Northampton have not made the knockout stage of the European Cup since losing the 2011 final to Leinster but an emphatic 38-15 away win over Treviso, in which the bonus point try was secured after 48 minutes, put them in a strong position to end that run.
The Premiership leaders led 12-3 at the break after opting to play a territory game, rarely running the ball in their own half against opponents who had not won in 11 league and cup matches this season. They opted to kick penalties to touch immediately and were rewarded when Samu Manoa forced his way over from a driving maul seven minutes in.
The Saints had a surfeit of penalties in the opening 10 minutes, but when the referee Peter Fitzgibbon limped off with a hamstring strain after 13 minutes, replaced by his Irish compatriot Leo Colgan, Northampton fell into disfavour and the former Wasps and Worcester outside-half Joe Carlisle scored Treviso’s first points from 40 metres after Lee Dickson was blown for offside.
Northampton’s second try came from a driving lineout after a penalty had been kicked to touch. Treviso were down to 14 men with Francesco Minto in the sin-bin for entering a maul from the side although Colgan initially pinged the flanker Simone Favaro for the offence, and the prop Alex Waller finished off the drive.
Northampton were looking for a bonus point to make ground on Racing Metro who had failed to score four tries in Italy and they had it within eight minutes of the restart. A penalty lineout was its source, although this time the Saints moved the ball wide where Ben Foden crossed on the left wing.
The fourth came from the kick-off. Tom Stephenson flipped a pass out of the back of his left hand to Jamie Elliott on the Saints’ 10-metre line and, three passes later, Luther Burrell touched down close to the posts to not only secure the extra point but end the game as a contest.
The Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder named his England contingent on the bench. Tom Wood came on after 53 minutes and immediately conceded a penalty that gave Treviso the position from which they fashioned a try for the wing Ludovico Nitoglia, passes sticking for once. The Saints’ strong scrum earned a penalty try before, with Romulo Acosta in the sin-bin for expressing bemusement at a refereeing decision, Carlisle intercepted Stephenson’s pass and George Pisi, returning from the hamstring injury he suffered in the opening round, scored with the final move of the match.
