Saints rally stuns Gloucester
Paul Diggin scored two tries including a last-gasp bonus effort and as Northampton dented Gloucester's play-off hopes.
Last Updated: 04/04/09 6:19pm
Paul Diggin scored two tries including a last-gasp bonus effort and Stephen Myler booted 16 points as Northampton dented Gloucester's Guinness Premiership play-off hopes.
Hooker Dylan Hartley and skipper Bruce Reihana also crossed for Saints to counter the efforts of Nick Wood, Will James and Mark Foster, who all scored for the visitors before the break.
Myler kicked Saints ahead after five minutes but opposite number Ryan Lamb saw the first of two efforts come back off the upright shortly after.
Northampton revealed their early intentions with some entertaining attacking, Myler, Reihana and full-back Ben Foden involved in a slick move down the left.
But when play was switched they created an overlap to send Diggin racing in for his first try after just 10 minutes.
But Gloucester soon hit back after Saints struggled to clear their lines effectively, an initial attack being repelled before Wood charged down Lee Dickson's clearance attempt and fell on the ball for their first score.
But Saints made amends just two minutes later, Reihana creating it out of nothing when stepping inside Olly Morgan and two other would-be tacklers before finding Neil Best, who managed to release Hartley for an unopposed score.
But the visitors hit back again 10 minutes later, narrowing the deficit to 17-12 when flanker Akapusi Qera powered his way towards the try-line before the ball was recycled to James, who touched down one-handed.
Lamb converted but Myler extended the lead once again with a penalty before Gloucester crossed for a third time in just over half an hour, Morgan drawing the defence to send Foster in at the corner with Lamb again adding the two.
Myler gave Saints a four point lead at the interval and Lamb could have pulled one back soon afterwards, only to fluff a straight-forward attempt which prompted his substitution for Carlos Spencer, while Olly Barkley was introduced on kicking duty.
And he soon added a long-range penalty to keep his side within range, but it proved to be their last score as Northampton finished strongly.
The visiors were reduced to 14 men when Andy Hazell was sin-binned after 64 minutes following a melee on the Saints 22, and it proved the turning point.
Myler booted his fourth penalty before Reihana denied the visitors a losing bonus point and then Diggin dashed over in the closing seconds to give the score a somewhat lop-sided look.