Ashton sends Saints top

A hat-trick of tries from Chris Ashton helped Northampton to the top of the Guinness Premiership with a bonus-point win over Gloucester.

In a rematch of last month's LV= Cup final, Ashton crossed three times as the Saints scored a 38-23 victory at Franklin's Gardens to move them top of the pile in the Premiership.

Dylan Hartley added the fourth try for Saints, but he was also sin-binned in the second half to make life harder for the home side, as they conceded a converted try and penalty during that ten-minute spell.

Dave Attwood grabbed the second after Charlie Sharples had also gone over in the first half, but Ashton's late third try and a Shane Geraghty penalty helped make the game safe.

After swapping penalties, Gloucester's Jake Boer then dropped a clanger as he decided inexplicably to run a kickable penalty in front of the posts, and the ball was duly turned over inside Northampton's 22.

Counter-attack

Ben Foden's thumping clearance earned a lineout from which the ball quickly found its way into the hands of Ashton, and the league's top try scorer put his foot down to race between defenders and under the posts.

After kicking his first penalty of the day though, Nicky Robinson could not convert his and Gloucester's chances, missing two almost identical kicks.

The next Gloucester attack again ended in points for the Saints as Foden sliced apart the visiting backline in a superb counter-attack. Ashton was almost released again and although he was hauled down short, play came back for another Myler penalty.

Gloucester hit back four minutes later as James Simpson-Daniel managed to pop the ball up to Charlie Sharples to score. Robinson was back on the mark with the extras and Gloucester were also back in the game.

There was still time for another Myler penalty, this time for offside, and although Gloucester attacked again, the gap stayed at six points at the break.

Pressure

A frenetic second half started with Saints on the board first. Despite early pressure from the visitors, Myler's smart turnover set the platform for Hartley to cross from an Ashton offload.

Gloucester responded quickly with another Robinson penalty but Ashton was involved again to race through gaps in the Gloucester defence for his second and Northampton's third.

The game could have swung once more however when Hartley was sin-binned for killing the ball cynically. Robinson slotted the simple penalty and although the Saints looked to have held out, Attwood finished a patient Gloucester move just before Hartley returned.

With one score in it, the action moved from end to end but Geraghty, on for Myler, struck a decisive penalty blow to take the Saints two scores clear.

With time up and Gloucester attacking, the Saints turned over and Bruce Reihana raced clear. To the surprise of the whole ground the Kiwi unselfishly popped the ball to Ashton inside the dead ball zone for the winger's hat-trick.