A dramatic quarter-final at Franklin’s Gardens produced nine tries and saw Ulster fight back from eight points down at half-time.

Northampton took the lead with less than seven minutes on the clock as Alex Mitchell went over for a try, but the hosts then had Nick Isiekwe, Sam Matavesi and Dave Ribbans sin-binned in the quarter of an hour that followed.

Matavesi’s infringement on 11 minutes saw Ulster awarded a penalty try, before Rob Herring further punished Saints’ ill-discipline as he dotted down following a driving maul in the 24th minute.

However, Northampton rallied and Tommy Freeman crossed the whitewash twice in three minutes, sending the English side into the break 22-14 ahead.

Seven minutes into the second period, though, Marty Moore bundled over from close range and with John Cooney converting his try, Ulster moved to within one point of the hosts.

It was Northampton who struck next, however, Ollie Sleightholme sneaking over in the corner to edge his side into a slightly less precarious lead.

Ulster wrestled control of proceedings in the closing 20 minutes, though, with Cooney’s smart try on 61 minutes and subsequent conversion putting the away team ahead.

Jacob Stockdale sealed Ulster’s win on 72 minutes, benefiting from a cleverly delayed pass from Billy Burns to burst over for the game’s final try.

Ulster went on to face Leicester Tigers in the semi-finals, but fell to a 33-24 defeat as they squandered an 11-point lead in another pulsating affair.

This season’s Heineken Champions Cup will see Northampton Saints take on Ulster Rugby in Pool A – over seven months after their memorable European Rugby Challenge Cup tie, which saw the Irish province progress to the last four via a 35-27 win.