Northampton 38 Leeds Carnegie 24: Leeds left to concentrate on Premiership survival fight despite a free-scoring performance against high-flying Northampton

Northampton and Leeds entertained a sell-out crowd at Franklin’s Gardens with a 10-try scoring feast.

But despite their bonus-point win, cup holders Northampton exited the LV= Cup while Leeds finished the tournament without a win and only two points.

Despite having nothing to play for, the visitors gave one of their best performances of the season in the first half and at one stage led the strongest available Saints side by 19-7, but the home pack dominated proceedings after the interval to ensure a deserved victory.

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Leeds director of rugby Andy Key, whose side return to Premiership action next Sunday at home to Leicester, said: “We will take great heart from this performance.

“Not many sides come away from here scoring four tries and competing right up until the whistle.

“Our performance today was much more representative of what we can do.

“Our approach was massively impressive in the first half but we couldn’t close it out and in the second half they had far too much ball and mistakes were forced upon us.”

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After 10 minutes Leeds took the lead with a try of real quality.

They moved the ball slickly through numerous phases and following crucial incursions from England international Hendre Fourie and Lachlan Mackay, James Tincknell outflanked the home defence to score the try which Ceiron Thomas was unable to convert.

Five minutes later Leeds went further ahead, Brett Sharman losing possession in his own 22 which allowed the visitors to counter-attack swiftly with a movement which ended with Fourie driving over for the score.

Thomas converted to give Leeds a 12-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

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The Saints at last showed some urgency and from a lineout in the Leeds 22, Shane Geraghty ran strongly for a solo try which he converted, but that success was soon nullified when Fourie again ran powerfully into the heart of the home defence to set up a position from which James Craig crossed for the try which Thomas converted.

Leeds were then dealt a big blow when hooker Phil Nilsen was yellow carded and Saints took immediate advantage when Sharman forced his way over from a lineout.

Leeds made a half-time change replacing the impressive Fourie with club captain Marco Wentzel, but the flanker was missed as the Saints upped their game to level the scores after 50 when Roger Wilson went over between the posts for Bruce Reihana to convert.

Fourie, who was playing on England orders after failing to recover in time from a calf injury for the Six Nations opener in Wales last Friday night, had an outstanding first half before being tactically replaced at half-time.

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The South Africa-born 31-year-old said: “I was glad to get involved, it was better than doing a full fitness session (today) and my calf injury is fine.

“I’m returning to training camp (today), they didn’t want to risk me last week – which I understand.

“No indication has been given to me in relation to next week but I’m hoping to be involved.”

Northampton took the lead for the first time in the match after 57 minutes when Ryan Powell dummied over to secure a bonus point.

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The home side then made a host of substitutions to give their young players a chance, but they continued to maintain sustained pressure and this was rewarded with further tries from replacement scrum-half Stuart Commins and Greig Tonks with one further conversion from Reihana.

With the last movement of the match, replacement Jacob Rowan scored a consolation try for the visitors to earn them a deserved losing bonus point for scoring four tries.

Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder revealed he had to rouse his troops at half-time to get them back into a contest that was dominated by Leeds.

He said: “In the first half we needed more enthusiasm in defence. We weren’t aggressive enough as we knew they’d come here and attack us.

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“At half-time I reminded the players of what was required and I am delighted at the way we responded.

“We played with a much quicker tempo, Shane Geraghty had a very good game and after the interval we defended very well.”

Northampton: Tonks, Diggin (Armstrong 63), Clarke, Downey, Reihana, Geraghty (Ford 69), Powell (Commins 63); Tonga’uiha (Mercey 63), Sharman (Long 63), Mujati (Prescott 63), Eustace, Sorenson (Vickerman 40), Dowson, Easter, Wilson (Nutley 63).

Leeds Carnegie: Thomas, Wackett, Tincknell, Burrell, Stephenson (Tadulala 71), MacKay (Hinton 20), Mathie (Fury 54); MacDonald (Alonso 58), Nilsen (Freer 58), Swainston (Denman 54), T. Denton, Myall, Craig, Fourie (Wentzel 40), Browne (Rowan 54).

Referee: S Davey (RFU).

Harlequins have been drawn at home to Newcastle in the LV= Cup semi-finals while Newport-Gwent Dragons – the winners of Leeds’s pool – meet Gloucester.