Northampton’s George Furbank scored a 79th-minute try to prevent one of the shocks of the season against Gloucester and guarantee his side a home semi-final in the play-offs with a 36-32 win.
His error-ridden Saints were fortunate winners over a spirited Gloucester, who earned two valuable bonus points but it could have easily been more.
Northampton’s tries came from George Hendy, Rory Hutchinson, Tommy Freeman, Sam Graham, Furbank and Fin Smith, with Smith adding three conversions.
Deian Gwynne, Ollie Thorley, Seb Atkinson, Max Llewellyn and Ben Loader scored Gloucester’s tries, with Charlie Atkinson converting two and adding a penalty.
Hutchinson led out Northampton for his 200th appearance for the club but his side made a poor start, conceding five penalties in the opening five minutes with prop Emmanuel Iyogun yellow-carded for persistent team infringements.
Gloucester immediately capitalised when Gwynne was driven over from a close-range line out and before Iyogun could return, they conjured up a slick handling move which resulted in an easy run-in for Thorley.
Atkinson converted and Gloucester had a 12-0 lead at the end of a one-sided first quarter during which Saints were turned over regularly and frequently lost line outs.
However with their first real threat, Saints reduced the arrears when Hendy stole possession at a ruck to race 30 metres and score.
That try was the precursor for the hosts to rise from their slumbers to produce a stunning try when they broke from inside their 22 with Furbank making substantial ground before Smith was on hand for an unopposed run-in.
Gloucester could count themselves unlucky to be behind but they were not for long as a clean break from Caolan Englefield set up a try for his captain Seb Atkinson.
The sixth try of the half duly arrived when Hutchinson was first to the touchdown following a chip through from Smith to celebrate his feat of being the 82nd Saint to reach a double century of appearances.
Smith’s conversion rebounded back off a post so the scores were level at 19-19 at the interval.
Eleven minutes after the restart, Gloucester collected their bonus point when neat play saw Loader cross in the corner but the response was swift, with Freeman scoring his 16th league try of the season.
Northampton Saints star Henry Pollock envelops George Furbank after his winning score
Freeman then carelessly knocked on in his own 22 and from the resulting scrum, the home defence was all at sea for Llewellyn to sail through a huge gap.
The topsy-turvy nature of the game continued with a Saints try from replacement Graham before Atkinson kicked a simple penalty to put Gloucester in front but Furbank had the final say.
Saracens boss McCall signs off 15-year stint with Harlequins victory
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall departs after 15 glorious years
Mark McCall’s final home match as Saracens boss delivered the victory over Harlequins needed to stay in the hunt for a Gallagher Prem play-off place on the final day of the regular season.
McCall marked his last appearance at StoneX Stadium after 15 trophy-laden years as director of rugby with a 26-12 win that lifts Saracens into the top four for the first time since November.
Their fifth successive league triumph was founded on a penalty try and touch downs from Max Malins, Nick Tompkins and Theo Dan, while departing number eight Tom Willis was a giant in his north London farewell before joining Bordeaux.
But Saracens made the capital derby tenser than it should have been because of a messy third quarter with Tompkins’ 77th-minute strike eventually killing off Quins, who crossed through Bryn Bradley and Cameron Anderson in a strong finish.
McCall’s men now head to Exeter next Saturday knowing that beating their play-off rivals would be enough to guarantee entry into the Prem’s knock out phase, with the Chiefs and Bristol also in contention.
As recently as March McCall said the Prem title had disappeared off the radar in the wake of a chastening 62-15 collapse at Bath, but a first appearance at Twickenham since being crowned English champions 2023 has drawn a step closer.
Quins’ tenacity took the game to the wire, but early on it was all Saracens and in the eighth minute they claimed a penalty try forced when their scrum marched forwards with Chandler Cunningham-South shown a yellow card.
The visitors’ line was almost breached twice more but Quins were hustling to good effect, including when pouncing on opposition mistakes to launch counter-attacks.
Saracens were over again in the 25th minute through Malins, but the try was born out of Willis’ muscular carry that launched a sequence of brilliant offloads with Ben Earl supplying the scoring pass.
There were flashes of danger in Quins’ attack with Marcus Smith tidily directing operations and showing tenacity in the tackle, but they were being outfought in the forwards.
Too many times their visits to the home 22 ended pointless, including during a promising spell early in the second-half, although Saracens were scrambling well and producing big moments when needed in defence.
Hulking centre Olly Hartley flattened Sean Kerr with an enormous hit that ended the recipient’s afternoon, but the life was now being sucked out of the game by the number of errors.
Harlequins were refusing to throw in the towel and in the 63rd minute they struck with a line-out break by Will Evans rounded off by Bradley arriving in support.
Owen Farrell missed a long-range penalty but the match ended with a flurry of tries, Tompkins going over to end Quins’ fightback before Anderson and Dan exchanged late touch downs.