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Taqele Naiyaravoro snatched victory for 13-man Northampton with two minutes remaining as they battled to a 35-31 win at Wasps to remain one point behind Gallagher Premiership leaders Exeter.
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After 55 minutes, Saints looked in total control having scored four tries to lead 28-10. Cobus Reinach had scored two, while Teimana Harrison and Tom Wood also crossed as Dan Biggar converted all four attempts.
Marcus Watson, Jimmy Gopperth and Matteo Minozzi all crossed for Wasps in addition to Jacob Umaga’s nine points with the boot to haul the home side back into contention to trail 28-24.
Saints were reduced to 14 players when Tom Collins was sent off in the 65th minute for an aerial challenge with Umaga, with Reinach sin-binned five minutes later for a deliberate knock-on and a penalty try for Wasps to take the lead.
However, Naiyaravoro powered over in the 78th minute to claim 13-man Northampton’s sixth win of the league season, with Biggar adding his fifth kick of the day.
Wasps suffered a big pre-match blow when captain Joe Launchbury withdrew through illness.
Rory Hutchinson sparked the game into life in the 17th minute when he sent Biggar through a gap and the fly-half ran 25 metres before providing Reinach with an easy run-in try.
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Biggar converted before Wasps immediately missed a good opportunity to draw level when the visitors threw long at a line-out in their own 22.
This is why @WaspsRugby signed Malakai Fekitoa!
Hit, turnover, and break all in one movement before an offload to set Marcus Watson away in the corner ?
Different class! pic.twitter.com/LdICAICbzg
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) January 5, 2020
Thomas Young gathered and rushed forward but the home flanker lost possession as he drove for the try-line.
However, the hosts maintained the pressure and were rewarded when Umaga kicked a simple penalty to put them on the scoreboard.
Wasps followed this up by taking the lead against the run of the play. Centre Malakai Fekitoa ripped the ball from Piers Francis before sending Watson away on a 45-metre sprint to the line.
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Saints were soon back in front when Alex Waller powered away to put the Wasps’ defence on the back foot.
England's reported courtship of @LouisReesZammit is very unlikely to pan outhttps://t.co/MEpDu18QZg
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 5, 2020
The prop was hauled down but the ball was recycled for Harrison to stroll over after Ahsee Tuala had picked the number eight out with a long pass.
Saints led 14-10 at the interval and within a minute of the restart, they extended their advantage when Wood charged down Dan Robson’s clearance to pick up and score.
Northampton looked to have sealed the win 10 minutes later when Reinach finished off a period of sustained pressure to score his second and pick up his side’s bonus point.
"Massively proud of the boys, we showed massive character to dig in!"
Teimana Harrison reflects on an incredible game and a massive win for @SaintsRugby ?
Statement made. pic.twitter.com/UQkygwVPo3
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) January 5, 2020
However, spirited Wasps soon replied with converted tries from Gopperth and Minozzi in quick succession to bring them right back into the match.
Saints were now firmly under the cosh after Collins’ dismissal was shortly followed by Reinach’s sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on, which resulted in a penalty try award to put Wasps ahead.
But Saints conjured up one last effort and Naiyaravoro powered over to have the last say in a dramatic game.
Comments on RugbyPass
Pick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
15 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
15 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
15 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
15 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
15 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
15 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
15 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to comments