91Èȱ¬

Ben Foden scored two tries as Northampton Saints beat rock-bottom Newcastle Falcons to leap up to third in the Premiership table.

Foden scored the opening try before Suka Hufanga crossed for the Falcons, who trailed 13-11 at the break.

Newcastle led when Jimmy Gopperth kicked his third penalty of the day early in the second half.

But Foden and Soane Tonga'uiha touched down, before Tom May's late try clinched a bonus point for Northampton.

Newcastle are notorious slow starters and trailed 10-0 within 10 minutes. Ryan Lamb scored an early penalty and then Foden crossed when George Pisi's kick got in behind the Falcons' defence, with Lamb converting.

Gopperth pulled three points back with a penalty and then his break set up Hufanga for a try, but the fly-half missed the conversion.

Lamb and Gopperth swapped penalties before half-time. And after the break the Newcastle man scored his third penalty to give the hosts the lead.

But Foden received another rolling kick, this time from Lamb, to touch down and Lamb squeezed the conversion home.

The Saints pressed home their advantage and Tonga'uiha was driven over to make it 25-14.

Newcastle had Tim Swinson sin-binned for a high tackle and May clinched a bonus point with almost his first touch after coming on, with Stephen Myler converting.

Newcastle head coach Alan Tait:

"It was still to play for early in the second half, but you don't mind putting your hand up and admitting you've been beaten by a better team."

Northampton Saints director of rugby Jim Mallinder told 91Èȱ¬ Radio Northampton:

"Ben is a quality player and most weeks he is outstanding. He's great for us.

"Just his sheer pace was fantastic today but he does a bit more more than that.

"He's safe at the back and he knows when to kick the ball and he's good for our two young wingers to have behind him."

Newcastle: Goosen, Manning, Fitzpatrick, Eves, Hufanga, Gopperth, Pasqualin, Shiells, Vickers, Murray, Hudson, Fondse, R. Mayhew, Welch, Hogg.

Replacements: Catterick for Goosen (56), Pilgrim for Pasqualin (66), Wells for Shiells (41), Graham for Vickers (72), Frazier for Murray (76), Swinson for Hudson (41), Tu'ifua for R. Mayhew (52), Wilson for Welch (65).

Sin Bin: Swinson (76).

Northampton: Foden, Artemyev, Pisi, Downey, Armstrong, Lamb, Dickson, Tonga'uiha, Hartley, Doran-Jones, Manoa, Sorenson, Lawes, Dowson, Wilson.

Replacements: May for Downey (76), Myler for Lamb (66), Roberts for Dickson (72), A. Waller for Tonga'uiha (66), Haywood for Hartley (66), Mujati for Doran-Jones (56), Day for Sorenson (67).

Not Used: Nutley.

Att: 6,017

Ref: Tim Wigglesworth (RFU).