Closing stages in North London and Saracens are on the hunt for a fourth, bonus-point try.

Five minutes to go.

Just 13 minutes left at Sandy Park, and Exeter look set to claim a seventh consecutive Premiership win, scoring four or more tries in all of them.

It will be a record if they do it and you cant't fail to be impressed by such numbers.

It's Northampton who are the latest to pile forward, but they concede a penalty and Will Chudley kicks clear.

Exeter are agonisingly close to what surely would've been a match-winning try.

Will Chudley cuts out a Northampton pass and lofts forward for Lachie Turner to chase - the Australian gets there but kicks the ball too far forward and out of play, with the try-line at his mercy.

The ball goes dead and Saints survive.

Image source, Rex Features

The hosts are incessant as they chase the bonus-point try, which would be record-breaking if they win.

Luke Cowan-Dickie is the latest to go close, but the TMO could not confirm whether the ball had been grounded with the available camera angles.

Next, Jack Nowell goes on a mazy run and is tackled, but tumbles forward and gets the ball down over the try-line.

It's only his second of the season for Exeter - and came after a lengthy delay while the referee double-checked things.

Gareth Steenson again loses out to the wind with his conversion.

Hats off to Northampton - they've just defended their own try-line very admirably.

Ben Foden, perhaps fortunate not to be in the sin bin, picks off another loose Exeter pass just metres short of the try line and the visitors live to fight another day.

In the next play Olly Woodburn is on the chase from a long kick forward, but the bounce isn't in his favour and Foden clears.

Saracens ring the changes including Lions hooker Jamie George coming on, not a bad replacement.

Sarries have dominated the ball this afternoon but the men from Bristol in yellow have tackled and disrupted nearly everything thrown at them.

Having had Ken Pisi perhaps harshly sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on in the first half, Northampton's Ben Foden is given a reprieve for a similar incident.

To me, that looked worse than Pisi's earlier, but the referee rules it was not deliberate...

This is better from the visitors - JJ Hanrahan makes an incredible break, running through as if no-one was in his way.

The Irishman offloads and it comes to nothing, but Saints have got themselves a foothold in the game.

Exeter are being forced into some sloppy kicking too - still half an hour to play.

The game has lost a bit of momentum at Welford Road as we're down to uncontested scrums because a lack of available props.

AJ MacGinty's penalty has Sale within a losing bonus-point.

Northampton have a rare foray forward but are repelled thanks to some great counter rucking from the hosts.

Exeter get the turnover, kick clear and make 60 yards in the blink of an eye.

David Ribbans is being attended to by the Northampton physios, and is having his leg strapped up.

It's a welcome break in the match for Saints, who have been on the back foot from the first whistle of this game.

Dylan Hartley restarts with a lineout, which the visitors win.

Image source, Getty Images

Steve Diamond's obviously sent out Sale with a word in their ear as they fly at the Leicester try line in attack after attack.

However the Tigers defence hold firm and keep them up over the line.

Image source, Rex Features

Northampton are back up to a full compliment of players, with Ken Pisi returning from his spell in the sin bin, but it can't stop them from conceding a try in just the second minute of the half.

Ireland international centre Ian Whitten collects a bouncing ball to finish a free-flowing move with aplomb, and with great use of the dummy.

Gareth Steenson misses the conversion, but it must be stressed that kicking conditions are tough in Devon today.