Silverware for Saints

Northampton have capped their first season back in the top flight with European silverware after scoring a 15-3 victory against Bourgoin in the final of the Challenge Cup at the Twickenham Stoop.

The win means that the Saints, who finished eighth having climbed back into the Guinness Premiership, find themselves in the draw for next season's Heineken Cup.

Jim Mallinder's side adopted a high-tempo approach to the contest, one that perhaps belied the fact they were playing their first match in three weeks.

No tries were scored but the fast pace was certainly matched by a fiercely competitive spirit that brought one red card, two yellows and more than enough incident to keep referee George Clancy occupied.

Saints made a positive start and immediately looked lively as they tried to find a way through Bourgoin's defence and grab an early score, the pressure paying off in part in the 10th minute when Stephen Myler kicked a penalty.

The young fly-half almost let Bourgoin back in when he was charged down by Coenraad Basson in front of his own posts just two minutes later, but the pressure eased after scrum-half Morgan Parra was penalised.

An end-to-end contest was fast developing with both sides having the chance to score in quickfire succession - the French defence backtracking to beat Paul Diggin to the ball before the Saints were forced to do the same to halt Jean-Francois Coux on the left wing.

Blows traded

Tempers were also coming to the boil - scrum-halves Parra and Lee Dickson twice trading blows while Anthony Forest and Diggin also got in on the act.

The referee was finally forced to intervene in the 35th minute and it was Parra and Neil Best who were yellow-carded after a ruck ended with fists flying in all directions - replays suggesting that Bourgoin captain Julien Frier had punched Best.

Meantime, Myler had doubled the Saints' advantage before inspiring a glorious counter-attack - his reverse pass finding Diggin, who progressed a sweeping left-to-right overlap which broke down just short of its deserved reward.

Parra placed Bourgoin's first points on the board with a penalty in the 34th minute, with Myler extending Saints' advantage back out to six points shortly before the interval before making it four penalties from four nine minutes after the re-start.

He could not find the target with a drop-goal attempt four minutes later, however, but as the hour approached Northampton appeared the more likely to score - especially following a break instigated by captain Bruce Reihana.

Territory established, Northampton's scrum pushed for the line from five yards out. However, the pressure came to nought when giant prop Soane Tonga'uiha was penalised.

Huge hit

Bourgoin were having trouble getting out of their half by this stage but still Northampton could not get the try. Myler ended one attack with another failed drop-goal attempt but, even so, another penalty in the 70th minute placed further distance between the two sides.

Out of necessity, the French side started making forays into Northampton's half during the closing 10 minutes - one break ending with a forward pass but also resulting in a huge hit by replacement Courtney Lawes on Parra that stopped play for several minutes and saw the French international substituted.

Lawes himself was on the receiving end of a right hand from Thomas Genevois moments later, the Bourgoin replacement pushing the inevitable red card back into referee Clancy's pocket as he left the field at the end of a match characterised by ill-temperedness.