It would mean the Saints winning at Saracens in the semi-final having booked their place in the top four in the penultimate round with a 66-5 victory in Newcastle, two days before the only team that could have pipped them, London Irish, slumped at Sarries.
Northampton sit out the final round of the regular season next weekend knowing that they cannot be overhauled in fourth despite having the worst defensive record in the Premiership this season having conceded 86 tries – but they have also scored the most, 84, eight more than Harlequins.
Northampton’s recent record against Saracens is poor with two victories in the last 12 Premiership matches, including this month’s 38-29 success against a largely second strong side which had Duncan Taylor sent off after eight minutes, but they won there in the 2013 semi-final and defeated Sarries in the final the following year.
“This is the most competitive league in the world and everyone can beat everyone,” said second row Moon who has been an ever-present in Northampton’s league match-day squad this season, starting 17 of their 21 matches, including the scratched victory over Wasps.
“The table has been very close. When we played Gloucester a couple of months ago they were above us in the table but now they are one off the bottom. One of our issues this season has been our away form: before Newcastle, we had only won at Leicester and it has not been like us historically.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 30, 2023 من The Rugby Paper.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 30, 2023 من The Rugby Paper.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Ten-try Chiefs show Pirates no mercy
TEN-TRY Exeter inflicted the backlash from six successive defeats in their worst ever start to a Premiership season on a young Pirates side suffering their own problems in the Championship.
South America look to keep on building
AS Sebastián Piñeyrúa's historic six-year term as President of Rugby Sudamérica comes to an end, his replacement shows no signs of slowing down.
Scarratt excited by new pathway
ENGLAND centurion Emily Scarratt is delighted with the new women's BUCS programme which aims to provide a smoother pathway for young aspiring female players.
Baxter: I want to make things better
ROB Baxter will not be walking away from Exeter, the only club still looking for a Premiership victory this season, believing he can get the Chiefs back on track and he cannot bear the thought of anyone else doing the job.
Pearce walks in his father's footsteps
PADDY Pearce is living a dream after emulating his father and great-uncle by playing for the club he supported as a boy, Bristol.
New England group will cause uncertainty
SO JUST when we thought that everything was getting sorted between the RFU, the clubs and players, a number of new agreements and a new group raises its head.
Galthie turns his sights to the future
FRANCE head coach Fabien Galthie offered the clearest hint yet of Les Bleus' future on Wednesday, when he released 19 players back F to their clubs for the ninth and final Top 14 round before the international break.
Gilmore has tightened up our defence - Anderson
CAMERON Anderson has hailed the impact made by defence coach Jason Gilmore, below, since he arrived at The Stoop in the summer.
Ampthill given 11-try lesson in class from Bath
BATH secured a thumping away success in the opening match of their Premiership Rugby Cup campaign against Ampthill at Dillingham Park.
New faces take the plaudits for Saints
NORTHAMPTON handed out a thorough lesson to a tame Leicester team in this one-sided East Midlands derby to launch the Premiership Cup.
