19st Taqele barrels in to show he finally gets the game
HEAVYWEIGHT Wallaby Taqele Naiyaravaro made his powerful presence fully felt in this uplifting win for Northampton.
The Wallaby wing – all 19st and 6ft 5in of him – was a menace from start to finish in a win by five tries to two.
And his score in the 58th minute sealed Northampton’s third and best win of the Premiership campaign so far.
In contrast, Wasps have now endured a run of seven defeats in all competitions.
For the Fijian-born player this was his first really effective display and he admitted afterwards that he had taken time to get the “hang of ” of English rugby since his summer arrival.
He could easily have scored a hat-trick but he was held up over the line in one first-half effort while a second was ruled out after a call from the TMO.
Everything went just about right for Northampton who gave six players their Premiership debuts.
To cap the afternoon their final try came from one of the newcomers, substitute wing Ollie Sleightholme, 18, son of former Saint and England international Jon.
He shot clear down the right ten minutes from time after receiving his first pass in the Premiership.
Northampton started by trying to utilise the power of Naiyaravoro and the sheer weight of pressure meant Wasps were buckling from early on.
The first try came after six minutes when James Grayson surprised Wasps by aiming a cross-kick straight into the arms of wing Andrew Kellaway.
Kellaway caught the kick and then wrestled out of reach from the Wasps cover to score in the right corner.
Though Grayson badly mis-cued the conversion, he landed a penalty in the 18th minute to keep up momentum.
Wasps, who got on the wrong side of referee Matt O’Grady, lost flanker Thomas Young to the sin bin in the 35th minute.
Grayson added his second penalty for an 11-0 lead and Wasps were backpedalling again immediately from the kick off.
Naiyaravoro caught the ball and shot off down the left before linking with centre James Dingwall who stylishly finished.
Grayson, again, fluffed the conversion and Wasps regrouped to gain their first points through a Sopoaga penalty.
However, Wasps were soon struggling after the restart though Naiyaravoro had one try ruled out because replays indicated referee O’Grady had accidentally interfered with defenders.
It did not stop Northampton and from the next attack Piers Francis scored in the right corner.
Wasps gained some hope when Young, back on the pitch, finished off a line-out drive following a Sopoaga kick for the corner.
At 21-10 Naiyaravoro added his try, latching on to some excellent linking play.
A wave of substitutes signalled the match was over but that did not stop some giddy celebrations when Sleightholme was put clear by Luther Burrell.
Wasps had the final word but a try by wing Josh Bassett was a consolation in a poor display.