Northampton 22-20 Harlequins: Match report & reaction

Match stats: Northampton 22-20 Harlequins

Northampton tries: North (15), Waller (23), Ratuniyarawa (69)

Conversions: Mallinder (16,24)

Penalties: Mallinder (38)

Harlequins tries: Horwill (3), Marchant (34)

Conversions: Evans (4, 36)

Penalties: Evans (10, 50)

Match report

Harlequins clung on to a losing bonus point against Northampton to claim the final European Champions Cup spot in a frantic and thrilling final game of the season.

The two teams finished level on 52 points but one more win for the team from London sees them return to the big time after three years out of the European limelight.

Saints' victory secured seventh place and they will now be hoping Gloucester lose the European Challenge Cup final so they can go into a play-off for another chance of qualifying for the Champions Cup.

In a thrilling contest at Franklin's Gardens, Northampton threw everything at Quins in the second half, taking the lead while the visitors were down to 14 men through Api Ratuniyarawa's try with 10 minutes to go, but John Kingston's men held out.

Harlequins had the perfect start thanks to a bad kick from Nafi Tuitavake, who kicked out on the full when Saints went back into their 22 at the kick-off. It gave Quins a lineout in Saints' 22 and after a clever chip from Karl Dickson put them on the home team's tryline, James Horwill was driven over. Nick Evans converted to give Quins a 7-0 lead after just three minutes.

Evans extended the lead on nine minutes with a penalty, but the home side replied with a try from George North on 14 minutes thanks to a brilliant tap inside from Harry Mallinder, who was back at number 10 thanks to injuries to Stephen Myler and JJ Hanrahan. 

Mallinder converted to make it 10-7, though Saints had to contend with skipper Tom Wood going off injured inside the first quarter.

Evans missed a chance to add three more points and Saints took advantage. A superb kick from Nick Groom forced Marland Yarde to fumble into touch, giving Northampton a five-metre lineout. 

A throw to the back saw Louis Picamoles wrap around and offload to Alex Waller to dive over, Mallinder adding the extras to put the home side 14-10 in front after 25 minutes.

Evans missed a second very gettable penalty but in a helter-skelter 40 minutes Joe Marchant restored Quins' lead, picking up from five metres out after a break from Mike Brown was stopped only by a brilliant tackle from Jamie Gibson. Evans found his radar to make it 17-14 but Mallinder made it 17-17 at the break to leave it as you were with 40 minutes to go.

Mallinder missed a drop-goal attempt and Evans instead nudged Quins three points ahead 10 minutes into the second half before going off with a shoulder injury. A 40-metre break from North should have resulted in a Northampton try but the home side spilled the ball over the line.

On 59 minutes, the television match official intervened to see Charlie Matthews sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on in his 22 and Northampton looked to have taken immediate advantage with a try from Tuitavake, but it was scrubbed off because of a forward pass from Luther Burrell.

Joe Marler was lucky not to get another yellow for lying on the ball as Saints desperately piled on the pressure, but they held out a second time. Tim Swiel looked to have zipped through to score in a rare Quins attack, but was downed by an ankle tap by Ahsee Tuala despite the full-back slipping to the floor.

It looked as though Quins were going to survive the sin-bin but Horwill's high tackle on Ben Foden gave Saints another five-metre lineout and the pressure eventually told with Ratuniyarawa squirming over. Mallinder hit the post with the conversion from right in front and the home side could not find the further points they needed to grab sixth.

Match reaction

Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder on the future of Louis Picamoles: "I don't think Northampton has ever been a selling club. We have always wanted to go into the market and bring good players to Northampton. We want to keep all our good players at Northampton Saints. Louis signed a three-year contract, he has just finished the first year, he has no get-out clause and there is no reason why Louis should be anywhere else. He was immense today and you need all your big players playing because the competition is tough now. The other teams are good, they have quality players as well, so we need all the good players we can get."

On qualifying for the Champions Cup through the play-offs, which they will enter if Gloucester lose the Challenge Cup final to Stade Francais:"We have got our club dinner on Monday evening, so the players will have a couple of days off now and then we will come back, keep the players ticking over and see what happens on Friday night.

"We will reflect anyway that it has been a disappointing season, I don't think you can describe it as anything else. We set our standards high, we want to be in the top four and fighting for play-off places. It is competitive, but I do think we have a side and a squad that can do that.

"I am optimistic about next season. I think we have some signed some really good players at nine, ten 13, prop and back row, who will add to the squad and I think next year we can get better." 

Quins director of rugby John Kingston on reaching the Champions Cup: "We have had a volley of injuries this season. Plus we have made adjustments to our game in several ways, which we think in the long term are the right things to do. And with the EPS squad (England Elite Player Squad) we are up to about eight players now, which puts stresses and strains on the squad. Something in the region of 45 players have played for Quins this season, which is crazy.

"Set against all of those obstacles I am delighted we have got something of substance at the end of the year. It is not a trophy, but it is something we have not had at the club for three years and it keeps us moving forward."