Multiple offloads in outrageous length-of-field try caps 90-0 Premiership battering

Northampton Saints hammered Gloucester Rugby 90-0 on a record-breaking day in the Gallagher Premiership.

Saints, who are four points clear at the top of the league table, crossed for a whopping 14 tries over the course of the game, with fly-half Fin Smith knocking over eight conversions in the process.

It goes down as the biggest ever home win in the competition's history, and sets up Saints for a home semi-final in the play-offs.

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Bristol Bears may have thought they notched up the biggest win of the season against Newcastle Falcons back in April (85-14), but the final try from Sam Matavesi ensured that Saints picked up that record.

To really put the cherry on the cake, a sensational length-of-field score by the home team added to an extraordinary day for those at Franklin's Gardens.

Trying to fashion an attack with 10 minutes to play and 80-0 down, Gloucester lost possession by kicking the ball through towards the Saints' whitewash. However, an alert Tom James picked up the loose ball and evaded multiple tacklers to break the line once again.

What followed was an exceptional exchange of offloading and support running, backed by a Harlem Globetrotter-style pass to really add some spice to the already simmering display.

The ball eventually found its way back to replacement James, who initially started the attack, and picked up a well-deserved score.

You can watch the clip below.

Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson said this BBC Radio Northampton after the game: "There are two sides today, with two motivations. George [Skivington] has got a cup final in a couple of weeks' time.

"We are pushing to try and get a bonus point to finish the season and guarantee us a home [semi-final].

"One of the things we spoke about was keeping it in-house, not worrying about what Gloucester were going to do and make sure that we got over the hangover [of the Champions Cup semi-final loss] of Dublin.

"I thought the players did that exceptionally well."

Saints' home tie in the semi-final will take place on Friday, May 31. There is one more round of Premiership action before the play-offs begin.