy display from the home side. Bath, meanwhile, have been clinical on the counter-attack and have taken their scant chances well to put them ahead at the break. Surely Saints will be more clinical after the break?

Posted at 16:07 30 Apr Getty Images George North and Northampton think they have their first try of the afternoon with just a minute to go to the break. But, referee Wayne Barnes rules it out! Saints go through the phases and work the ball wide to Harry Mallinder, who offloads to North in contact. But Barnes asks the television match official to check the footage, with the hint of a forward pass from the full-back. After several replays, they decide not to award the try, to the displeasure of most of those inside Franklin's Gardens. Share Forty to go at Welford Road Leicester 21-17 Worcester Posted at 16:05 30 Apr Both sides are back out on the field and Owen Williams kicks-off what should be an intense second half at Welford Road. A little weather warning, the rain has just started to fall, will that make a difference? Let's see. Share Posted at 16:02 30 Apr Teimana Harrison makes a great break down the flank for Northampton, smashing through two tackles.

However he fails to find a team-mate with his off-load and Bath eventually get a scrum for another Saints knock-on. We've just under five minutes to the break. Share Posted at 15:58 30 Apr Getty Images Saints again put the pressure on following the scrum but Bath regain possession with a penalty at the breakdown as Lee Dickson pulls a neck-roll on Francois Louw. Northampton have really dominated possession but they are lacking penetration and their penalty count is stacking up. This is Bath's best away performance for quite some time. Andrew Sheridan Posted at 15:56 30 Apr Northampton pressure again after Lee Dickson takes a quick tap-and-go penalty. Saints look to stretch the play but as Mikey Haywood looks to pass wide, Matt Banahan knocks the ball on while going for an interception. Scrum to the hosts, about 12 metres out... Share Leicester 21-17 Worcester Posted at 15:53 30 Apr Telusa Veainu's score, with just eight seconds of the opening-half remaining, takes Leicester into the changing rooms with a four-point advantage.

Anyone that thought this game would be one-way traffic has been proved wrong because this opening half has been two evenly-matched sides going head-to-head. An intriguing second half awaits. Getty Images Northampton 0-14 Bath Posted at 15:49 30 Apr Northampton have had most of the possession and territory so far but have been let down by poor decision-making and the odd handling error. Ken Pisi is the latest to err, fumbling a clearing kick from Chris Cook. Saints haven't quite clicked into gear despite some early pressure. There's about 13 minutes to go until half-time. Share Posted at 15:47 30 Apr Telusa Veainu's eighth try of the Premiership season is a stellar score. Dean Ryan and the Worcester Warriors won't want to watch the tape back with the amount of missed tackles but it's Veainu's awareness, and ability to exploit the smallest amount of space out wide that should catch the eye. Owen Williams makes the touchline conversion look simple, he hasn't missed yet, and Leicester regain the lead. Share Posted at 15:44 30 Apr Rex Features This time it's Worcester that are the patient ones.

After a series of pick and go's, in which the forwards get agonisingly close to the line, the backs finish the job. Francois Hougaard's quick service out means that Andy Symons caps his 50th appearance for the club in style and Tom Heathcote adds the conversion. Share Posted at 15:40 30 Apr Wow. What a finish by Jeff Williams. Northampton are on the attack and looking purposeful, with Teimana Harrison powering through defenders, but Luther Burrell loses the ball in the tackle, allowing Jonathan Joseph to kick forward. Williams hares over halfway and hacks on the loose ball brilliantly and then leaves Ken Pisi stranded. The wing showed serious pace and composure there to touch down. Priestland adds the extras again. Saints don't know what has hit them. That's an extraordinary counterattack from Bath. From out or nowhere they have got the try. Graham McKechnie

Question: Which English Rugby Union side play their home matches at Franklin Gardens?
Answer: NORTHAMPTON