Saints keep pressure on Tigers

Tries from wings Paul Diggin and Chris Ashton saw Northampton make light of a woeful goal-kicking display from fly-half Stephen Myler to keep the pressure on leaders Leicester at the top of the Guinness Premiership with a 15-7 win at Sale.

Sale had entered the game level on points with bottom club Leeds and this performance, their eighth-straight defeat in all competitions, will have done little to ease their relegation fears.

Northampton led 7-0 at the break thanks to Diggin's try, converted by full-back Bruce Reihana, but could have been much further ahead as Myler missed four straightforward penalties.

Ashton then went over shortly after the break and Shane Geraghty slotted a penalty to seal the win, before Ben Cohen got a late try for the home side and Hodgson missed a last-gasp penalty which would have given his side a losing bonus point.

David Walder scored 19 points as Wasps closed in on the top four with a 24-19 home victory over Gloucester.

The former England fly-half scored a try which he converted and added four penalties. Gloucester battled back from 13-0 down to 16-16 only to be sunk by a late try from David Lemi.

Newcastle's hopes of a rare double over Bath disappeared as the visitors scored two second-half tries to come back from 10-5 down and win 17-13 at Kingston Park.

Matt Banahan, Nick Abendanon and David Wilson scored the visitors tries with Olly Barkley adding a conversion. rob vickerman crossed for the hosts and Jimmy Gopperth booted the remainder of their points.

Leeds made it three Guinness Premiership wins from three to move off the bottom of the table with a narrow 19-12 victory over faltering Saracens.