Leicester's win over Saints was a hard-fought battle
Leicester maintained their 13-month unbeaten home record with a 29-15 win over Northampton.
Former Ireland fly-half Jeremy Staunton kicked 19 points, including conversions of tries from Lucas Amorosino and Anthony Allen.
Saints scored two fine first-half tries after menacing runs from Bruce Reihana.
Stephen Myler kept Saints in it with a second-half penalty but Tigers were too strong despite missing 19 players, including England lock Richard Blaze.
Blaze pulled out of the Leicester squad with a recurrence of a foot problem but he will join up with the England squad on Sunday.
Leicester, who had six players retained by England, were seven points down after five minutes.
Reihana was allowed to launch a counter-attack, supported by Myler and Chris Ashton, which gave lock Christian Day a clear run to the line.
Myler converted but Staunton settled Leicester with two well-struck penalties before Argentina international wing Amorosino scorched over from long range.
Staunton's conversion was followed by two long-range penalties, with a missed penalty from Myler sandwiched in between.
Northampton, without England pair Ben Foden and Shane Geraghty, finished the half with Reihana clattering down the right wing and Ashton supplying the finish.
But Leicester built the pressure in the second half and Staunton slotted his fifth penalty following flanker Neil Best's high tackle on Martin Castrogiovanni.
A Myler penalty reduced the lead but Allen dashed Northampton's hopes of when he latched on to a stray pass and went over for the interception try which Staunton converted.
Leicester head coach Richard Cockerill:
"[Richard Blaze's] foot is a bit of an unknown, it gets a bit sore and he has to look after it.
"We want Richard to play for England and to play for us. He probably could have played today but the sensible and right thing was for him not to.
"He wants to play because he wants to put himself in the shop window for England and he was big enough and brave enough to make that call.
"He will go back to England on Sunday. It's just something that we need to look after. It can be painful one day and all right the next."
Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder:
"It was always going to be tricky with players either unavailable either because of injuries, England commitments or discipline matters.
"I think the most frustrating thing was we knew we had the chance to win the game today and if we had taken our opportunities and not given them their opportunities we would have done that.
"We have created chances all year. We knew we would be under a bit of pressure in the scrum. They have a very experienced tight five, which we haven't."
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