Saints sink Wasps at Gardens

Northampton made a return to the play-off places after recording a dominant 39-3 Aviva Premiership victory over Wasps on Sunday.

Northampton made a welcome return to the play-off places after recording a dominant 39-3 Aviva Premiership victory over Wasps on Sunday.

The result lifted Saints fourth and allowed them to complete the double over the Adams Park club.

An early penalty from Northampton fly-half Stephen Myler put his side ahead and in the tenth minute Dave Walder booted a three-pointer of his own to register Wasps' only points of the match.

The hosts began to dominate and claimed their first try of the game in the fourteenth minute when prop Brian Mujati went over from Dylan Hartley's pass and Myler added the conversion.

In the 27th minute Northampton were awarded a penalty try after a succession of scrums close to the visitors' line. Myler added the extras and then Ben Foden crashed over on the stroke of half-time for a try which Myler could not convert.

Twelve minutes after the break, Myler added another penalty and with 13 minutes remaining Chris Ashton went over in the corner after some more neat handling from Hartley.

Shane Geraghty converted with a fine touchline kick and Wasps continued to look ragged in defence as Saints pushed for a fifth score in the closing stages.

They got that in the 76th minute when Stuart Commins touched down and Geraghty again converted.

The scorers:

For Northampton:
Tries: Mujati, Penalty, Foden, Ashton, Commins
Con: Myler 2, Geraghty 2
Pen: Myler 2

For Wasps:
Pen: Walder

Northampton: 15 Ben Foden, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Jon Clarke, 12 James Downey, 11 Paul Diggin, 10 Stephen Myler, 9 Lee Dickson, 8 Roger Wilson, 7 Tom Wood, 6 Phil Dowson, 5 Christian Day, 4 Courtney Lawes, 3 Brian Mujati, 2 Dylan Hartley (capt), 1 Soane Tonga'uiha.
Replacements: 16 Brett Sharman, 17 Alex Waller, 18 Tom Mercey, 19 Mark Sorenson, 20 Calum Clark, 21 Stuart Commins, 22 Shane Geraghty, 23 Bruce Reihana.

Wasps: 15 Richard Haughton, 14 Ben Jacobs, 13 Steve Kefu, 12 Riki Flutey, 11 David Lemi, 10 Dave Walder, 9 Joe Simpson, 8 Dan Ward-Smith, 7 Joe Worsley, 6 John Hart, 5 Richard Birkett (capt), 4 Simon Shaw, 3 Zak Taulafo, 2 Rob Webber, 1 Tim Payne.
Replacements: 16 Joe Ward, 17 Ben Broster, 18 Tom French, 19 James Cannon, 20 Serge Betsen, 21 Nic Berry, 22 Dom Waldouck, 23 Mark van Gisbergen.

Referee: Dean Richards