Rugby round-up: Saints empty handed

SIX games, six defeats, and the misery for Northampton continues. Languishing at the foot of Courage League One, the Saints were yesterday left ruing the loss of a 10-3 half-time lead. And Orrell had given their visitors every help they could.

Simon Langford, the Orrell full-back, had eight kicks at goal and landed only one of them, allowing Northampton to go ahead through a fine solo try by Matthew Dawson. Unable to score with the boot, Orrell were forced to make for the tryline and had their 13-10 victory sewn up with 15 minutes to spare with tries by Ian Wynn and Ian Bruce. To compound Northampton's despair, they lost Ian Hunter, their full-back, and Chris Allen, the prop, to injury.

Saracens maintained their impressive pace in League Two, though few were impressed by their route to 18-7 victory over Fylde, every home point coming from the boot of Andy Tunningley. Waterloo match Saracens on five wins out of six after a 26-5 win over Coventry. They were lifted by Peter Buckton, who scored two tries before limping off with an ankle injury.

In Wales, Cardiff's 18-15 victory at Treorchy saw them claim top place in the Heineken League. Swansea beat Newbridge 32-13 and maintain the pressure, though Bridgend, who had been top, lost 22-6 at a Neil Jenkins-inspired Pontypridd. The big game in Division Two was in Gwent where Aberavon, the only side with a 100 per cent record, lost 29-18 to fourth-placed Ebbw Vale.

With the McEwan's Scottish League stopping for a breather for the next two weekends, there was a meeting of two sides with unbeaten records at Myreside yesterday where Watsonians played host to Stirling County. Stirling edged to a 23-19 victory and are now the only side with an unblemished record as Glasgow High/Kelvinside lost to Currie, 20-6.

South Af rica got their expected pre-tour boost yesterday when they completed their second victory in the two-Test series against Argentina at Ellis Park. However, Jose Cilley, the new Puma stand-off, stole the limelight, making his first Test appearance three hours after arriving off a plane from Buenos Aires and then scoring a try and succeeding with all his six kicks at goal.