Courtney Lawes provided an injury scare for the British and Irish Lions as Aviva Premiership title contenders Exeter swept aside Northampton 36-12 at Sandy Park.
While Exeter stretched their unbeaten Premiership run to 14 games and claimed a record seventh successive bonus point victory, Saints saw Lawes depart midway through the first-half when he took a blow to the head following an attempted tackle on his England and Lions colleague Jack Nowell.
Lawes went off for an head injury assessment, but he did not rejoin the action, with the Lions now just 30 days away from departing on their 10-match New Zealand tour.
Fly-half JJ Hanrahan scored an early Northampton try that he also converted, yet Exeter quickly found their rhythm as touchdowns in quick succession by flanker Don Armand and wing Olly Woodburn sent them on the way to another league win.
They have not lost in the competition since late October, and centre Ian Whitten's early second-half try ensured that Northampton were kept at a safe distance, before Nowell touched down midway through the second period and substitute Sam Hill also scored before Woodburn added a second to leave Exeter level on points with Premiership leaders Wasps.
Fly-half Gareth Steenson added two conversions and substitute Joe Simmonds one,, rendering Ahsee Tuala's Saints consolation try no more than that, and Exeter know that victory in their final regular season league game at Gloucester next Saturday would guarantee a home play-off tie on May 20.
Backs Henry Slade and Jack Maunder were sidelined by injuries, so Steenson and Stu Townsend forged the Chiefs' half-back combination, while Ian Whitten returned for centre Michele Campagnaro and England wing Jack Nowell featured instead of James Short.
Northampton, who arrived in Devon without injured trio George North, Stephen Myler and Louis Picamoles, made a late change when England flanker Tom Wood was ruled by shoulder trouble, so Lawes switched from lock to blindside flanker, Christian Day started in the second-row and England skipper Dylan Hartley took over from Wood as captain.
But Saints, despite their injury woes, went ahead after just five minutes when Hanrahan intercepted an Ollie Devoto pass and sprinted clear to claim a try that he also converted.
And Exeter's problems did not end there, as they lost two forwards - prop Greg Holmes and flanker Dave Ewers - in a damaging six-minute spell, with Harry Williams and Julian Salvi going on as their respective replacements.
Northampton were also in the wars, though, with Lawes going off and being replaced by Sam Dickinson, before Nowell agonisingly missed out on a try when he lost control of the ball while attempting to touch down.
But Exeter only had to wait another two minutes before claiming an equalising try, as Armand powered over from close range following sustained Chiefs forward pressure, with Steenson's conversion making it 7-7.
Saints then had wing Ken Pisi sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on, and Exeter took immediate advantage, with scrum-half Townsend exploiting space down the blindside of a ruck and sending an unmarked Woodburn over for a clever try.
And it got worse for Northampton just two minutes into the second-half as Exeter claimed their third try when Whitten brushed aside a feeble tackle from Saints lock David Ribbans, and the Chiefs led by 10 points.
Whitten's score was a major setback for Saints in their quest for a top-six finish and automatic European Champions Cup qualification next season, and there was no way back for them when Nowell capped an outstanding display by claiming his team's fourth touchdown.
Northampton could not escape from inside their own half as Exeter turned the screw, and the home side added try number five with 11 minutes left when Hill charged through the attempted tackles of Hanrahan and number eight Teimana Harrison to finish in style, then Nowell turned provider by sending an unmarked Woodburn over, and Saints' misery was complete.
Source: PA
