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Last Updated: Sunday, 12 February 2006, 17:10 GMT

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Wasps 19-19 Northampton

MATCH SUMMARY

Wasps (6) 19
Try: Van Gisbergen
Con: King
Pens: King (2), Van Gisbergen
DG: King

Northampton (10) 19
Try: Clarke
Con: Reihana
Pens: Reihana (3)

Premiership champions Wasps avoided a home defeat to Northampton when Alex King levelled the scores with a 76th-minute drop goal.

The scores fluctuated throughout the match, with Saints taking a 10-6 lead at half-time after a Jon Clarke try.

Bruce Reihana then moved the visitors 16-6 ahead shortly after the interval before a converted try and penalty by Mark van Gisbergen levelled the scores.

Reihana then nudged Saints 19-16 ahead before King's late effort.

Remarkably Wasps were captained by Lawrence Dallaglio, who opted to play less than 24 hours after appearing as a substitute for England in Rome.

But he could only watch early on as Clarke moved Northampton ahead with a fine solo effort.

King kept his side in contention with his boot before van Gisbergen slid in for Wasps' only try in the 56th minute.

Their cause looked to be helped further still when Saints' Carlos Spencer was sin-binned for a high tackle but the player deficit appeared to inspire his team-mates.

Reihana managed another penalty for a 19-16 before King snapped over his levelling drop goal.

Wasps director of rugby Ian McGeechan:
"Lawrence Dallaglio and Matt Dawson decided to come back for the game and were due on a plane last night but they missed it. It was a good effort.

"The problem is you never who is going to be available. We had worked out quite a few different scenarios.

"The players trained all the week for the weekend with a bit of flexibility.

"Not knowing who we had to play was a big call for us all, but the conditions made it simple. There was only one way we could play."

Northampton coach Paul Grayson:
"The boys put in everything they had got. Wasps are a difficult team for anyone to beat. They fought their way back and took on their opponents."

"As for recalling Dallaglio and Dawson, Wasps took the opportunity. If we had been in the same situation we would have done the same thing."

Wasps: Van Gisbergen, Sackey, Hoadley, Abbott, Erinle, King, Reddan, Payne, Barratt, Bracken, Skivington, R. Birkett, Rees, O'Connor, Dallaglio.
Replacements: M Dawson for Reddan (63), Va'a for Payne (57), Gotting for Barratt (69), Laird for Bracken (63), Leo for R. Birkett (69), Haskell for Rees (57).
Not Used: Staunton.

Northampton: Kydd, Rudd, Clarke, Quinlan, Reihana, Spencer, Robinson, Smith, Richmond, Budgen, D. Browne, Lord, Tupai, Lewitt, D. Browne.
Replacements: Emms for Smith (63), Hartley for Richmond (63), Gerard for Lord (52), Harding for Tupai (69), Fox for Lewitt (57).
Not Used: Howard, Pritchard.

Sin Bin: Spencer (68).

Att: 8,743

Ref: R Debney (RFU).

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