Rugby Union News: Wasps, Saracens, Bath on top of Premiership

Northampton Saints 15-20 Wasps, Harlequins 17-10 Saracens

The Wasps are in first place on top of the Premiership Table after making it four wins from their opening four games after their victory against Northampton. The win moved the Wasps three points clear at the top of the table after current champions Saracens lost 17-10 to Harlequins. George North's second-minute try got the Saints off to a promising start, but Wasps held firm. Jimmy Gopperth put the Wasps in front with a superb try with an assist by Danny Cipriani. Northampton answered to make it 13-12 through Tom Kessell's try before a decisive late score by Josh Bassett. The Saints North crossed in the corner from Ben Foden's offload within 90 seconds. Wasps manager Dai Young's side took the lead with a counter-attacking score.

Fly-half Cipriani made his 100th appearance for the Wasps after his return to the side after stints with the Melbourne Rebels and Sale Sharks. Cipriani countered from inside his own 22 from a pass by Joe Simpson. Cipriani found support from flanker Guy Thompson’s pass that freed Gopperth to elude North and score. Gopperth's boot increased the lead to 13-5, and Northampton were self-defeating as they attempted to fight back, committing a series of errors until the end of the match. The Wasps had to endure to the last five minutes after Nathan Hughes was sin-binned. Kessell jumped at the chance to score and Stephen Myler's conversion brought the game to within a point. The Saints defeated themselves when Wasps pounced on a loose ball from scrum-half Dan Robson, and winger Bassett went past Harry Mallinder to score.

Ken Pisi got a yellow card for a tripping Dan Robson as he chased his kick, but with both sides down to 14 men, Myler's late penalty secured a losing bonus point for Northampton. Northampton Saints director of rugby Jim Mallinder talked with the media about their loss. "We just have to be a bit more accurate. We had lots of chances to win that game but sometimes that's life,” said Mallinder. You've got to dust yourself down and get back into it which we'll do and we'll come out fighting against Exeter."

Wasps director of rugby Dai Young said his side got lucky. "I said to the players, we rode our luck today without a shadow of a doubt,” said Dai Young. "We won that game today on sheer heart and togetherness. We found a way to win. I'm really pleased because we were under pressure for big parts of that game today. I thought we showed a real attitude and a fight."

Premiership
Northampton Saints (5) 15
Tries: North, Kessell Con: Myler Pen: Myler
Wasps (10) 20
Tries: Gopperth, Bassett Cons: Gopperth 2 Pens: Gopperth 2

Squads
Northampton Saints
Foden; K Pisi, G Pisi, Mallinder, North; Myler, Groom; Waller, Haywood, Brookes, Lawes, Dickinson, Wood (capt), Gibson, Picamoles.
Subs: Clare, Ma'afu, Hill, Paterson, Harrison, Kessell, Hutchinson, Tuala.
Wasps
Miller; Wade, Daly, Gopperth, Bassett; Cipriani, Simpson; Mullan, Taylor, Cooper-Woolley, Symons, Gaskell (capt), Jones, Thompson, Hughes.
Subs: Johnson, McIntyre, Moore, Myall, Young, Robson, Eastmond, De Luca.

Harlequins 17-10 Saracens

Harlequins ended champions Saracens' unbeaten run at the start of the season with a thrilling victory at The Stoop. Tries from Tim Visser and Charlie Walker gave Saracens a 17-0 lead by half-time. Harlequins had won only one of their three opening matches while Saracens had a 100% record. Soon after the start of the match, Harlequins moved quickly into the lead as Tim Visser scored the opening try of the match giving them a 17-0 lead. Saracens came back with a Richard Wigglesworth try right after the break before a Ben Spencer penalty reduced Harlequins lead. Harlequins lock James Horwill was sin-binned late on his side held on to earn a memorable win on home turf.

Harlequins’ Tim Sweil earned an early penalty before Scotland international Visser intercepted Alex Lozowski's pass to add a try. Harlequins dominance continued as Walker finished to extend their lead to 17-0.Saracens made key handling errors and was unable to score for more than 40 minutes. However, last year's Premiership and European Champions Cup winners Saracens final struck in the second half, with former England sevens winger Mike Ellery the hero. Ellery set up scrum-half Wigglesworth to score, and Lozowski added the conversion..

"The whole performance, both when we had the ball and when they had the ball, was tremendous,” said Harlequins director of rugby John Kingston after the victory. "You know the level at which you've got to play to down the European champions. What we've got to do is try to follow that through and realize that those are the levels we've got to be at if we want to be at the top table. The whole all-round performance was exceptional. Twenty-two players got on and it was a 22-man effort on the field and many more off-field as well. I was really pleased with it."

Mark McCall, Saracens director of rugby told the media the set-back was disappointing. "It's disappointing to lose, it always is. It's our first set-back in a while and over the last couple of years, we've always responded well to these types of situations,” said McCall. "I'm hoping we can do the same again this week. Harlequins are a good side, who have a lot of good players and you need to be on it wherever you go. When you're 17-0 behind, it's a bit of a mountain to climb. But, we gave ourselves a chance in the second half, which is encouraging."

Premiership
Harlequins (17) 17
Tries: Visser, Walker Cons: Sweil 2 Pens: Sweil
Saracens (0) 10
Try: Wigglesworth Con: Lozowski Pen: Spencer

Squads
Harlequins
Brown; Walker, Hopper, Roberts, Visser; Swiel, Care (capt); Marler, Buchanan, Collier, Merrick, Horwill, Robshaw, Wallace, Chisholm.
Subs: Gray, Lambert, Sinckler, Twomey, Ward, Dickson, Jackson, Alofa.
Saracens
Goode; Ellery, Bosch, Barritt (capt), Wyles; Lozowski, Wigglesworth; M. Vunipola, Brits, Du Plessis, Itoje, Hamilton, Rhodes, Wray, B. Vunipola.
Subs: George, Barrington, Figallo, Brown, Spurling, Spencer, Tompkins, Gallagher.

Aviva Rugby Union Premiership Table as of 9.25.2016
Wasps – 18 points
Saracens – 15 points
Bath – 14 points
Leicester – 13 points
Exeter – 11 points
Newcastle – 9 points
Gloucester – 9 points
Harlequins – 8 points
Sale Sharks – 8 points
Northampton – 7 points
Worcester – 5 points
Bristol – 1 point

Premiership Rugby Union Players Salary Cap Update

The base level of the Premiership's salary cap for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons will not change and will remain at £7m. The salary cap limit is currently capped at £6.5m, but will increase to £7m at the start of the 2017-18 campaign as decided by the board of Premiership Rugby. "We have a very strong and highly competitive league," said Premiership Rugby CEO Mark McCafferty. "The salary cap framework is essential to maintaining its strength and protecting the competitive uncertainty which is its hallmark."

McCafferty warned the league in July that they must monitor player wage inflation after the Rugby Football Union and the Premiership signed a new agreement regarding access to England players worth in excess of £225m. Clubs can nominate two players to be excluded from the salary cap and will receive £600,000 - up from £500,000 - in academy credits, for players who are under the age of 24, joined before their 18th birthday and are earning more than £30,000 a year. Premiership rugby union sides may can for one injury replacement when one of their players has been injured for a period of 12 weeks or more. Enjoy the 2016 – 2017 rugby season’s live action! Buy all Rugby Union tickets securely online at LiveRugbyTickets.com! The very best Autumn Internationals rugby tickets are available now for sale to watch England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Argentina and more compete for glory!