Grayson guides Saints to victory

The game was littered with errors

Northampton 26-7 Bath

Paul Grayson was Northampton's hero as he scored 16 points to condemn Bath to defeat at Franklin's Gardens.

Forner England star Grayson scored three second half penalties, dropped a goal and two conversions as the visitors slumped to their second successive defeat.

A record crowd of 10,241 saw a strange match, littered with errors.

Visiting coach Jon Callard made five changes in response to the opening defeat to Premiership new boys Leeds, with a first-team debut for 19-year-old fly-half Olly Barkley.

Scrum-half Gareth Cooper produced a try for Bath in the first half to nullify Budge Pountney's score, but it was Grayson's kicking which put daylight between the two sides.

Despite missing four penalty attempts, he managed to keep his confidence and his 77th minute drop goal along with Peter Jorgensen's injury time try made the scoreline look comfortable for the Saints.

For the visitors, the absence of England internationals Mike Catt, Iain Balshaw and Matt Perry was felt during the second half, when they barely mustered an attack.

Northampton: Grayson, Beal, Jorgensen, Leslie, Cohen, Brooks, Dawson, Smith, Thompson, Stewart, Phillips, Brouzet, Rennick, Pountney, Seely.
Replacements: Brotherstone, Budgen, Newman, Soden, Malone, Hepher, Tucker.

Bath: Thirlby, Voyce, Maggs, Cox, Danielli, Barkley, Cooper, Emms, Regan, Mallett, Borthwick, Grewcock, El Abd, Beattie, N. Thomas.
Replacements: Williams, Long, D. Barnes, Bellinger, Crockett, Hopcroft, Gabey.

Referee: Chris White (England)