After a couple of rests, Exeter win a penalty. Now, you'd have thought they'd fancy running this - but instead Gareth Steenson calls for the tee...

Danny Cipriani has the chance to put his side on the board with a kickable penalty from the left-hand side after a Saints offside but seemed to scuff the ball wide of the mark. Still scoreless.

Sale Sharks have to be at their defensive best to deny Northampton as the visitors pen their hosts around five metres out of their own line.

But Stephen Myler's grubber kick lands in the hands of a Sharks player and kicked away to safety.

We're into the final five minutes at Kingston Park, and Exeter have a five-metre scrum. Can they add a bit more gloss to an already glimmering scoreline?

Today's match at the AJ Bell Stadium could prove to be the battle of the potential England fly-halves, with Sale's Danny Cipriani, a controversial omission from Stuart Lancaster's World Cup squad, and Saints' Stephen Myler coming up against each other.

On the back of a sequence of collapsed scrums, Myler's kick has Saints in the opposition half. It's been a rather scrappy opening.

And where Exeter make it look so easy - Newcastle seem to sneak an error in whenever they look like scoring.

This time wing Giovanbattista Venditti is over, but only after a forward pass sent him clear.

Sale have their first real attack of the afternoon and reach the Saints 22, but the pass to hooker Tommy Taylor isn't the greatest and he can't help but knock it on.

Northampton Saints win an early penalty off the back of a scrum, but Stephen Myler decides to kick it towards touch and gets it into the opposition 22.

One late change to bring you to Saints' team: Teimana Harrison replaces Jon Fisher on the bench.

We're off at the AJ Bell Stadium in today's second Premiership match.

How have Newcastle not scored here? Following phase after phase, Ally Hogg looks like he's through and in the clear - but Exeter superbly get back to the big number eight and then win a penalty for holding on.

After an eye-catching first-half display from Exeter Chiefs, the second period has been far from vintage.

We're past the hour-mark now, as Belisario Agulla is driven into touch just inside his own half.

Tom Wood skippers Northampton Saints as captain Lee Dickson drops to the bench, with Kahn Fotuali'i coming in.

Hooker Mike Haywood and lock Michael Paterson replace Dylan Hartley and Christian Day in two other changes.

Image source, BBC Sport

Replacements: Hartley, Waller, Hill, Day, Fisher, Dickson, Hanrahan, Tuala.

This has been really hard work for the home side, as it takes them 12 phases of play on halfway to find a gap and break the line.

They're up to the 22-metre line now... But a knock-on brings that latest attack to another premature conclusion.

Sale Sharks bring in Samoan flanker TJ Ioane for David Seymour, who drops out of the matchday squad, while there is a late change with Sam James replacing Sammy Tuitupou in the starting XV.

The Sharks are still without prop Eifion Lewis-Roberts (ankle injury), but have no new injury concerns.

Image source, BBC Sport

Replacements: Briggs, Flynn, Mujati, Ostrikov, Lund, Stringer, Macleod, Jennings.

The ball was knocked on in the build-up, however, and so we'll head back for another set-piece.

It's a shame for Falcons, as it was actually really well worked. But Exeter remain 28 points to the good.

The hosts think they've scored through replacement Belisario Agulla, but we're heading to the television match official...

Image source, Getty Images

Chiefs are into the Newcastle 22 for the first time in the second half now - but Falcons turn it over and come streaming forward...

Some life in the second period at last!

We might have been expecting a Falcons storm at the start of this second half, but so far Exeter have managed things pretty well - already the clock has ticked through to the 50th minute.

Nili Latu's drop, not for the first time, hands Chiefs a scrum on halfway too.