GEORDANMurphy offered no excuses for the crushing defeat. Leicester's head coach said: “Northampton were better than us in all aspects of the game. “We were blown away.
No one goes out to make mistakes – Saints were clinical and ruthless.” Murphy felt a key turning point was Saints' third try just before halftime which came from a woeful Leicester throw in the home team's 22.
“The next thing you know you are standing under your own sticks,” lamented Murphy.
TEAMS
NORTHAMPTON: Furbank 6 (Tuala 5-17, 66, 5); Collins 7, Proctor 7 (Dingwall 70, 7), Hutchinson 7, Naiyaravoro 8; Grayson 7, Reinach 7 (Mitchell 72, 5); Waller 6 (co-c) (van Wyk 65, 6), Haywood 7, Painter 6 (Hill 65, 5), Moon 6, Ratuniyarawa 7 (Coles 69, 6), Wood 7 (Gibson 69, 6), Ludlam 76, Harrison 6 (co-c)
LEICESTER: Worth 5; May 6, Tuilagi 5, Taute 5 (Reid 62, 5), Holmes 4 (Forsyth 19, 5); Ford 5, Ben Youngs 5 (White 69, 5); Genge 6 (Gigena 69, 5), Tom Youngs 4 (Kerr 47, 4), Cole 6 (Leatigaga 69, 6), Lavanini 6, Green 6 (Lewis 69, 5), Wells 6, Thompson 6, Kalamafoni 6 (Coghlan 58, 6)
REFEREE: Matthew Carley
ATTENDANCE: 15,200
Star man
Taqele Naiyaravoro – Northampton
He tried to defend his two hookers, Tom Youngs and Jake Kerr, who between them lost seven line-outs. He added: “Saints have a quality line-out and they put us under a lot of pressure.
Sometimes you have of f nights. Certainly, tonight was one of them.” Leicester are worried about a knee injury to wing Jonah Holmes, helped off after 19 minutes.
Northampton also have injuries. Head coach Chris Boyd said lock Cour tney Lawes could be sidelined for a fur ther three weeks due to a hamstring injury while fly-half Dan Biggar has a foot problem. Prop Owen Franks missed the match with a hand problem.
