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Tom Lawday marked his 105th and final game for Quins with the dramatic winning try [Getty Images]
The Prem
Harlequins (12) 38
Tries: Dombrandt 2, Benson, Cleaves, Anderson, Lawday Cons: Smith 4
Northampton (12) 31
Tries: Weimann 2, Van der Mescht, Kemeny, Thame Cons: Belleau 3
Harlequins missed out on next season's Champions Cup despite a dramatic final-round Prem win over Northampton.
Saints sent a much-changed side to The Stoop, having already wrapped up top spot in the Prem regular-season, and Quins took full advantage as a last-minute try from Tom Lawday gave them victory.
But Gloucester's emphatic win against Newcastle meant Quins finished second bottom and, after a run of five successive seasons in the Champions Cup, will compete in the second-tier Challenge Cup instead.
It is a huge disappointment for a club which reached the knockout stages in Europe this season.
The win over the leaders at least gave a fitting send-off to attack coach Nick Evans, who closed a chapter that spanned 18 years as a player and coach.
Lawday too is on his way at the end of the season after seven years at the club - and he came off the bench to sign off in style and settle a ding-dong contest.
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Josh Kemeny signed for Northampton from Super Rugby side Melbourne Rebels two years ago [Getty Images]
Saints, who will entertain Leicester in their semi-final on Friday night, took the lead in the sixth minute through scrum-half Jonny Weimann, who cashed in on the approach work of Fraser Dingwall and James Ramm to score Northampton's 100th league try of the season.
Harlequins hit back through captain Alex Dombrandt, who took Marcus Smith's reverse pass to score three minutes later.
That set the tone for the match.
Giant second row JJ Van der Mescht powered over for his sixth try of the season to regain the lead for Northampton, but Ulster-bound Jamie Benson crossed just before half-time after a spell of Quins pressure to square the match at 12-12.
The to-and-fro continued, with Australian back row Josh Kemeny going through some flimsy Quins defending to score for Northampton and then wing Cassius Cleaves hitting back for the hosts after fine work from Dombrandt.
Cameron Anderson scored for Quins to give them the lead for the first time in the match, but a brilliant individual try from replacement Toby Thame levelled things again at 24-24.
Weimann's interception score gave Saints the lead again, but Dombrandt was driven over to tie things with eight minutes left, and the home side had the last word through Lawday after a TMO check.
'We have to take our medicine' - reaction
Northampton director of rugby Phil Dowson told BBC Radio Northampton:
"It's frustrating to lose in the last play of the game, but we've benefited from plenty of last-play wins, so we have to take our medicine.
"There was lots of good stuff in that game with a slightly changed group and we had loads of opportunities we didn't take. From a performance point of view we got loads out of it, but we just weren't good enough as a whole to get over the line."
On facing Leicester in the semi-final: "It's probably great from the fans' point of view, but we need to learn our lessons from last time [a 41-17 defeat last month] and prepare thoroughly and make sure our house is in order on Friday night.
"We're going to run a normal week, but it's a smashing occasion so we're going to have to get that balance right."
Harlequins: Benson; Anderson, Murley, Bradley, Cleaves; Smith, Porter; Hobson, Riley, Streeter; Green, Lewies, Kenningham, Evans, Dombrandt (capt).
Replacements: Staples, Wenger, Delgado, Treadwell, Petti, Lawday, Townsend, Bellamy.
Northampton: Pater; Martin, Litchfield, Dingwall (capt), Ramm; Belleau, Weimann; Fischetti, Langdon, Kundiona; Lockett, Van der Mescht, Kemeny, Pearson, Graham.
Replacements: Wright, West, Tonga'uiha, Munga, Chick, James, Thame, Hendy.
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys
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