Matt Dawson heaped praised on new Northampton coach Wayne Smith after the Saints had secured their Powergen Cup final berth with a thrilling brand of rugby rarely seen in the English club game.

Dawson was at the heart of an awesome Northampton display which effectively ended Newcastle's defence of the trophy by half-time.

Even Falcons coach Rob Andrew admitted his team only had pride to play for as they trooped in at the interval 33 points adrift.

Andrew described Northampton's first-half performance as "the best I have ever faced from a Premiership side", and Dawson believes the credit must go to Smith.

The former All Black chief has transformed the club's fortunes since taking charge in November, and revolutionised the training routines, which now include 8am fitness sessions.

"Potentially, we have always had very good players," said Dawson.

"Now we have a coach whose understanding of the game is second to none. I have never met anyone who has such attention to detail.

"Day-to-day it is like being on international duty, he puts you under pressure every time you go out to train."

The only blot on an almost perfect day was the injury picked up by hooker Steve Thompson, which could threaten his England berth for the Lloyds TSB Six Nations clash with Wales at Twickenham on March 23.

Thompson, controversially ditched to the replacements' bench along with front-row partner Tom Smith, walked out of Franklin's Gardens with his arm in a sling after suffering a knock late in the game.

The full extent of the damage will be revealed early in the week, but Thompson didn't look in the best of moods, despite Northampton's comprehensive victory.

Number eight Grant Seely started the rout after just three minutes, and grabbed another touchdown before the interval, as did Peter Jorgensen and Craig Moir.

Jorgensen barged over again four minutes from time, ensuring Michael Stephenson's injury-time effort was of little consolation to the well-beaten visitors.

Dawson, starting for only the second time since a taking two-month break to recover from a shoulder problem, was inspired, and on this evidence is likely to reclaim the England squad place he lost following a below-par display against Ireland last October.

"I can't remember such a well-drilled and mistake-free half," Dawson said of the opening period.

"Sometimes you sit in a changing room and think people are up for it. There have been flashes of that first half in previous game but we have never put it together for any length of time.

"It was a really good day, the ground was firm and the ball was dry. We managed to make the most of it and I ended up with a pretty good ride."

The performance was certainly on a par with anything Northampton produced in their run to the 2000 Heineken Cup triumph, their only previous trophy in a century of underachievement.

It raises question marks over the team's dismal form under John Steele before Smith's arrival, when the Saints struggled to drag themselves off the foot of the table.

With London Irish to face in the Twickenham final on April 20, a new name on the trophy is assured.

But blunt-talking skipper Budge Pountney has urged his team to forget about next month, and concentrate on next week's encounter with Leeds.

"I would swop the cup final place for league points," declared the Scotland back-row.

"This win will count for nothing if we don't back it up. We have set a challenge to ourselves now because if we can only produce a performance like that one week in five, we are not the team we think we are."