Fly-half Alex King dropped an injury-time goal as Wasps ended Northampton's
six-match unbeaten league run and moved ahead of them to second place in the
Zurich Premiership.
The game had seemed destined for a draw when fly-half Paul Grayson banged over
his sixth penalty of the match to draw the scores level at 18-all.
But Wasps, with flanker Paul Volley in the sin-bin, went straight back on the
attack and in the third minute King calmly dropped the winning goal in this
top-of-the-table clash.
Wasps just about deserved it by out-scoring Saints two tries to nil.
But the Londoners had been in deep trouble in the opening quarter as Grayson,
who later moved from full-back to the more familiar role of fly-half, banged
over four penalties.
But Wasps always looked sharper than the home side in the backs and they took
the lead with 15 points in eight minutes, with tries from flanker Joe Worsley
and winger Paul Sampson.
Grayson drew the scores level before the interval, but after King had put
Wasps 18-15 ahead in the 56th minute he missed three successive penalties before
his 79th-minute effort, only for King to snatch victory.
Teams
Northampton:
Pens: Grayson 6.
Northampton: Grayson, Shaw, Bateman, Allen, Cohen, Hepher,
Dawson, Pagel, Brotherstone, Stewart, Brouzet, Rodber, Blowers,
Pountney, Lam.
Replacements: Thorneycroft for Hepher (31).
Not Used: Todd, Thompson, Phillips, Seely, Malone, Tucker.
Wasps:
Tries: Worsley, Sampson.
Cons: Logan.
Pens: Logan, King.
Drop Goals: King.
Wasps: Roiser, Sampson, Waters, Denney, Logan, King, Wood,
Molloy, Leota, Green, Reed, Shaw, Worsley, Volley, Dallaglio.
Replacements: Bijon for Logan (47), Beardshaw for Reed (47).
Not Used: Leek, Lewsey, Birkett, Macer, Le Chevalier.
Sin Bin: Leota (51), Volley (77).
A0tt: 9,437
Ref: Brian Campsall (RFU).
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