Zurich Premiership: Northampton 28 - 6 Leeds

Franklins Gardens, the horse owned by the wife of the Saints chairman Keith Barwell, romped home in the 3.15 at Lingfield. In the 3 o'clock at Northampton Barwell's two-legged thoroughbreds cleared the final hurdle in the race for Heineken Cup qualification.

Leeds have been saddled with a two-legged wild-card semi-final with Saracens if they are to make their debut in Europe's premier club competition next season. Northampton must win a one-off game at Wasps on Saturday night if they are to have a return match at Twickenham against Gloucester on May 31 in the play-off final.

The going has been heavy for Northampton in recent weeks but finishing in third place is something of a triumph after their crushing failures in European and domestic cups last month. Their coach Wayne Smith, normally unruffled, bridled at suggestions that his team were inconsistent. "We've won six out of seven of our last league games. We've won 13 matches in the Premiership. Where's the inconsistency in that?"

In fact Leeds were out-played in front of another packed house here. After leading until five minutes before half-time through two Braam van Straaten penalties, the Tykes hardly threatened the Northampton line and tries by Peter Jorgensen, in his last home game, the outstanding Steve Thompson and Oriol Ripol ensured that Saturday evening had the atmosphere of a happy leaving party.

Matt Stewart, the Scotland prop who led the side out alongside Jorgensen, has also played his last game here. And, though the season has not finished, the talk on Saturday night was of how Northampton can rebuild a side to challenge for the Premiership next term. They have already recruited the former All Black Mark Robinson, who will fill in for the England scrum-half Matt Dawson next autumn. But Ian Vass, one of the brightest young scrum-halves in the land, is being ditched at 21, an illustration of everything that is wrong about a Premiership top-heavy with imported players.

Leeds, who themselves fielded a starting back-line with only one English player, are also recruiting this summer to build on the good work of their coaches Phil Davies and Jon Callard. The Italian flanker Aaron Persico, who made a big impact in the Six Nations, is moving to Headingley.

Northampton will be without Budge Pountney at Adams Park because of a neck injury and Dawson is a doubt after leaving the field just after half-time with a hip problem.

Northampton: Beal (Ripol, 76); Reihana, Jorgensen, Leslie, Cohen; Grayson, Dawson (Brooks, 43); Stewart, Thompson, Morris (Budgen, 55), Williams (Seely, 65), Lord, Connors, Fox, Blowers.

Tries: Jorgensen, Thompson, Ripol. Cons: Reihana, Jorgensen. Pens: Reihana 2. Drop-goal: Grayson.

Leeds: Albanese; Harder, Davies, Van Straaten, Stanley (Hall, 50); Ross, Dickens (Hegarty, 66); Shelley (capt), Regan (Rawlinson, 55), Holt (Kerr, 66), C Murphy, Palmer, Mather, Hyde (P Murphy, 55), Feauati (Popham 46). Pens: Van Straaten 2.

Sin-bin: Regan, 54.

Referee : D McHugh (Ireland).

Attendance: 12,500.