Northampton (11) 31
Tries: Dowson, Ashton 2, Ansbro Cons: Myler Pens: Geraghty 3
Bath (3) 10
Tries: Williams Cons: Vesty Pens: Barkley

Dowson's try set Northampton on their way on Friday night

Northampton stretched clear at the top of the Premiership table as they ended Bath's unbeaten record with a bonus-point win on Friday night.

Two Shane Geraghty penalties and a Phil Dowson try gave Saints an 11-0 lead.

Olly Barkley landed a penalty for Bath on the stroke of half-time but a quick-fire Chris Ashton double and a Geraghty penalty saw Saints pull away.

Joe Ansbro scored out wide to earn the hosts a four-try bonus point before Ben Williams's late consolation for Bath.

The visitors' night went from bad to worse when England captain Lewis Moody limped off with 15 minutes remaining after appearing to sustain a knee injury.

Northampton's arch try-scorer Ashton also went off injured, with a foot problem, but the England winger said after the game that he hoped it would be all right after treatment.

Such is the even nature of the Premiership that even though it is only the third round of the new season the two clubs went into the match as the only teams with 100% records.

Both fizzed the ball about at pace from the first whistle but Northampton looked the more powerful unit and, after two Geraghty penalties, they scored the first try of the match.

A surging, multi-phase attack ended with blind-side flanker Dowson crashing over, and although Geraghty missed the kickable conversion, Northampton led 11-0 after 25 minutes.

Bath, who had missed two penalty shots at goal, hammered away at the hosts' line but mammoth Northampton defence, with second row Courtney Lawes to the fore, kept them at bay.

Bath finally got on the board through Barkley's boot with the final kick of the half but Saints hit back within seconds of the restart.

Dowson dummied off the back of a rumbling Northampton maul and broke clear before finding Ashton, the leading try scorer in England's top flight last year, to race 40m for a cracking try.

Geraghty, who was preferred at fly-half to the supposedly more reliable boot of Stephen Myler because of his more expansive style, once again missed badly with the conversion.

But he soon added a penalty to make it 19-3 with more than half an hour to play as Northampton ensured the scoreboard reflected their dominance.

When Bath lost prop David Wilson to the sin-bin Ashton collected his second try - Geraghty missed the conversion - and they spent the best part of the next 10 minutes merrily butchering the visitors' seven-man scrum.

Bath somehow escaped a torrid spell without conceding any points but Ben Foden put Ansbro over out wide, with replacement Myler converting, to secure the bonus point after 68 minutes.

The visitors had the final word as Williams crossed for his first ever Premiership try, with Sam Vesty converting, but Northampton had long since wrapped up victory.

Northampton coach Jim Mallinder:

"That performance was right up there with our best. The first half was exciting when Bath looked dangerous but we did well not to concede a try.

"The difference came in the opening period of the second half. The forwards got totally on top; we totally dominated in the scrums. Some of our driving play was excellent and we got some good quality quick ball."

Bath head coach Steve Meehan:

"That performance was way short of our standards and it's a very early wake-up call in the season.

"Everybody was well motivated, we had a good warm-up but we lost the physical battle especially at the breakdown. It was very disappointing.

"For the first 20 minutes of the second half we couldn't control the ball at all and at times our defence was non-existent."

Northampton: Foden; Ashton, Clarke, Downey, Reihana; Geraghty, Dickson; Tonga'uiha, Hartley, Mujati, Lawes, Day, Dowson, Wood, Wilson.

Replacements: Ansbro for Ashton (59), Myler for Geraghty (64), Powell for Dickson (69), Dreyer for Tonga'uiha (69), Sharman for Hartley (64), Murray for Mujati (56), Clark for Lawes (65), Easter for Wood (69).

Bath: Abendanon; Carraro, Hape, Barkley, Biggs; Vesty, McMillan; Barnes, Dixon, Wilson, Hooper, Grewcock, Beattie, Moody, Watson.

Replacements: Cuthbert for Abendanon (69), Williams for Barkley (56), Claassens for McMillan (64), Catt for Barnes (56), Batty for Dixon (60), Skirving for Grewcock (69), Bell for Beattie (51), Ovens for Moody (66).

Sin Bin: Wilson (51).

Att: 13,491

Ref: Chris White (RFU).

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