Wasps (6) 9
Pens: Cipriani 3

Northampton (0) 5
Try: Foden

Josh Lewsey ran hard but Wasps could not find their way to the tryline

Wasps edged past Northampton to leapfrog their opponents into eighth place in the Guinness Premiership.

Danny Cipriani kicked Wasps into an early lead with two penalties.

He missed with a third attempt but Saints counterpart Stephen Myler failed with all three of his attempts to leave Wasps 6-0 up at the break.

Ben Foden scored a fine try to open the Saints' account after 55 minutes but Cipriani nudged Wasps into a 9-5 lead and they held on to claim victory.

Saints dominated the match for long periods but the defeat means they have still to register their first away win in the Premiership this season.

Wasps meanwhile, who had a dreadful start to the season, have now won eight of their last 10 matches as they try to qualify for next season's Heineken Cup.

Cipriani kicked Wasps into their early 6-0 lead with penalties in the fifth and 10th minutes and just failed to land another from inside his own half.

With both sides falling foul of referee Rob Debney and conceding a stream of penalties at rucks and scrums the match was a stop-go, error-strewn affair from the fifth minute front-row flare-up which handed Cipriani his opening penalty.

After Serge Betsen had gone close for Wasps, Northampton assumed control and several times went close to scoring, but a combination of solid Wasps defence and Saints errors kept them scoreless.

Centre John Clarke knocked on to end one promising move and Foden was bundled into touch near the corner flag, before the Northampton pack lost possession as they attempted to drive over.

Myler missed a penalty attempt - his third of the half - just before the break, but Northampton continued to be the more enterprising side at the start of the second half.

They twice spurned kicks at goal, only to be denied from close-range scrums, before finally making the breakthrough.

Myler, who had a good all-round game despite his place-kicking woes, released Foden and the England prospect crossed in the left corner.

Myler missed the chance to edge the visitors ahead as his conversion attempt floated wide and the visitors were denied a second try six minutes later when they were brought back for a forward pass after Bruce Reihana sent Clarke over.

Cipriani's third penalty, from just inside the opposition half, put Wasps 9-5 ahead in the 65th minute but although he was to miss two more attempts Wasps claimed the points as Northampton's effort finally ran out of steam.

Wasps director of rugby Ian McGeechan:
"There was a lot of character shown there today to graft that win.

"It was a very physical battle at the breakdown and we had to do a lot of defending which we did well. I was very pleased with the way we finished.

"All we can do is keep winning and we've done that again. There will be a lot of pressure games for everybody. We're within striking distance but only if we keep winning."

Northampton boss Jim Mallinder on what he believed was an illegal tug by Dominic Waldouck to deny Ben Foden a try:
"Quite clearly he was going to win that chase. He was flying and he got held back. You would have thought that maybe one of the three officials would have seen it.

"There were a number of calls we think we were very unfortunate not to get and those close calls lose you games.

"Sometimes you hold your hands up and say you were well beaten but today was a match we should have won.

"We had a number of opportunities and those little 50-50s cost you matches. We're still after our elusive away win but it will come. I've no doubts we've got a good enough side to win away from home."

Mallinder on Stephen Myler missing three penalty kicks and a conversion:
"He's very disappointed in himself because he knows if he had kicked those goals we would have won the game.

"But we created enough opportunities and dominated enough to have won it anyway."

Wasps: Van Gisbergen; Bishay, Waldouck, Lewsey, Voyce; Cipriani, Robinson; Payne, Webber, Barnard, Shaw, Skivington, Birkett, Betsen, Hart.

Replacements: Hoadley for Bishay (51), Reddan for Robinson (51), Ward for Webber (75), French for Barnard (41), Ellis for Hart (74).

Not Used: Walder, Veale.

Northampton: Foden; Diggin, Clarke, Downey, Reihana; Myler, Dickson; Tonga'uiha, Hartley, Murray, Lawes, Kruger, Easter, Best, Wilson.

Replacements: Mayor for Downey (67), Fernandez Lobbe for Easter (74).

Not Used: Sharman, Stewart, Smith, Hopley, Everitt.

Att: 10,000

Ref: R Debney (RFU).

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