LONDON IRISH - 14 NORTHAMPTON -38: Making up in tenacity what they lacked in technique, battling Northampton not only booked a place in next season's Heineken Cup but also gained revenge for their humiliating defeat by the Exiles in last month's Powergen Cup final.
So Twickenham beckons once again for the Saints who must, however, overcome Bristol at the Memorial Stadium on June 2nd to ensure their place in the Zurich Championship final. Even though they finished fifth in the Premiership, Northampton have to travel to eighth-placed Bristol because of the bizarre order of precedence created by the championship regulations.
Conor O'Shea, the Exiles' Chief Executive, pointed out that his club had already qualified for the Heineken Cup and along the way had suffered a string of injuries. Other players had exceeded the maximum of 32 matches agreed with the Premiership organisers and consequently were in urgent need of a rest.
Northampton had the game more or less won by half time, having scored three tries and survived a series of alarms and excursions by the Irish that failed to add to their early touch-down by Gavin Pfister. The Exiles had only themselves to blame for falling behind 25-7 after stretching the Saints' defence with several sweeping crossfield moves executed at bewildering speed.
The Irish failed to profit from the series of rucks their forwards set up on the Northampton line, especially in the second quarter when the Saints' flankers, Andrew Blowers and Budge Pountney, struggled to impose authority in the loose. Still, the determined Pountney helped push his side into a three score lead on the stroke of half time, grounding the ball smartly when his pack drove him through in the right corner.
Earlier, Nick Beal proved inspirational for Northampton, often bringing Irish attacks to a halt with a timely tackle and scoring a brace of opportunist tries. After Paul Grayson kicked a couple of long range penalties, Beal sold a classic dummy on the right and cruised across the line to edge the Saints 13-7 in front.
In the 34th minute Northampton fashioned the most elegant move of the afternoon, switching the ball from a ruck on the left through four pairs of hands and out to Beal who squeezed through the narrowest of gaps at the right flag. By that stage England's utility back had more than made amends for his part in the second minute defensive mix up that handed the Irish their only try.
Just before the hour Barrett, the Exiles' scrumhalf grabbed a well worked try on the left. Grayson, who finished with 18 points, kept the scoreboard ticking over with two more penalties and late on Northampton were awarded a penalty try when Matt Cannon illegally pushed John Leslie off the ball in the in-goal area.
LONDON IRISH: Thrower; Drake, Hunt, Cannon, Ezulike; Brown, Barrett; Wheatley, Flavin (Drotske, 73 mins), Halford (Hardwick, 40), Delaney (capt), Burke, Gustard, Pfister, Cockle.
Scorers: Pfister, Barrett, tries; Brown 2 cons. Sin Bin: Cockle (11 mins) rucking offence.
NORTHAMPTON: Shaw (Vass, 30 mins); Moir, Tucker, Leslie, Beal; Grayson, Dawson, Smith; Thompson, Morris, Phillips, Brouzet, Blowers (Seely, 69), Pountney (capt), Soden. Scorers: Grayson 4 pens, 3 cons; Beal, 2 tries; Pountney, pen try. Sin Bin: Thompson (53 mins), rucking offence.
Referee: D Pearson (Northumberland).
