Saints take control of Pool One with convincing victory

HEINEKEN CUP:NORTHAMPTON TOOK control of Pool One with a convincing 23-15 win over Cardiff Blues to lead the table on 12 points. The home team, which have lost only once in the league all season, are three points ahead of second placed Castres, who also won over the weekend 21-16 against Edinburgh.

The Saints’ win in Franklin’s Gardens takes them to 10 home wins in a row in the Heineken Cup as they prepare to face the Welsh side next week in Cardiff. Hard fought rather than dominant was how director of rugby Jim Mallinder put it, his team running in two tries and Steve Myler kicking two conversions and three penalties. Irish centre James Downey found himself in the sin-bin as referee Romain Poite sent five players to the line. Dan Parks kicked all of Cardiff’s points with five penalties.

In Pool Five a powerful display from the Perpignan pack was enough to edge out Leicester Tigers in Stade Aime Giral. The match opened up in the second half after a first period of dogged scrumming, during which Alan Lewis yellow-carded both opposing hookers. In the end it was Perpignan fullback Jerome Porical who delivered for his team, nicking a try as well as kicking four penalties and a conversion. Leicester, however, returned to Welford Road with a valuable losing bonus point thanks to accurate kicking from outhalf Toby Flood and a Geordan Murphy try. Those contributions ensure Leicester sit at the top of the table on 11 points with Perpignan and Scarlets on 10.

In Pool Six both Toulouse and London Wasps came away with wins, the French side travelling to Edinburgh’s Firhill Arena where they won 16-28 and Wasps taking a 16-23 victory from Cardiff City Stadium. The pool will be won by one of these two clubs with Glasgow and Newport Gwent Dragons way off the pace.

Wasps relied on second-half tries from David Lemi and Tom Varndell to turn over the Dragons yesterday, the game having been switched from a frozen Rodney Parade. While Wasps were not at their best and the game rarely rose above workmanlike, they did have to come back from 10-0 and 16-10 down as the Dragons outhalf, Jason Tovey, landed 11 points from the boot. Unfortunately he departed injured and Wasps three tries were plenty for the win.

Ulster have played their way into an interesting position in Pool Four after beating Bath at Ravenhill and then learning that Aironi had taken the scalp of Biarritz in Italy. While the French team lead the pool by two points, next week’s return fixture for Ulster against the English side in Bath could put a different complexion on the group if Biarritz slip up again in France.

It was Aironi, though, who claimed their first competitive victory with a 28-27 win over last season’s beaten finalists. A Julien Laharrague drop goal two minutes from time clinched the famous win for the Heineken Cup new boys after a late penalty from Dimitri Yachvili looked to have been enough for a Biarritz victory.

Biarritz scored four tries to Aironi’s three but laser kicking from scrumhalf Tito Tebaldi and the fullback’s drop goal proved crucial.