NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 8

LONDON WASPS 6

Guinness Premiership round 10

Franklin's Gardens

Friday, December 22, 2006

If ever there was a much-needed and deserved victory in the GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP campaign so far this was it. At a packed Franklin's Gardens Daniel Browne's 54th-minute try - the only of an 80 minutes that belied the fog and freezing temperatures - won about as intense a game as will be witnessed this season.

There were never any more than three points in it throughout, and Carlos Spencer's 11th minute penalty gave his side the biggest lead they would have all night. Mark Van Gisbergen had an opportunity to level five minutes later but his attempt, though on target, fell way short of the crossbar.

Alex King also missed a 19th-minute drop-goal, but even if he had Wasps would have regarded it as scant reward for threatening play broken up in part by two crucial Matthieu Bourret tackles. However the visitors still came away with points following Van Gisbergen's first success from 10 metres.

The first quarter had seen some big tackles from many in the home colours. But their first points saw Wasps take an increasing grip on the proceedings and young centre Dominic Waldouck was unlucky to be denied a try for a forward pass following Bourret's knock-on. Saints did not escape entirely though thanks to Van Gisbergen's 25th minute penalty, again from in front of the sticks.

Indeed, as the half wore on there became increasingly little for Saints' fans to cheer. Although the home pack did drive well from a line-out and nick a Wasps throw in a dangerous position their counterparts in white were equal to the task and their control around the fringes and refusal to play the percentages denied Saints much possession at all.

With five minutes remaining Saints finally had the opportunity to build that they had been craving thanks to turnover deep in their own half kicked long by Steve Thompson. Saints could not take advantage of either of their two bites of the cherry though, turning the ball over at the breakdown.

There was worse to come before the half-time whistle as well with Thompson's yellow card for killing the ball. He could consider himself unlucky as not only had he been unable to get away from the tackle situation but the contest had hitherto been a clean if hard-fought one. But Van Gisbergen's radar was off once more and the score at the break was Saints 3, Wasps 6.

The second half began as the first had finished - in other words with Wasps on the offensive. Saints' defence was up to the immediate challenge and within five minutes the hosts were camped on Wasps' line and attacking relentlessly around the fringes.

This was a repetition of the last two meetings between these sides at the Gardens. But unlike those encounters, Saints would make the most of the chance. Man-of-the-match Thompson returned with Paul Tupai - who had been replaced by Dylan Hartley during his captain's absence - passing Phil Vickery along the way after the latter's yellow card.

And the two provided the much-needed ballast to help drive Browne over from a five-metre scrum for the game's first try. Spencer missed the conversion, as did Van Gisbergen with a penalty on the hour. And the two-point tension was exacerbated by Bourret's miss with 12 minutes to go.

Wasps then brought on fresh legs with James Haskell and Rafael Ibanez. It looked to have paid immediate dividends as a white shirt - indeterminable in the fog from a distance - dived over. But Haskell had knocked-on in the build-up and with Van Gisbergen's fourth missed penalty and King's skewed drop-goal the margin was still two with as many minutes to play.

With these reprieves Saints ran upfield before sticking the ball up their collective jumpers. The 13,485 present shouted down the last 10 seconds and greeted the whistle by raising the roof.

Teams:
Northampton Saints - Diggin; Lamont, Kydd, Quinlan, Bourret; Spencer, Robinson; Smith, Thompson (capt), Barnard (Budgen 25mins), Gerard, Short, Tupai (Hartley 44-51mins, 74mins), Fox, Browne (Easter 74mins).

London Wasps - Van Gisbergen; Sackey, Waldouck, Lewsey, Voyce; King (capt), Reddan; Payne, Ward (Ibanez 69mins), Vickery, Shaw (Leo 40mins), Palmer, Worsley, Rees (Adams 52-63mins), Dallaglio (Haskell 69mins).

Scorers:
Northampton Saints - Try: Browne; Pen: Spencer.

London Wasps - Pen: Van Gisbergen (2).

Yellow card:
Thompson (38mins)
Vickery (51mins)

Travis Perkins man of the match:
Steve Thompson

Attendance:
13,485

TIMELINE:
11mins SAINTS Pen Spencer 3-0
21mins WASPS Pen Van Gisbergen 3-3
25mins WASPS Pen Van Gisbergen 3-6
38mins SAINTS Yellow card Thompson
HALF-TIME SAINTS 3 WASPS 6
51mins WASPS Yellow card Vickery
54mins SAINTS Try Browne 8-6
FULL-TIME SAINTS 8 WASPS 6