LAWRENCE Dallaglio made a surprise return from his England commitments to play 80 minutes for Wasps after catching a morning flight from Italy.

The back row forward, along with clubmate Matt Dawson, came on as replacements during England's victory over Italy on Saturday. And despite missing a flight later on in the evening, they made it to play for Wasps after catching an early flight on the morning of the match against Northampton.

Dally then played the whole game alongside Johnny O'Connor who was on international duty at the weekend for Ireland alongside Eoin Reddan.

Reddan started at scrum half, with Dawson coming off the bench.

Wasps coach Ian McGeechan said: "They were keen to get a bit of rugby. It's easy to go three weeks with very little rugby and then it's difficult to pick it up."

Wasps' original line-up saw untested James Honeyben at scrum half, with Garth Chamberlain set to make his debut in the backrow alongside reserve captain Mark Lock and Tom Rees, who was recovering from injury.

McGeechan said: "It was a tough call on those who have been training all week but we told them what was happening.

"We never knew who was going to be involved so we had to make two or three scenarios for what could happen."

But, amid very wet conditions, Wasps began poorly. There were lots of spills but not many thrills as the ball resembled a bar of soap.

Alex King put Wasps ahead on eight minutes with a penalty but it was the visitors who adapted better to the conditions, making use of their forward pack, committing fewer errors and kicking well for position.

And they took the lead just seconds after King's penalty when Wasps dropped the ball from the restart and Jon Clarke danced his way past Peter Bracken and Mark van Gisbergen to score an excellent try under the posts.

Bruce Reihana converted, with him and King swapping penalties to make it 10-6.

King could have reduced the deficit to a point at half time but fluffed a straightforward chance.

And Reihana made him pay at the start of the second half, convertiing two penalties to make it 16-6.

Wasps were now playing with the wind against them and looked as if they would be heading for their second straight defeat in the league.

But their never-say-die attitude rescued them and they pressured the Saints into making a mistake in their own 22. Wasps' forwards sensed a try and rumbled forward, taking the ball close to the line.

They couldn't get past but King cleverly chipped forward for Rob Hoadley to run on. He won the ball and managed to present it to King, whose pass gave van Gisbergen an easy try.

King's conversion made it 16-13 but Saints were not going to roll over and die, holding Wasps at bay until the 73rd minute when Carlos Spencer made a high tackle on King and was sin-binned. Van Gisbergen, took over the kicking duties from an injured King and converted the penalty to level the scores.

Northampton weren't done however and Reihana's penalty put them back into the lead.

Now Wasps needed to score and it was King who came to the rescue with a drop-goal.

There was still time for King to have the chance to win it with another three-pointer. But, with the fly half in a good position, Wasps knocked the ball on and the chance to win the game was lost.

A defeat would have been harsh on Northampton who played the conditions better and deserved at least a draw.

Saints' head coach Paul Grayson said: "Wasps are a difficult team to beat at home. They fought their way back and took their opportunity."

Wasps: van Gisbergen, Sackey, Hoadley, Abbott, Erinle, King, Reddan (Dawson 65), Payne (Va'a 58), Barrett (Gotting 73), Bracken (Payne 65) Skivington, Birkett (Leo 73), Rees (Haskell 58), O'Connor, Dallaglio.

Scorers: Try - Van Gisbergen; Con - King; Pen - King (two); Van Gisbergen; Drop-goal: King.

Referee: Rob Debney.

Attendance: 8,743.

Wasps 19, Northampton 19