Leicester Tigers have fallen 40-17 in the East Midlands derby, a red-card in the 60th minute proving pivotal in the crunch clash at Cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.
A pair of yellow cards either side of half-time gave Saints the advantage and the league leaders made the most of their advantage in the second period.
The game had all the feelings of a classic derby from the off, Tigers physically attacking Saints’ breakdown.
Leicester would be first to score, Julián Montoya crossing at the back of a maul.
Pollard converted from out-wide to make it 7-0 early.
The two flyhalfs would then trade penalties, the game poised at 10-3.
Both sides would believe they should have run in a couple of tries, but in the end only Furbank would add points, 10-6 at halftime.
Saints shot out of the gates after half-time, scoring two quick tries to take an eight point lead.
Tigers got back into it, Jasper Wiese cracking over off the back of a lineout. Pollard made it 18-17.
The turning point in the game came in the 60th minute as Tigers centre Solomone Kata was shown a red card for a high tackle.
Saints capitalised quickly to push their lead back to eight points, 25-17.
The home side had their tails up, and George Hendy found space on the edge to score their fourth of the day. Furbank made it 32-17.
Saints would run in another try and a drop-goal before the final whistle, the full-time score 40-17
Commentary
FULL TIME
A fiercely contested East-Midlands Derby but 14-man Tigers fall short.
Final score: Northampton Saints 40 - 17 Leicester Tigers
DROP GOAL | NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Fin Smith slots calmly from in front of the posts with less than two minutes left on the clock.
74
CONVERSION MISSED | NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Furbank can't add the extras.
TRY | NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Northampton break down the left hand side through Freeman who kicks through.
Phil Cokanasiga fields it but he's brought down by James Ramm; the ball is spilled and Tom James can dive on it to score.
James
YELLOW CARD | NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Ollie Hassell-Collins almost thunders over after an interception in his own half and incredible acceleration but fantastic defence stops him short.
Hendy hits a deliberate knock on as Tigers look to capitalise and is penalised.
TRIPLE CHANGE FOR TIGERS
Youngs for van Poortvliet, Cokanasiga for Kelly and Hatherell for Wells.
CONVERSION | NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
The hosts stretch their lead.
TRY | NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Fin Smith releases Tommy Freeman out the back of the hand and the England wing bursts into space. A two-on-one is executed simply to allow wing George Hendy to sprint over.
SUBSTITUTION | LEICESTER TIGERS
Mike Brown is on for Shillcock.
CONVERSION | NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Furbank adds the extras to push the hosts to an eight point lead.
TRY | NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
The league leaders drive over from short range with a maul.
Substitutes are involved heavily as Fin Smith kicks to touch allowing the likes of Trevor Davison to drive replacement hooker Robbie Smith over the line.
RED CARD | SOLOMONE KATA
A high tackle in midfield sees Kata shown the red card.
CONVERSION | Handré Pollard
His South African compatriot duly obliges to narrow the defecit and put Tigers just one point behind.
TRY | JASPER WIESE
An brilliant try at a vital time.
The line out is executed wonderfully, a long throw to the tail caught in spectacular over-the-head fashion by Ollie Chessum, who offloads mid-air to Jasper Wiese.
At full tilt, five metres out and with just one defender in front of him the Springbok bulldozes over and touches down.
Chessum catch over
TRIPLE FRONT ROW CHANGE
Will Hurd enters for Cole, Francois van Wyk for Cronin and Charlie Clare for Montoya
51
Tigers attacking in waves
There's plenty of action across the park, as the likes of Montoya, Wiese, Kata and Chessum are involved with agricultural carries over the gainline as Leicester look for the line.
They are all the way up to the Northampton five metre line and have earned a penalty, kicked to touch.
PENALTY TRY | NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Saints are awarded a penalty try for a deliberate knock on from Tigers on their own line.
YELLOW CARD | JAMIE SHILLCOCK
A yellow card is shown to Jamie Shillcock for a deliberate knock on as Saints threatened.
Jasper Wiese has now reentered the field following his 10 minutes in the sin bin.
44
CONVERSION MISSED | SAINTS
Furbank can't add the extras and the gap remains just one point between the two sides.
TRY | NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Curtis Langdon grabs the hosts opening score.
Successive offloads out on the left hand side allowed the hooker to find a gap and touch down.
SUBSTITUTION | TIGERS
A change in the backrow at halftime sees Olly Cracknell enter the field for Tommy Reffell.
THE SECOND HALF IS UNDERWAY
Northampton kick us off as we enter the second half.
HALF TIME IN NORTHAMPTON
Tigers lead at the break after a hectic first half that featured stellar defence, turnovers aplenty and a vintage Leicester rolling maul.
Half time score: Northampton Saints 6 - 10 Leicester Tigers
39
Both sides pressing for the final word before half time
Tigers go close late in the half.
