A sensational second-half display saw Northampton Saints secure a first Heineken Cup success of the year on Saturday afternoon.

Last season’s beaten finalists hammered Castres Olympique 45-0 at Franklin’s Gardens despite leading by just three points at the break.

An incredible five try-showing in the last 18 minutes meant Saints bagged maximum points following previous defeats to Munster and the Scarlets and a 41-22 reverse in France last weekend.

Full back Ben Foden claimed two of those scores, with Russian wing Vasily Artemyev and replacements Mike Haywood and Greig Tonks the other scorers as Northampton turned on the style in the closing stages.

Foden’s first was also Saints’ 62nd-minute opener while his second was a sublime individual run that began fully 15 metres inside his own half with the final play of the match.

The three tries that split Foden’s double were all well-worked team scores that gave the East Midlands faithful a remainder of the kind of vibrant rugby Saints produced on the way to a second Heineken Cup Final last time out.

Stephen Myler finished with a personal tally of 20 points after kicking four penalties and the same number of conversions, while No8 Samu Manoa picked up the Heineken Man of the Match award in just his second tournament start.

Victory sees Saints leapfrog Castres in the Pool 1 but Jim Mallinder’s men are still three points behind second-place Scarlets and eight adrift of runaway leaders Munster.