Exiles stunned by Saints

London Irish missed the opportunity to move back on top of the Guinness Premiership after a 21-17 defeat to Northampton at Franklin's Gardens.

Lock Juandre Kruger and scrum-half Lee Dickson ran in first-half tries for Saints, with fly-half Stephen Myler picking up an 11-point haul.

The Exiles got off to a flying start with an 80-metre runaway try from left-wing Sailosi Tagicakibau and despite three second half penalties from Delon Armitage, Saints held on for the win.

Wing Tagicakibau gave Toby Booth's men the perfect start after just two minutes when he picked up the loose ball, set off from inside his own 22 with Paul Diggin in pursuit and stretched over the line to touch down.

Northampton responded to the early setback with a sixth-minute penalty from Myler and then scored a superb try of their own.

Impress

England hooker Dylan Hartley released Scotland flanker Scott Gray through the middle, Diggin injected pace into a move finished off by Kruger.

The try was Kruger's first at Franklin's Gardens - and his second for the club - since arriving in November.

Myler added the conversion and kicked two more penalties to stretch the lead to 16-8 by the 23rd minute.

Saints continued to stretch Irish with their free-flowing rugby and the pressure paid off with their second try two minutes before the interval, as Ben Foden took the chance to impress the watching Martin Johnson.

Bursting down the short side from the base of a ruck, his pass out of the tackle found Courtney Lawes and the 20-year-old lock burst through the defence to send Dickson racing over in the left corner.

Northampton, beaten only once at home in the last 25 months, continued to look the more dangerous side but Irish dug in and threatened to turn the tables after the second-half introduction of prop Alex Corbisiero.

Lions hopeful Armitage pulled back three points with his second penalty in the 57th minute but hit the post with another attempt.

Two more penalties from Armitage, in the 71st and 75th minutes, secured a losing bonus point for the visitors who still need to win their final match, away to Worcester next Saturday, to make sure of a place in the championship top-four play-off.