Champions Harlequins edge Northampton at Twickenham

Harlequins (26) 41

Tries: Dombrandt 3, Murley 2, Lynagh Cons: Edwards 3, Esterhuizen Pens: Edwards

Northampton (24) 27

Tries: Augustus 2, Waller Cons: Biggar 3 Pens: Biggar 2

Defending champions Harlequins ended a great year victoriously as they climbed to third in the Premiership by narrowly edging past Northampton at Twickenham.

Saints led 21-7 at Twickenham in a fiery encounter. Two early tries for Juarno Augustus and one for Alex Waller, all improved by Dan Biggar.

But Alex Dombrandt added a second to his own early try, matched by two from left winger Cadan Murley.

Louis Lynagh raced clear for a fifth try before Dombrandt crossed again.

Quins had wrapped up their bonus point before the break, but spare a mention for a luckless Saints who could not corss the line again to give a deserved bonus point of their own.

In fact, their only second-half points were a Biggar penalty, to add to the one late in the first half that edged the visitors ahead going into the interval.

And they were even denied a losing bonus point when England number eight Dombrandt crashed over in the last play of the game, to which Andre Esterhuizen added the conversion.

Harlequins: Green; Lynagh, Marchant, Esterhuizen, Murley; Edwards, Care; Marler, Walker, Collier, Symons, Lewies (capt), Lawday, Kenningham, Dombrandt.

Replacements: Mush, Botta, Herrod, Tizard, Taulani, Gjaltema, Northmore, Jones.

Sin-bin: Care (74)

Northampton: Furbank; Sleightholme, Proctor, Dingwall, Skosan; Biggar, Mitchell Waller, Matavesi, Painter, Ribbans, Ratuniyarawa, Lawes, Ludlam (capt), Augustus.

Replacements: Fish, Auterac, Hill, Coles, Wood, James, Hutchinson, Tuala.

Sin-bin: Hutchinson (74).

Referee: Wayne Barnes.