Sale extend losing run

SALE director of rugby Kingsley Jones believes his side have what it takes to beat the drop. The Sharks suffered a 15-7 defeat – their eighth in a row in all competitions – at the hands of high-flying Northampton which, coupled with Leeds' victory over Saracens, sent them bottom of the Guinness Premiership table.

Jones said: "If we win our game in hand against Wasps we will leapfrog up the table. The last thing we need to do is panic. We have to keep believing in what we are doing."

Northampton led 7-0 at the break thanks to Paul Diggin's try, converted by full-back Bruce Reihana, but could have been much further ahead as fly-half Stephen Myler missed four straightforward penalties.

Leeds made it three Guinness Premiership wins from three to move off the bottom of the table with a narrow 19-12 victory over faltering Saracens. Newcastle's hopes of a rare double over Bath disappeared as the visitors scored two second-half tries to come back from 10-5 down and win 17-13 at Kingston Park. The game ended in controversy with the referee blowing for time with one minute and eight seconds still left on the scoreboard clock and Newcastle banging away at the Bath line before Bath turned it over and booted the ball dead.

The Newcastle players were furious and pointed to the clock but the referee still ushered both teams off the pitch.