After further consultation with the TMO, the referee this time decides against any more punishment. The hosts have the line-out though and are driving towards the line. Now the ball is worked inside, but the visitors are holding firm. This is a truly remarkable match, once again, between these two East Midlands rivals.

Roarz:, external In Dylan Hartley's absence, Ma'afu fills in as the guy to throw the game away for Northampton.

Kieran W:, external SUPERB refereeing!

Jim Higginson:, external This is not the Saints team that set the Aviva Premiership on fire at the start of the season! They need to believe!!!

No, no, no. Heads are gone - from both sides. Northampton's Kahn Fotuali'i breaks through but is forced into touch in the corner, and before you know it we have another brawl on our hands. Another card too? Well, you wouldn't bet against it...

BBC Sport's Chris Osborne at Franklin's Gardens: "It was inevitable wasn't it? Tempers are bubbling and it's getting red hot inside the Gardens."

Leicester hooker Tom Youngs sees yellow for his part in that little incident. It really doesn't look great - he is the third Tigers player to be sent to the sin bin this evening, but it's the red card for Ma'afu that could well prove crucial.

Image source, Getty Images

What is it about this fixture? Dylan Hartley, missing through injury today, became the first player to be sent off in a Premiership final last season - and another Northampton player has seen red today. It's prop Salesi Ma'afu, for a couple of pretty brutal-looking punches thrown in the direction of Tigers hooker Tom Youngs. He now becomes the first player to see red in a Premiership semi.

This is last-ditch stuff by Leicester as Northampton continue to pile forward. Now, a break in play and we're going to the television match official - I think we could see cards for both sides here. But who and what colour?

So close for Saints! Following a line-out and rolling maul, they move the ball from left to right but Tigers get across well to cover it. Meanwhile, Calum Clark comes on for Phil Dowson.

Northampton prop Alex Corbisiero is greeted by a Franklin's Gardens roar as he replaces Alex Waller.

Paul Grayson
Former Northampton and England fly-half on BBC Radio 5 live

"The fact that he has landed on his back has saved Bowden from a red card there. Northampton could legitimately claim that is was a tip-tackle but the referee has found the middle ground there."

Mathew Tait is at it again! The full-back makes some serious ground for Leicester, taking the ball under pressure deep in his own half and skipping past three tackles. Luther Burrell's challenge is perfect though, and the chance goes begging.

If they're going to make a game of this Northampton are going to have to take every opportunity that comes their way. Myler's penalty is good and the gap is eight.

That's pretty ugly from Dan Bowden. The ball is cleared by Leicester but as Tom Collins looks to counter Bowden tips the winger and then follows through to take him over the horizontal. I'm not sure if referee JP Doyle could do much else but to show Bowden a yellow card. Penalty for Stephen Myler...

The scrum is proving a bit of a mess and, after a couple of resets, Saints win the penalty. Ben Foden's subsequent grubber kick goes to touch, and that's a mess from the visitors. They take it quickly but it's aimless and Northampton have a scrum five metres out.

So, 40 minutes for Northampton to save their Premiership season. In last year's final they were 11 points behind at the break and went on to lose by 20. Will it be a different story in this match? Stephen Myler gets us underway...

A penny for Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder's thoughts? He must be absolutely sick of the sight of Leicester Tigers, who have not lost at Franklin's Gardens since February 2010. They're now 40 minutes away from a fourth successive win on Northampton's home ground, a feat they've actually not managed since the 1980s.

BBC Sport's Chris Osborne at Franklin's Gardens: "Enthralling, explosive stuff. And that's just Richard Cockerill. That 40 minutes absolutely flew by. Tigers have made the vital moments count and sucked the bluster out of the Saints fans."

Could that have gone any better for the away side? I'm not sure it could have. Tries from Manu Tuilagi and Ben Youngs have given them an 11-point advantage at the break. It's a long, long way back from here - but it's definitely not over. Don't move a muscle, I reckon a thrilling second 40 minutes could lie ahead.

Paul Grayson
Former Northampton and England fly-half on BBC Radio 5 live

"Leicester had a man in the sin bin. You would think Northampton's mind set would be to go at Leicester while they had got 14 men but it was Leicester who were doing the attacking."

As Niki Goneva makes his way back onto the field, Leicester snuff out another Northampton attack and kick the ball long. This has been some first half for Tigers.