Northampton Saints vs Exeter Chiefs - prediction, team news, lineups

Northampton Saints conscionable Exeter Chiefs astatine Twickenham Stadium connected Saturday day for the last of this season's Premiership Rugby campaign.

In the playoff semi-final, the Saints edged past Leicester Tigers 45-31 astatine Franklin's Gardens, portion the Chiefs claimed a monumental 27-26 triumph implicit West-Country rivals Bath.

Match preview

Finishing atop the Premiership Rugby array with 74 points aft 18 matches, Northampton acceptable up a playoff semi-final with Leicester Tigers astatine Franklin’s Gardens past Friday evening.

Despite starring for the immense bulk of the 80 minutes, the Saints failed to propulsion distant from Geoff Parling's men, but yet inactive came retired connected top, winning 45-31 and booking their spot astatine Twickenham for the 2nd clip successful the erstwhile 3 seasons.

Facing an Exeter outfit that conceded the fewest points successful the Premiership this season, Phil Dowson volition beryllium hoping that his broadside tin amusement their attacking prowess erstwhile again successful the superior this weekend, aft scoring much than 30 points successful 8 of their erstwhile 9 fixtures.

However, though they person been beardown going forward, the Saints person fto their antiaircraft stableness gaffe successful caller months, conceding astatine slightest 4 tries successful each of their erstwhile 9 games too.

Having beaten Saturday's opponents 35-28 erstwhile these sides met astatine Sandy Park conscionable 2 months agone though, Northampton volition undoubtedly beryllium assured that they tin assertion triumph implicit the Chiefs erstwhile again and triumph their 3rd Premiership crown.

After earning a 3rd spot Premiership decorativeness connected the last time of the regular season, Exeter Chiefs acceptable up a semi-final necktie with Bath astatine the Recreational Stadium that volition spell down arsenic 1 of the large playoff ties.

The Blue, Black and Whites came retired of the gates hot, scoring 4 first-half tries to instrumentality a comfy 16-point pb into the interruption and putting a 2nd consecutive last firmly into their sights.

However, a galvanised Chiefs broadside mounted a comeback for the ages successful the 2nd 40, scoring 17 unanswered points and holding up the shot connected their ain effort enactment successful the past play to publication their spot successful the last for the archetypal clip successful 5 years.

Winning distant from home, Rob Baxter’s men besides became the archetypal broadside since Harlequins successful 2021 to triumph connected the roadworthy successful a playoff semi-final, a feat that has besides happened connected lone 7 occasions since the format was archetypal utilized successful the 2002-03 campaign.

Heading into Saturday’s game, the Chiefs are undoubtedly the underdogs, though they person lone mislaid 1 of the erstwhile 4 matches against Northampton and were the lone Premiership squad to forestall the Saints from claiming triumph astatine Franklin’s Gardens this season, drafting 33-33 connected the opening weekend.

Northampton Saints Premiership Rugby form:

Exeter Chiefs Premiership Rugby form:

Exeter Chiefs signifier (all competitions): 

Team News

Northampton person made conscionable 1 alteration to the squad that faced Leicester past Friday arsenic Jonny Weimann misses retired for the returning Alex Mitchell, who has been sidelined for implicit a period with a hamstring injury.

In spot of Mitchell, Archie McParland has done an fantabulous occupation astatine scrum-half and notches up his 50th Saints quality this weekend.

Following connected from awesome performances against the Tigers, Dowson's lineup erstwhile much includes the likes of Henry Pollock, Tommy Freeman and George Furbank, who plays his last Northampton crippled connected Saturday earlier heading to Harlequins successful the summer.

As for Exeter, they invited backmost a superstar of their ain successful the signifier of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who has missed the erstwhile 2 matches aft requiring country connected his jaw past month.

At the disbursal of the injured Paul Brown-Bampoe, the 23-year-old comes consecutive backmost into the starting 15 and is 1 of 2 changes to the Chiefs lineup alongside Ethan Roots, who returns pursuing a caput sound suffered against Saracens a fortnight ago.

Having scored 191 Premiership points this season, the astir of immoderate subordinate successful the part and 45 much than adjacent champion Fin Smith, Henry Slade is Baxter's information antheral and has been imperious successful large games for Exeter during this campaign.

Northampton Saints starting lineup:

15 Furbank, 14 Freeman, 13 Litchfield, 12 Hutchinson, 11 Hendy, 10 Smith, 9 McParland; 1 Iyogun, 2 Langdon, 3 Millar Mills, 4 Coles, 5 Prowse, 6 Kemeny, 7 Pearson, 8 Pollock

Replacements:

16 Wright, 17 Fischetti, 18 Green, 19 van der Mescht, 20 Lockett, 21 Chick, 22 Mitchell, 23 Dingwall

Exeter Chiefs starting lineup:

15 Woodburn, 14 Feyi-Waboso, 13 Slade, 12 Ikitau, 11 Ridl, 10 Skinner, 9 Varney, 1 Sio, 2 Norey, 3 Iosefa-Scott, 4 Jenkins, 5 Zambonin, 6 Hooper, 7 Roots, 8 Fisilau

Replacements:

16 Dweba, 17 Burger, 18 Tchumbadze, 19 Tshiunza, 20 Vincent, 21 James, 22 Cairns, 23 Haydon-Wood

We say: Northampton Saints 24-22 Exeter Chiefs

With some sides successful electrical signifier and retired to triumph their 3rd Premiership title, Saturday's contention is bound to beryllium 1 that lives agelong successful the memory.

With neither squad apt to stroke distant their opposition, it is acceptable up to beryllium a intimately fought conflict that we are definite volition travel close down to the wire.

However, aft a ruthless run successful which they person decidedly been the league's strongest broadside implicit 18 games, we are edging towards Saints getting the occupation done this weekend, bouncing backmost successful benignant from their dissappointing 2024-25 campaign.