A bad-tempered Heineken Cup clash at Murrayfield saw Reivers doing the double over Northampton thanks to man-of-the-match Duncan Hodge.

Having won the game in England with a late drop goal, he kicked five penalties and a drop goal as Northampton completed a miserable defence of their trophy.

That was of little consolation to the Scottish side who saw their faint chance of a quarter-final berth disappear.

Llanelli recorded their own home win over Colomiers to leap above Reivers in the battle for the final runners-up spot in the last eight.

Niggly match

Reivers benefited early on from Northampton indiscipline.

Hodge goaled a pair of penalties after first Scotland prop Mattie Stewart played the ball when clearly offside and then Andy Rennick threw a cynical punch.

Reivers then unleashed their backs and after Cameron Murray came close, Hodge dropped a goal.

After 13 minutes, Northampton got on the scoresheet with an Alistair Hepher penalty.

Reivers hang on

The game then turned niggly and yellow cards were produced for Iain Fullarton and Grant Seely after an incident which gave Hodge his third penalty.

Further indiscipline, this time by Barry Stewart let Northampton start the attack which ended with Ben Cohen scoring on his wrong wing for Hepher to convert and cut Reivers' half time lead to 12-10.

Reivers resisted early Northampton pressure after the break before attacking themselves through Kevin Utterson.

However the closest they came to scoring was Chris Paterson being tackled into the corner flag.

Northampton broke upfield off a penalty and Steve Thompson's try put them ahead for the first time.

But a pair of Hodge penalties restored the home lead which they hung onto for the last 10 minutes.

Edinburgh Reivers: Paterson, Murray, Officer, Utterson, Joiner, Hodge, Burns, Jacobsen, Scott, Stewart, Fullarton, Metcalfe, Mackinnon, Sinclair, Leslie.

Replacements: Robertson, Smith, G. Dall, M. Taylor, Fairley, Sheil, Lang.

Northampton: Beal, Martin, Bateman, Allen, Cohen, Hepher, Malone, Todd, Brotherstone, Stewart, Newman, Rodber, Thompson, Rennick, Seely.

Replacements: Richmond, Morris, Bramhall, Tucker, Grayson, Webster.

Referee: Alain Rolland.