Northampton overcame a fierce Premiership encounter with Wasps and the
controversial decision making of referee Tony Spreadbury to gain a 34-20 triumph
at Franklin's Gardens.
The home side, who have maintained their 100% success rate at home, started at
a ferocious pace with Jon Sleightholme scoring a second minute try.
England winger Ben Cohen passed out wide to Oriol Ripol who spotted a charging
Sleightholme bounding down the right wing. Paul Grayson converted.
Wasps were soon feeling the effect of the physical league tie. Rob Howley,
Simon Shaw and Craig Dowd were all substituted in the first 15 minutes with
injuries, though Wasps still managed to keep the momentum going with Paul
Sampson coming close to scoring.
Fly-half Alex King managed to come back with a penalty for the visitors but
Northampton soon stretched their lead to 12-3 following ex-Aussie international
Mark Connors' first score for the Saints.
Steve Williams was brought down just short of the line but managed to free the
ball for it to be recycled left to Connors.
Grayson missed the conversion but made amends with a penalty minutes later.
The tempo kept rising as Wasps again tested Northampton's defence and the
tempers and frustrations boiled over with forwards Steve Thompson and Darren
Molloy sin-binned for fighting.
King converted a second penalty to reduce the deficit to 15-6 at half-time,
but clearly both Saint's head coach Wayne Smith and his opposite number Warren
Gatland were not happy.
The pair escorted referee Spreadbury off the field, quizzing him while the
9,000 plus crowd voiced their views with a chorus of boos.
Returning to the field Grayson managed to calm the pace of the game down with
two converted penalties to create a 15 point cushion.
But resilient Wasps bounced back with Josh Lewsey securing a well deserved
try. The winger jinked his way through Northampton's defence after scrum-half
Howley cleared the ball from the scrum.
King converted and the tension continued to mount with Wasps losing a second
man to the sin-bin after Mark Denney fouled Ripol.
Northampton were awarded a penalty which Grayson duly converted before adding
another three points on 69 minutes.
Forward Steve Williams then added the final touch for Northampton with a 74th
minute try before Kenny Logan grabbed a consolation converted try for Wasps.
Northampton:
Tries: Sleightholme, Connors, Williams.
Cons: Grayson 2.
Pens: Grayson 5.
Northampton: Ripol, Sleightholme, Jorgensen, Leslie, Cohen,
Grayson, Dawson, Smith, Thompson, Morris, Williams, Connors,
Blowers, Pountney, Soden.
Not Used: Budgen, Stewart, Phillips, Seely, Howard, Brooks,
Tucker.
Wasps:
Tries: Lewsey, Logan.
Cons: A. King 2.
Pens: A. King 2.
Wasps: Sampson, Roiser,
Abbott, Denney, Lewsey, A. King,
Howley, Dowd, Greening, W. Green, Shaw, Birkett, Worsley,
Volley, Dallaglio.
Not Used: Wood, van Gisbergen, Logan, Gotting, Molloy,
Beardshaw, McCarthy.
Att: 9,888
Ref: Tony Spreadbury (RFU).
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