Ashton double secures another Saints win
Saints 25 Newcastle 13 TWO Chris Ashton tries saw Saints power to a 17th successive win at home to keep their Guinness Premiership play-off ambitions well and truly alive.
Saints 25 Newcastle 13
TWO Chris Ashton tries saw Saints power to a 17th successive win at home to keep their Guinness Premiership play-off ambitions well and truly alive.
Newcastle casued a shock at the Gardens last season and their pack caused problems all game, especially with endless lineout drives, but Saints' quick offloading game was too much for the visitors.
All eyes were on the first scrum after last season's destruction by Newcastle's Carl Hayman and after a collapse Saints won the ball against the head when the Falcons failed to control the put-in and it shot out the side.
Saints tapped their first penalty on the 40m touchline and it was great handling that saw them work their way to within 5m of the Falcons line. Roger Wilson had been heavily involved but with the line in sight he dropped an offload to end some good play from the home side.
Chris Ashton ran in his 10th try of the Premiership campaign on 10 minutes after good work from Brian Mujati in midfield. Saints were getting good quick ball as well and moved it to the right wing, where Bruce Reihana made the break and offloaded to Ashton to run in from 10m out.
Newcastle hadn't got into Saints' 22, with the home side playing as well as they have for a long time, but a penalty from nearly 50m allowed Jimmy Gopperth to make it 7-3 after 20 minutes.
Newcastle came in at the side of a good lineout drive for Stephen Myler to respond from similar distance, but with the wind against him Myler kicked to within 15m of the line. Saints did the same routine and the drive brought another penalty and from 25m Myler made it 10-3 after 23 minutes.
Courtney Lawes missed his second re-start and from the lineout on Saints' 22 Falcons powered a drive all the way for Rob Vickers to dot down. Gopperth converted to make it 10-10 with Newcastle hardly in Saints' 22.
Just on half-time Saints regained the lead with a sumptuous 60m move started by Myler offloading superbly to James Downey. Ashton took the move on in midfield and an over-the-head pass to Lee Dickson saw him send Juandre Kruger screaming towards the line.
He was stopped just short, but Dickson was on hand to pick up and dot down. After some consultation between referee Dean Richards and his touch judge the try was given as the ball went backwards when Kruger dropped it trying to dot down. Myler hit the post with the conversion to leave Saints 15-10 in front at the break.
Saints opened the second half just as they had the first in quick offloading style and six minutes in the scrum squeezed a penalty out of the best tighthead in the world, Carl Hayman. From 25m Myler made it 18-10.
But the Newcastle pack hit straight back, two massive lineout drives was followed by a hit against the head in a scrum on Saints' 22 and from the pressure Downey gave away a ruck penalty for Gopperth to make it 18-13 with 25 minutes to go.
The game was in the balance, but with 15 minutes to go Ashton got his second try of the afternoon after a smart break by Kruger. From a standing start Kruger smashed through a gap, stood up the last man and offloaded superbly for Ashton to run home from 10m unchallenged. From 10m in Myler made it 25-13.
Saints were in search of the fourth try and were agonisingly close as Paul Diggin got to within inches of the line after a flowing move from a Downey intercept in his 22. The winger was turned over only for Charlie Amesbury to knock-on. But from the scrum Ashton dropped the ball two metres from the line to end the game.
Teams:
Northampton Saints - Reihana; Ashton, Clarke, Downey, Diggin; Myler, Dickson; Tonga'uiha, Sharman, Mujati, Lawes, Kruger, Dowson (capt), Best, Wilson
Replacements - Long, Waller, Morris, Fernandez Lobbe, Easter, Dickens, Geraghty, Mayor
Newcastle Falcons - Tait; Williams, Bobo, Tu'ipulotu, Amesbury; Gopperth, Young; Golding, Vickers, Hayman (capt), Hudson, Swinson, Afu, Wilson, Levi
Replacements - Walker, Ward, Shiells, Sorenson, Browne, Pilgrim, Miller, Vickerman
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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