91Èȱ¬

Summary

  • Foden, Waller and North score first-half tries for Saints

  • Daly try and Gopperth penalties for Wasps before break

  • Wade and Simpson tries give hosts lead in second half

  • Tuala and Harrison tries restore Saints' lead

  • Doran Jones scores last-minute try to win it for Wasps

  • FT: Wasps 32-30 Northampton

  1. Postpublished at 15:57 British Summer Time 9 April 2017

    HT: Wasps 13-18 Northampton

    Former Harlequins scrum-half Richard Moon on 91Èȱ¬ Coventry & Warwickshire:

    "Wasps need to tighten up on defence and just get their hands on the ball a little bit more.

    "Let's not forget going into the last five minutes against Saints earlier this season, Wasps were behind, so it's still anybody's game."

    Josh Bassett scored the winning try for Wasps when the two sides met earlier this season , crossing inside the last five minutes to secure a 20-15 victory.

  2. Exeter secure play-off placepublished at 15:53 British Summer Time 9 April 2017

    Catch up on Saturday's action

    Ian WhittenImage source, Rex Features

    Wasps aren't the only team to have secured a top-four finish, as Exeter guaranteed a play-off spot with over bottom side Bristol on Saturday.

    It wasn't all bad news for Bristol though, as their two bonus points kept alive their hopes of avoiding relegation, moving them to within eight points of 11th-placed Worcester with three games to play.

    Elsewhere, Bath in front of 62,000 fans at Twickenham to move level on points with the fourth-placed Tigers, while 71,000 people watched Saracens cruise to over local rivals Harlequins at Wembley. 

  3. 'Best 40 minutes of Saints season'published at 15:51 British Summer Time 9 April 2017

    HT: Wasps 13-18 Northampton

    Chris Jones
    91Èȱ¬ Radio 5 live at the Ricoh Arena

    "It's been a fitful season for the Saints, but this may well have been their best 40 minutes of the campaign. 

    "Three excellent tries with Wasps cut open all too easily; Dai Young has bemoaned his side's defensive lapses recently, and the Wasps boss will be seething at the interval."

    Courtney Lawes of Northampton SaintsImage source, Rex Features
  4. Saints clear at the breakpublished at 15:47 British Summer Time 9 April 2017

    HT: Wasps 13-18 Northampton

    We wondered what sort of reaction there would be to Wasps’ European exit in Dublin last weekend – and so far it’s not great.

    Northampton Saints are the ones who are buzzing. They were faster out of the traps, and have gone on to dominate, scoring three tries.

    Elliot Daly did jink his way through a gap to go under the posts following Ben Foden’s interception try for the opener. But further Saints tries for Alex Waller and George North have given the visitors the lead.

    And, if Stephen Myler had not missed four of his five kicks, they would have clearer daylight.

  5. Half-time: Wasps 13-18 Northamptonpublished at 40 mins

    Ben Foden scores a try for Northampton Saints against WaspsImage source, Getty Images

    It's Northampton who lead at half-time, with tries from Ben Foden, Alex Waller and George North giving them a five-point advantage at the end of the first 40 minutes.

  6. try

    Try (North)published at 38 mins

    Wasps 13-18 Northampton

    Wales and Lions star winger George North in at the left corner, evading a high challenge to score. But Stephen Myler is again off target with the kick.

  7. Penalty (Gopperth)published at 36 mins

    Wasps 13-13 Northampton

    Jimmy Gopperth again to tie it up all square again - but he then misses with another attempt, this time hitting the post.

  8. 'Staggering' play from Picamolespublished at 29 mins

    Wasps 10-13 Northampton

    Chris Jones
    91Èȱ¬ Radio 5 at the Ricoh Arena

    "Alex Waller may have scored Northampton's second, but it was made by Louis Picamoles and a staggering offload from an impossible position.

    "Picamoles has at times carried the Saints pack this season; he's been a brilliant signing."

  9. Penalty (Gopperth)published at 28 mins

    Wasps 10-13 Northampton

    Jimmy Gopperth pegs back the deficit to three points with his second successful kick of the afternoon.

  10. Postpublished at 24 mins

    Wasps 7-13 Northampton

    After an excellent break and offload by Louis Picamoles, Alex Waller goes over for Saints' second try, but the normally machine-like Stephen Myler is wide with the conversion - his third missed kick of the afternoon.

  11. try

    Try (Waller)published at 23 mins

    Wasps 7-13 Northampton

  12. converted try

    Converted try (Daly/Gopperth)published at 19 mins

    Wasps 7-8 Northampton

    England's Elliot Daly jinks his way through to go in under the posts - and Jimmy Gopperth adds the two points.

  13. Encouraging start for Saintspublished at 15 mins

    Wasps 0-8 Northampton

    Chris Jones
    91Èȱ¬ Radio 5 live at the Ricoh Arena

    "I'm sitting a matter of metres away from the Northampton coaching team of Alan Dickens, Dorian West and director of rugby Jim Mallinder.

    "They will no doubt be encouraged by Northampton's start."

    Northampton Saints coachesImage source, 91Èȱ¬ Sport
  14. Postpublished at 13 mins

    Wasps 0-8 Northampton

    Myler goes wide with the conversion. but it's still a great start for Saints.

    Trying to run the ball down the line going left on halfway, Jimmy Gopperth's pass is intercepted by an alert Foden - and the England winger is away to score in the right corner.

  15. try

    Try (Foden)published at 12 mins

    Wasps 0-8 Northampton

  16. 'Wasps starved of possession'published at 15:11 British Summer Time 9 April 2017

    Wasps 0-3 Northampton

    Former Saints player and team manager Lennie Newman on 91Èȱ¬ Radio Northampton:

    "Well you can see the game plan from the Saints straight away, it's put the Wasps back into their own half as often as possible.

    "At the moment, it really is working, because at the moment what they're doing is starving Wasps of any decent possession."

  17. Penalty (Myler)published at 10mins

    Wasps 0-3 Northampton

    Stephen Myler from the kicking tee again,time from an easier position in front of the posts. And this time he makes no mistake.

  18. Missed penaltypublished at 5 mins

    Wasps 0-0 Northampton

    Bad miss by Stephen Myler, as he pulls the first kicking opportunity of the game wide of the posts.

  19. Postpublished at 3 mins

    Wasps 0-0 Northampton

    Not surprisingly, as it's the opening weekend of the new County Championship season, it's cricket weather in Coventry - on what appears to be the hottest day of the year. 

    And it will all be about people keeping their cool as Saints show by giving away an early penalty. But they now have a kicking opportunity at goal.

  20. Live radio commentarypublished at 14:57 British Summer Time 9 April 2017

    Wasps v Northampton (15:00 BST)

    If live text coverage of the game isn't enough, you can also listen to radio commentary by clicking on the tabs at the top of this page.

    You can choose between 91Èȱ¬ Coventry & Warwickshire and 91Èȱ¬ Radio Northampton  for all the action from the Ricoh Arena.