It's great feet from van Poortvliet to start an attack before Hassell-Collins does brilliantly to evade a tackle.
Saints turn over and try to break from their own line but a Harry Wells interception flips momentum right back as Tigers are once again on the hosts' line.
But once again there's a turnover at the death and Northampton can clear to halfway.
YELLOW CARD | JASPER WIESE
The Springbok No. 8 heads to the sin bin, as Tigers look to defend on their own line.
PENALTY | NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
George Furbank reduces the defecit for Saints.
The hosts break well through Tom Litchfield before winning a penalty in midfield which Furbank duly kicks through.
27
SUPERB DEFENCE
Saints have enjoyed the lions share of possession in the last five minutes but it's the Tigers who are smiling right now.
The hosts have been edging their way forward for several minutes and get right to the line before winning a penalty. They take it short, two thundering carries before Alex Mitchell looks to snipe a gap in the line.
But Leicester hold the ball up over the line, a combination of Montoya and Cole who have done brilliantly to get their bodies and arms beneath the ball.
Moments later, after Tigers had cleared the ball, Saints look to roar back but the captain is there once again, straight over the ball and winning a vital turnover that allows Tigers to kick deeply into Saints half.
19
TUG OF WAR THUS FAR
Freddie Steward does well to cover the backfield from a George Hendy chip and chase before, minutes later, the fullback-cum-wing is unlucky not to execute the final pass to put Jamie Shillcock over for the game's second try.
The opportunity came about after a brilliant fend from Kata that released Hassell-Collins and then Steward.
Saints look to bite back and advance inside the Tigers half but Kata is straight over the ball and turns it over.
PENALTY | Handré Pollard
Tigers reestablish their lead.
It's deja vu here in Northampton but this time it's Leicester who claim the ball from kick off, attack quickly, force the penalty in front of the posts and take the points.
PENALTY | NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
The hosts fire back with a well-taken penalty.
Furbank slots the three from in front of the posts following a deliberate knock on from Jack van Poortvliet.
CONVERSION | Handré Pollard
Right on the left hand touchline, Pollard steps up and smashes the ball right through the centre of the posts.
The coolest man in the stadium.
TRY | Julián Montoya
The captain gets the game's opening score and it's ol' faithful, the rolling maul coming to the fore.
Following the penalty for the yellow card, Pollard kicks to touch and Tigers get set.
Both Kelly and Kata have joined the lineout to give extra oomph to the shove as Tigers rumble over brilliantly, Montoya touching down.
YELLOW CARD | NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Prop Elliot Millar Mills is sent to the sin bin due to head-on-head contact in the tackle with Chessum.
8
Tigers so close to the line
Tigers so close to the game's opening score.
It's Carnduff who does brilliantly to claim at the lineout before Montoya almost breaks through on the blindside.
Chessum carries powerfully over the gainline before Kata and Kelly combine well in midfield, a Kelly break then allowing for a pop back to the Tongan international to make up 10 or 15 metres.
Tigers spot space on the outside but the final pass to Steward is intercepted and Saints are once again able to clear their lines.
5
PHYSICAL START FROM BOTH SIDES
Saints are keeping the ball in hand early, looking to punch holes in the Tigers defence as the Leicester defence holds well in the middle of the park.
Tigers alleviate pressure with two well-earned penalties at the breakdown, the first by Harry Wells and the second by captain Julián Montoya.
Solomone Kata and Jasper Wiese carry well as the visitors advance into enemy territory but a turnover allows Saints to clear the ball.
KICK OFF IN THE EAST-MIDLANDS DERBY
Handré Pollard gets us underway with a high boot as the match begins.
-2
TWO BIG MILESTONES TODAY
A juxtaposing pair of occassions today as England Under-20s captain Finn Carnduff gets ready for his first Gallagher Premiership start while legendary prop Dan Cole gets set for his record-breaking 235th league for Leicester Tigers, shattering the previous record held by Graham Rowntree.
-5
FIVE MINUTES TO GO
The two teams finish their warm up and get ready to run out.
It promises to be quite the atmosphere today, as it always is in such a fiercely contested derby.
Come on you Tigers!
-25
FOLLOW ALONG LIVE
Plenty of familiar faces in the Tigers Family can be spotted here at cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens as the crowd get set for action.
If you've not made the journey to Northampton you can watch this match live on TNT Sports 1 or stick right here with us on Matchday Live for all the updates.
So grab a pie and take your seat, pop on the telly and put the kettle on or keep your phone close, you'll have East-Midlands Derby action coming your way very soon.
-30
30 MINUTES TILL THE EAST-MIDLANDS DERBY
There's just half an hour to go till Leicester Tigers take on Northampton Saints in the East-Midlands Derby.
This is the 253rd time the sides have met and do so today in the Gallagher Premiership as part of The Run-In.