Northampton Saints have cruised to an emphatic 46-0 win over London Welsh to guarantee that they will finish the season at the top of the Aviva Premiership table.

The defending champions dominated possession in the first half, resulting in tries for Lee Dickson and Ahsee Tuala, while the visitors failed to score in the opening 40 minutes.

Stephen Myler increased Northampton's lead either side of the break with a pair of penalties, before Dickson charged over for his second of the afternoon.

Welsh started to defend well as they tried to slow the home side down, but Luther Burrell added two tries in six minutes to extend the Saints' lead further, while Jamie Elliott added a sixth try for the hosts late on.

The result ensures that Saints will be playing at home in their playoff semi-final later this month.