Wasps end Northampton’s unbeaten start
Wasps ended put a mixed start to the season behind them with a thrilling 26-20 derby win to end Northampton’s unbeaten start to the season.
Saints took the lead through Sam Matavesi's try but Zach Kibirige struck back. Penalties from Dan Biggar and Jacob Umaga kept the scores level at half-time and set up a grandstand finish for the Coventry crowd.
Wasps added a penalty through the boot of Umaga before Thomas Young's slick offload put Dan Robson over to make it 20-10.
Northampton refused to lie down and Lewis Ludlam reduced the deficit but the evergreen Jimmy Gopperth added two penalties to seal the win despite James Fish's last-gasp try, which secured a losing bonus.
Wasps moved up to fifth in the table but the day was marred by what appeared to be a serious ankle injury to lock James Gaskell in the dying moments of the match.
Wasps head coach Lee Blackett said: “"There was a lot that wasn't right out there, a lot that could be better, but I thought the control we showed at times was really pleasing."
He added that Gaskell’s injury ‘did not look good’ and that he couldn’t see the recovery being a quick turnaround.
Wasps: Watson; Kibirige, Spink, Le Bourgeois, Bassett; Umaga, Robson; Harris, Cruse, Scholtz, Fifita, Stooke, Shields (capt), Young, T Willis.
Replacements: Oghre, Hislop, Toomaga-Allen, Gaskell, Carr, Porter, Gopperth, Crossdale.
Sin-bin: Oghre (62 mins).
Northampton: Furbank; Freeman, Proctor, Dingwall, Sleightholme; Biggar, Mitchell; Auterac, Matavesi, Hill, Ribbans, Ratuniyarawa, Lawes, Ludlam (capt), Augustus.
Replacements: Fish, Waller, Painter, Coles, Harrison, Lomani, Hutchinson, Moon.