| Northampton: (19) 38 |
| Tries: Lawes, Penalty, Matavesi, James, Sleightholme, Augustus Cons: Savala 3 |
| Newcastle: (13) 13 |
| Try: Radwan Con: Johnson Pens: Johnson 2 |
Northampton Saints went into the Six Nations break top of the Premiership after beating bottom side Newcastle Falcons 38-13.
Saints – who were missing seven players on England duty – led 19-13 at the break as Courtney Lawes and Sam Matavesi added to a penalty try, while Adam Radwan responded for Newcastle.
Tom James’ try sealed a Northampton bonus point after the break.
Newcastle missed three good chances to score before Ollie Sleightholme and Juarno Augustus added to Saints’ tally.
It means Northampton open up a seven-point gap at the top of the table – although that gap will be cut if Exeter Chiefs win at Saracens later on Saturday.
It was a 12th successive league loss for Falcons this season and a 15th in a row going back to March.
It was the final game under the interim stewardship of Micky Ward, before former Sale Sharks boss Steve Diamond takes over as consultant director of rugby on Monday.
Newcastle drew first blood through Louie Johnson’s seventh-minute penalty after Callum Chick raced three-quarters of the length of the pitch following an interception.
Five minutes later Lawes went in from close range for Saints, but Newcastle retook the lead as Radwan scored from the right after a three-pass move across the field after a five-metre scrum.
Midway through the half Freddie Lockwood stopped Sleightholme from scoring from an offside position, leading to a penalty try and 10 minutes in the sin-bin for the Newcastle flanker.
Despite being down to 14 Newcastle had one of their best spells of possession and Johnson added a second penalty 11 minutes from half-time, but Saints’ dominance at the scrum eventually told as Matavesi was mauled over from a line-out five minutes later after the hosts kicked a penalty to touch.
James went in under the posts 11 minutes after half-time following Rory Hutchinson’s break before Newcastle tried and failed to go over after being encamped in the Northampton 22.
Radwan was stopped on the line by Lawes, Lockwood was held up over the Saints line, and Matias Moroni knocked on as Newcastle failed to turn territory into points.
They were made to pay for not converting their chances when Sleightholme ended a four-pass move to score down the right wing for his seventh try of the season.
Augustus got the sixth try with four minutes remaining as he dived through a tiny gap between defender and flag in the right corner after Sam Graham had been stopped a metre from the line after gathering a superb Hutchinson kick.
Northampton: Hutchinson; Hamer-Webb, Odendaal, Litchfield, Sleightholme; Savala, James; A Waller, S Matavesi, Davison, Mayanavanua, Munga, Lawes, Ludlam (capt), Graham.
Replacements: R Smith, Haffar, Millar Mills, Moon, Augustus, Scott-Young, Braley, J Matavesi.
Newcastle: Obatoyinbo; Radwan, Moroni, Hutchison, Stevenson; Johnson, O’Sullivan; Brantingham, Byrne, McCallum, Hawkins, de Chaves, Lockwood, Pepper, Chick (capt).
Replacements: van Vuuren, Brocklebank, Bello, Cardall, Bainbridge, Stuart, Jennings, Carreras.
Sin-bin: Lockwood (22), Jennings (80).
Referee: Sara Cox.
