Wasps…………………..36
Tries: Willis 11, Odogwu 19, Oghre 54, Atkinson 57
Conversions: Umaga 12, 55
Penalties: Umaga 22, 25, 65
Northampton Saints….40
Tries: Coles 40, 79; Sleightholme 58, Penalty 67, Skosan 80+1
Conversions: Furbank 59, Huthinson 80
Penalties: Biggar 5, 14, 43
Courtnall Skosan's fourth try in two games gave Northampton a stunning last-gasp win against Wasps, who had the wind taken out of their sails by Jacob Umaga's red card.
Umaga went from hero to zero having played superbly both on and off the ball as well as landing a pair of brilliant long-ranged penalties to help Wasps into a 33-21 lead.
But after he carelessly took Skosan out in the air, and the Saints wing landed on the top of his back, a penalty try was awarded, he was sent off, and the game began to turn towards Northampton.
Wasps continued to fight, and still held an eight-point lead with 90 seconds remaining, but Alex Coles' second try of the match brought them within a score, before Skosan's overtime winner.
Willis and Odogwu-inspired Wasps shrug off difficult week, but ultimately fall short
Although they lost, Wasps cast aside a week of more issues off the pitch – albeit not as bad as those of Worcester – to play to their absolute best for just shy of three quarters of the contest.
They were easily the better team for the 55 minutes, and opened up a 30-14 lead after Charlie Atkinson scored a stunning solo try, flying through the Saints defence before kicking into space, and eventually scoring after players from each side both missed the chance to dot down.
It capped a brilliant period for the hosts, who led early through Jack Willis after he was fed by Nizaam Carr, and added a further score before half-time through Paolo Odogwu, showing he is back his best after a long-term ACL injury.
Odogwu almost had another after the break as he was hauled down just short of the line, but Wasps still had their third as Gabriel Oghre dived over.
Though Saints hit back straight after Atkinson's try, Umaga's boot meant they were kept at arms-length, with two of the full-back's penalties having been knocked over from the halfway line.
And with the way Wasps had defended, making a catalogue of turnovers including four for Jack Willis, it still looked as if they would come out with victory.
Saints deliver killer blow this time
After missing out on a late winner having battered the Harlequins defence for 25 phases last week, Saints made no mistake this week and were utterly ruthless and clinical as they fought back late on to win on the road.
Like that game against Quins, the biggest problem with their attack had been the way they had looked after the ball, but as in that game they never looked beaten, even when they were three scores adrift.
A try from Coles with the clock in the red got the score back to 18-11 at half-time, before Biggar's boot cut the gap to four early in the second period, after the Wales fly-half had already slotted two penalties in the first half.
Ollie Sleightholme's try in response to Atkinson's stunner kept them in touch once again, and after Umaga's red, they had their chance to win.
They didn't immediately wipe out Wasps' lead after the penalty try, and once the hosts had a two-score lead from Will Haydon-Wood's penalty it looked as if they might miss out again.
But after Coles' second, where he cut a fine line off the ruck after his team had been stopped just short of the line, they only needed four phases to get down the other end of the field, and cap a memorable week for Skosan.
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