However like last week Saints’ inability to control the kick-off paid dear in the opening exchanges as Esher took an early lead. Fly-half Dave Hewitt had a drop-goal charged down in the first minute which the visiting forwards recovered. A couple of charges down the blind-side later Hewitt was back in the pocket and the ball went between the sticks.

The lead was short-lived. Saints ran the ball from deep from the kick-off and after a lineout won a penalty. Stephen Myler kicked to the corner, Paul Tupai won the catch and Ian Vass went over in the corner. Myler missed the conversion but Saints were nevertheless ahead.

That’s not to say the hosts had their own way. Esher were competitive at the breakdown, winning several turnovers, and aggressive in the tackle. Furthermore, in Charlie Amesbury and Bevon Armitage they had some exciting runners out wide.

Amesbury, a pre-season try scorer at the Gardens with Harlequins, threatened down the right and put a good kick ahead. Saints’ backs wouldn’t get their first clear attack until the second quarter when Bruce Reihana danced past the rushing Esher defence from his own 22.

In the meantime the scoring belonged to the forwards. Mark Easter scored in the left corner and Euan Murray marked his Saints debut with a five-pointer near the right touchline. Myler, who wasn’t being given any favours for his place kicking, missed the first but converted the second to give Saints a healthy 17-3 lead.

Myler’s kicking from hand had been top-class and cross-field kicks to wingers Paul Diggin and Chris Ashton had been instrumental in the build up to both previous tries. His fourth and fifth attempts were much more straightforward thanks to Tom Smith and Neil Starling scoring near the posts, the latter for his first score since his Saints comeback four games ago. With Hewitt’s missed penalty in the 25th minute the lead was extended to 29-3.

The sixth try came in injury-time from Reihana. He owed the score to Ashton’s good handling after a well timed incursion off his wing. Myler missed the touchline conversion and the half ended with Saints leading 36-3.

Paul Shields opened the second-half scoring two minutes after the break with a blind-side break from a lineout. Myler’s conversion bounced over off the cross-bar to take the score to 43-3 but the biggest cheer of the afternoon was reserved for 18-year-old Senior Academy forward Courtney Lawes, who replaced Paul Tupai in the 46th minute for his Saints debut.

That was until centre Bevon Armitage powered through several tackles to score Esher’s first try. Stuart Turton’s speed down the right wing set up the try but Armitage did very well to score. Hewitt converted but though Esher kept working hard the remainder of the half was one-way traffic.

Reihana grabbed his second and third tries and Ashton added to his season’s tally as well. The final two tries came from Carlos Spencer, scores in which Travis Perkins man-of-the-match Shields played a big part.

Esher ended on the offensive but not even the dancing feet of Amesbury could cross the whitewash and the game ended 74-10 to the top-of-the-table Saints.

Teams:
Northampton Saints – Reihana (capt); Diggin, Starling, Downey (Clarke 53mins), Ashton; Myler (Spencer 52mins), Vass (Brake 65mins); Smith (Tonga’uiha 57mins), Shields, Murray, Browne, Rae (Short 57mins), Tupai (Lawes 46mins), Fox (Gray 59mins), Easter.

Esher – Flockhart; Turton, Armitage (Gower 62mins), Clouston, Amesbury; Hewitt (Barr 77mins), Lane; Cormack (capt)(Millard 62mins), Campbell (Goldsmith 62mins), Alexander (Mockford 67mins), Inglis (Butterworth 59mins), Barker (Harris 65mins), Robson, Barrell, Blakeburn.

Scorers:
Northampton Saints – Tries: Vass, Easter, Murray, Smith, Starling, Reihana (3), Shields, Ashton, Spencer; Cons: Myler (4), Reihana (3).

Esher – Try: Armitage; Con: Hewitt; Drop-goal: Hewitt.

Travis Perkins man of the match:
Paul Shields

TIMELINE:
2mins ESHER Drop-goal Hewitt 0-3
3mins SAINTS Try Vass 5-3
16mins SAINTS Try Easter 10-3
22mins SAINTS Try Murray Con Myler 17-3
29mins SAINTS Try Smith Con Myler 24-3
35mins SAINTS Try Starling Con Myler 31-3
40+2mins SAINTS Try Reihana 36-3
HALF-TIME SAINTS 36 ESHER 3
42mins SAINTS Try Shields Con Myler 43-3
51mins ESHER Try Armitage Con Hewitt 43-10
56mins SAINTS Try Reihana Con Reihana 50-10
60mins SAINTS Try Ashton Con Reihana 57-10
64mins SAINTS Try Reihana Con Reihana 64-10
72mins SAINTS Try Spencer 69-10
75mins SAINTS Try Spencer 74-10
FULL-TIME SAINTS 74 ESHER 10