Match Report: Leicester Tigers 18 – 19 Northampton Saints

Northampton Saints claimed a stunning one-point win over Leicester Tigers in the 251st East Midlands Derby at Welford Road, courtesy of a spectacular second-half try from Ollie Sleightholme.

Stand-in skipper George Furbank nailed 14 points from the tee to keep the men in Black, Green and Gold in touch throughout the contest – with the visitors trailing 10-9 at the break.

But it was a moment of magic which saw man-of-the-match James Ramm offload brilliantly to Sleightholme which decided a tense Derby Day, with the wing stepping inside to score and help Saints surge up to third in the Gallagher Premiership standings.

FIRST HALF

Saints started the game on the back foot as Ramm’s try-saving tackle on Harry Potter was adjudged to be high by the TMO, and the fullback was sent to the sin-bin in only the third minute.

But a big defensive effort from the resulting penalty repelled the five-metre lineout drive, then Sleightholme got over the ball to force a turnover.

Tigers did open the scoring however in the eighth minute; Northampton were effectively down to 13 players with Mike Haywood receiving treatment on the floor, and the hosts exploited the space to put Potter in down the left touchline for a try.

Handre Pollard’s difficult conversion was well struck from out wide, but Saints hit back soon after as they forced a knock-on from the kick-off, then won a breakdown penalty in the 11th minute to allow Furbank to reduce the deficit with three points from the tee.

Ramm re-entered the action but Leicester added to their lead with a Pollard penalty on 20 minutes as Julian Montoya got over the ball 40 metres from the posts.

Saints’ attack began to purr with 15 minutes left in the half, creating quick ball and going through the phases before an infringement from Tommy Reffell in front of the posts allowed Furbank to add three more points to Saints’ tally.

The visitors then closed the gap to just one point courtesy of another Furbank three-pointer, after Juarno Augustus’ clever play saw him snaffle a loose ball won by Anthony Watson in the air and charge into the 22, where Jasper Wiese put his hands on the floor and was penalised.

Tom James’ superb 50-22 then gave Saints an opportunity on the stroke of half-time, but the move came to nothing as a knock-on ended the attack – although tempers flared between Alex Waller and Wiese just before the break.

SECOND HALF

Northampton took the lead for the first time early in the second half through another Furbank kick, as Sleightholme won a breakdown penalty and Tigers’ back-chat to referee Wayne Barnes saw them marched back ten metres.

But five minutes later, Leicester were back in front as – with penalty advantage – they got the ball wide for Potter again to skip past the last defender and score.

That made it 15-12 after Freddie Burns’ conversion attempt drifted wide, but Saints scored what proved to be the match-winning try in the 50th minute. Rory Hutchinson found Ramm in space and the Australian’s sensational offload to Sleightholme allowed the winger to step inside final defender Watson to score.

Furbank nailed the conversion to take the scoreline to 19-15, as Sam Graham replaced Aaron Hinkley – and the flanker was unlucky to be penalised for not releasing shortly after to allow Burns to make it a one-point game with 17 minutes remaining.

Ramm spectacularly gathered his own kick only to be denied a certain try by Potter’s tap-tackle, but the momentum was with Northampton and Harry Wells was pinged for not releasing inside the 22 after another carry from man-of-the-match Ramm.

Furbank missed the resulting kick, with the Welford Road crowd giving a huge ovation to the departing Burns as he stepped up to the tee, but the error did not cost the men in Black, Green and Gold who held out superbly in the closing stages for a memorable one-point triumph.

LINE-UPS

TIGERS: Burns, Watson, Scott, Porter, Potter, Pollard, Edwards; Whitcombe, Montoya, Hurd, Wells, Snyman, Liebenberg, Reffell, Wiese.
Replacements: Clare, West, Richardson, Martin, Cracknell, Whiteley, Gopperth, Simmons.

SAINTS: Ramm, Skosan, Proctor, Hutchinson, Sleightholme, Furbank, James; Waller, Haywood, Hill, Moon, Coles, Scott-Young, Hinkley, Augustus.
Replacements: Smith, Waller, Petch, Nansen, Wilkins, Graham, Braley, Litchfield.