Northampton boss John Steele surveyed life from the top of the Allied Dunbar Premiership tonight but warned Saints supporters not to get carried away with talk of a trophy treble.

Saints dominated London Irish in a one sided match, emerging comfortable 44-20 winners to ensure Steele's return to The Stoop was a happy one.

Northampton are now going strongly in three competitions and improving with every game.

But Steele said: "We're not getting carried away. The top five teams are all within a couple of points of each other, and it's too tight to worry about where
we are.

"I'm pleased with the way we played tonight, not the fact we're in top place. Some of our forward play was exceptional. The challenge now is to try to get the best out of our individuals."

Steele left England international Tim Rodber on the bench for tonight's match but played down talk of a rift with the long-time Saints forward.

"Tim is playing well, but everybody knows there's no guaranteed places in my team."

London Irish coach Dick Best, meanwhile, admitted his side had been taught a lesson by the Saints and following recent defeats by their title rivals tipped Steele's side for ultimate league success.

"I think Northampton have more to offer all-round than their rivals," said Best.

"These guys have more firepower outside their pack than any other team in the league.

"The way they play rugby is very French. They control the game and have certainly prospered from their performances in Europe. They are developing into a very formidable side, and if I had a few bob I'd say they'd be a good bet."

Best was less than happy with the performance of his own side, though, and added: "We dropped balls and turned it over, and you don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out why we didn't win.

"Northampton didn't allow us to get our game plan going, and it was an object lesson for us all."