Saints sent packing

Harlequins threw the formbook out of the window on Saturday when they halted Northampton's winning streak in the Guinness Premiership by beating the Saints 13-6.

Northampton arrived at the Twickenham Stoop having won six league games in a row to establish themselves as title contenders - their opponents in contrast having suffered three straight losses, the last being a 46-6 hammering by Gloucester.

The visitors were also boosted by the presence of three members of the England squad - Ben Foden, Chris Ashton and Courtney Lawes - while Quins were missing Nick Easter, who is pencilled in to start against Ireland in the Six Nations next week.

And yet it was the hosts who took the initiative, running at Saints from the start and gaining their first reward when fly-half Nick Evans kicked a third-minute penalty.

Tempers soon flared; indeed they did so on several occasions - one such turning a Quins scrum into a penalty against Juandre Kruger, scored by Evans after seven minutes.

Northampton earned themselves a penalty following their first venture into opposing territory in the 10th minute after James Percival pulled an opponent down in the lineout. However, Stephen Myler's kick sailed wide.

Harlequins soon returned to the visitors' 22, where only solid defence prevented the game's opening try.

Fortunate

Northampton were then fortunate not to go 9-0 down when a scrum was awarded rather than a penalty with two Saints clearly offside at a ruck.

The visitors' scrummaging was less than impressive during the first quarter, but what appeared a certain try for Quins was prevented by Lee Dixon when he got underneath George Lowe after the latter had crossed the line.

Quins made the breakthrough soon enough though and their try came from the scrum, the ball being worked towards the left where Lowe drew the cover before passing out to Mike Brown who sprinted over.

A fine angled conversion by Evans saw the favourites 13-0 behind after 20 minutes - Harlequins continuing to defy the odds by playing most of the first half in Northampton's last third.

They should have scored another through David Strettle but, having received a well-timed pass from Evans, the sometime England winger fumbled the ball feet from the line.

Saints finally broke out to earn a penalty seconds from the interval but Myler again fired wide.

Northampton made a far better start to the second half but when presented with the chance to cut the deficit just two minutes in, Myler completed a hat-trick of missed penalties.

He finally broke his duck on 46 minutes, though, when Doyle penalised Quins for offside.

When presented with another chance in the 55th minute, Myler doubled Northampton's score to put them right back in the game.

Home nerves were hardly calmed when Evans scuffed a kickable 64th minute penalty well short of the posts.

But Shane Geraghty, who came on for Myler, did no better three minutes later, firing a kickable penalty across the face of the goal.