Gaffney Gets His Lost Saints Back In Step

NORTHAMPTON welcomed new boss Alan Gaffney by scrapping their way to a first Premiership win since September in dramatic fashion with a last minute penalty try which got the Franklin’s Gardens faithful singing again.

- Brendan Gallagher

Saints aren’t marching yet but they are back on their feet.

It was far from perfect – Saints’ lineout was all over the place and their scrum creaked on occasions – but there was a tangible collective determination to do whatever it needed to win. Their defence was massively improved on recent weeks and No.8 Teimana Harrison had a huge game in the loose to spearhead the forward effort.

England and Saints skipper Dylan Hartley was one of the many Saints players who looked much energised by Gaffney’s arrival but, untypically, struggled at lineout time with four wayward throws and looked a dejected figure when he was replaced on 55 minutes.