Matt Smith scored the only try of the game early in the second half and George Ford added a conversion and three penalties as Tigers moved up to third in the Aviva Premiership table going into the opening rounds of the LV= Cup and the clash with the Maori All Blacks on November 13.
Kitchener, who was the Aviva Premiership man-of-the-match, said the Tigers defence fronted up well to secure a sixth successive win against Northampton and deny the Saints any real try-scoring opportunities. And Saturday's shut-out means Tigers have the second best defensive record in the Aviva Premiership.
“We defended pretty well all game,” said Kitchener. “They didn’t make many line breaks and we kept it pretty tight. We fronted up well. Even when they went wide we were there, we weren’t too tight and made our tackles.
“You look at how many were in the crowd and the atmosphere, games between us and Northampton are an awesome occasion. It’s what you join the Tigers for.
“We were disappointed after last week and we dropped back to fifth in the table. We needed the win. The bottom line was four points and we delivered it. We are now in a healthier position going into the LV= Cup and the game against Maori All Blacks.”
Tickets for the game against the Maori All Blacks on Tuesday, November 13 – the next fixture at Welford Road – are on sale now from the ticket office, on the hotline 0844 856 1880 and online by clicking here. Hospitality is also available on 0116 217 1215.
