Northampton Saints 0-33 Leicester Tigers result: Hosts whitewashed and top-four hopes in tatters after drubbing

Leicester Tigers resumed their Premiership rugby campaign in style, keeping rivals Northampton Saints scoreless in front of a stunned Franklin's Gardens.

The damage was done to the scoreline early for the hosts as they conceded three tries in the first 13 minutes.

Fine interplay between Joseph Woodward and Handre Pollard set up Adam Radwan to run down the wing for the first.

Jack van Poortvliert then scored one of the tries of the season, taking the ball from the ruck, racing forward and chipping over the last man, gathering before the line and scoring.

The lead was soon made virtually unassailable, especially on a wet and greasy night, when Olly Cracknell took the ball on a peel move from a line out and raced through the Saints’ disorganised defence to score.

With over 20 handling errors, the Saints did not give themselves a chance to get back into the game and one such mistake in the closing moments saw Charlie Clare dive over for the bonus try to end a perfect night for the Tigers, which lifts them up to third in the table. The Saints remain in eighth.

And you can watch it all on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Thanks for following the action with us this evening.

"It's special, I've loved playing for the Tigers in these last three years," Handre Pollard said.

"I have the fondest memory of this place. It's not over yet, we've still got a few games to go but I'm going to cherish this moment - it was amazing."

Unsurprisingly, Jack Van Poortvliet was the man of the match with a fine performance and, of course, that incredible try.

"It feels amazing - I think, the nil's almost the most pleasing thing," he told TNT Sports.

"The boys have worked really hard in the time we've been away. Especially in defence and to see that pay off today we'll take real confidence from that.

"We've reviewed from the autumn... we knew what we had to do today and we executed."

They move up into third place, ahead of Gloucester, and level on points with Bristol, who have a superior points difference. The Saints are still languishing in eight and a top-four spot looks a long way away.

"There is nothing positive from this game for the Saints," Austin Healey said on TNT Sports.

"Twenty-six handling errors, 14 turnovers. The one positive they have to go to Sale and make history.

"When you lose in this way and are embarrassed in this way you usually get a response."

"Horrific night for the home fans and home players," TNT Sports pundit Ben Kay said.

"Northampton were Leicester's best player tonight."

A derby day which will be remembered very differently depending on which side you barrack for.

It will be Leicester's biggest victory in the derby.

An awful pass from Pollock in his own five metre line and Clare gleefully grabs the ball before diving under the posts to get his side the gift-wrapped bonus point.

He powered towards the line but was denied by a fine tackle from Kemeny.

An out of the right foot skidding kick down the line stays in play and Hassell-Collins just fails to gather a couple of metres from the line.

Green commits the 20th handling error for the Saints, the Tigers revel in this and the home side show their frustration.

But Hendy gathers well on this occasion and Leicester commit a penalty to allow the Saints to clear.

And this means the ball goes out for a Saints line out rather than a Tigers try.

It is wet and slippery but the Saints have now committed 18 handling errors - and their number 15 has committed a fair few of them.

Very nice to bring this experience into the front row.

The Saints substitute has been on fire since entering proceedings and after Hendy kicks the ball over the line and latches onto it he passes inside and Pollock brushes off a tackle to seemingly put his team on the board, but the number 15 knocked the ball forward in the first instance.

Iyogun was so close to breaking the duck for the Saints but as he stretched over the line he lost the ball.