Grayson late show boosts Saints’ play-off hopes

Northampton (26) 32
Tries: Freeman, Ludlam, Furbank, Waller Cons: Grayson 3 Pens: Grayson 2
Harlequins (17) 31
Tries: Esterhuizen, Jones, Dombrandt, Murley Cons: Smith 4 Pens: Smith

James Grayson’s late penalty helped Northampton beat Harlequins 32-31 and put Saints in with a great chance of making the Premiership play-offs.

Alex Dombrandt and Cadan Murley scored early in the second period to put Quins ahead for the first time in the game.

But Grayson’s 48-metre kick with four minutes left sent the home crowd wild.

Fourth-placed Saints go six points clear of fifth-placed Exeter, with Grayson’s kick also delaying third-placed reigning champions Harlequins’ hopes of securing a play-off place.

Gloucester could close within a point of Northampton should they claim a bonus-point win over bottom-of-the-table Bath on Saturday.

Tommy Freeman’s fourth-minute opener came after some lovely passing from Saints, but the lead only lasted three minutes as Andre Esterhuizen went in under the posts after Marcus Smith created space.

But Saints went ahead again a few minutes later as Dombrandt fumbled from a line-out, Northampton moved the width of the field and Lewis Ludlam got on the end of a good Alex Mitchell pass.

Saints should have moved further ahead when Mitchell’s superb break gave them field position but, first, Emmanuel Iyogun was held up and then the unguarded Matt Proctor slipped as he went to gather Grayson’s cross-field kick.

Having lost prop Conor Carey to an early knock, his replacement Paul Hill had to come off with a head injury, meaning the game had to go to uncontested scrums as the hosts had no fit tight-heads.

George Furbank went in from close range for Saints’ third try after 24 minutes, but Huw Jones pulled one back when Joe Marchant superbly tipped a kick back to the Scotland international that he had put over a defender and almost into touch.

But again Saints replied, this time Alex Waller forcing his way over from close range after pressure on the Quins line.

But Saints’ lead came at a cost – in addition to Carey and Hill, they lost number eight Juarno Augustus in the third minute and lock Alex Coles two minutes from the break as they used half of their replacements in the opening period.

Saints seemed to look jaded as the second half began and Dombrandt cut a superb line from seven metres out to get Quins within two points before Murley went over in the left corner after some good hands for a bonus-point try that put Quins ahead.

Harlequins replacement Santiago Garcia Botta was sin-binned for a high tackle on Furbank with 21 minutes left, but the hosts could not break through with the extra man.

The tension began to increase as the clock ticked down, but when the visitors were penalised just inside their own half late on Grayson took his shot which had distance to spare as it travelled almost the entire length of the half from a central position.

There was just time for Quins’ former England scrum-half Danny Care to be sin-binned in the final minute for dissent before Chris Boyd’s side recorded a famous victory as his final season at Franklin’s Gardens draws to a close.

Northampton: Furbank; Proctor, Dingwall, Hutchinson, Freeman; Grayson, Mitchell; Iyogun, Haywood, Carey, Coles, Ratuniyarawa, Lawes, Ludlam (capt), Augustus.

Replacements: Fish, Waller, Hill, Moon, Hinkley, James, Francis, Sleightholme.

Harlequins: Jones; Lynagh, Marchant, Esterhuizen, Murley; Smith, Care; Kerrod, Walker, Louw, Symons, Tizard; Lewies, Lawday, Dombrandt.

Replacements: Musk, Garcia Botta, Collier, Chisholm, Wallace, Gjaltema, Allan, David.

Referee: Matthew Carley.