Aviva Premiership round-up: Wasps and Northampton earn first wins of the season

A second-half penalty try proved decisive as Wasps secured their first win of the Aviva Premiership season with a hard-fought 16-9 victory over Bath.

After a tryless first half which saw Wasps go into the break 6-3 to the good, the game hinged on a key moment before the hour mark.

Bath scrum-half Nikola Matawalu pulled back Nathan Hughes as the number eight chased a charge-down over the try line and, after lengthy consultation with his television match official, referee Craig Maxwell-Keys awarded a penalty try and sent the Fijian to the sin bin.

With their scrum-half in the sin bin, Bath could only watch on as Jimmy Gopperth added the conversion and a third penalty to effectively seal the victory.

Late on George Ford slotted two penalties to claim a losing bonus point for last year's runners-up but they could not get close enough to grab what would have been their fourth win in a row on their travels.

Elsewhere, Northampton secured their first win of the season, taking all five points in a typically powerful 42-16 victory over Newcastle at stadium:mk.

Ben Foden and Christian Day scored two tries apiece, with Luther Burrell also touching down as Saints rattled up 26 points in the second half.

The Falcons responded with a try from Tom Penny and three Mike Delany penalties.

The day's late game saw Exeter Chiefs run in six tries to secure a thumping 38-11 bonus-point victory over London Irish at Sandy Park.

Gareth Steenson opened the scoring, darting past the Irish defence, before Chris Noakes landed a penalty, with Don Armand and Luke Cowan-Dickie both going over from close range to put Chiefs 19-3 ahead at the break.

James Short and two Jack Nowell tries after half-time sealed Exeter's bonus-point win, while Blair Cowan grabbed a consolation for the Exiles.