Saints Go Marching Off With Win

Saracens had to make do with a losing bonus point as Northampton edged a tight game in NW4 20-15. In truth, there didn't seem to be much between the sides, despite a clear advantage in territory and possession for the visitors, with Sarries not quite showing the clinical edge to punish some Saints errors which could have brought victory. The cagey nature of the game was perhaps summed up by the reticence of both sides to use the bench, with six players across the sides left inactive.

Saracens welcomed back Alex Goode at full back, and he made 122 metres in the match, with Mike Ellery and Chris Wyles and Duncan Taylor returned to centre alongside Brad Barritt. Nils Mordt deputised at fly half alongside the continuing Ben Spencer, who assumed kicking duties. Into the forwards, and the front row contained Richard Barrington and Petrus du Plessis either side of Jamie George, with Hayden Smith and Jim Hamilton again in the second row and a reshaped back row featuring Michael Rhodes, Kelly Brown and Jackson Wray.

Northampton had Ben Foden at full back, with Ken Pisi and Tom Collins as the wingers outside a centre partnership of George Pisi and Luther Burrell. The half back combination featured Stephen Myler and Lee Dickson. Forwards-wise, Alex Waller, Mike Haywood and Kieran Brookes formed the front row, with Courtney Lawes, who would depart in the first half with an ankle injury, alongside Victor Matfield. Jamie Gibson, Tom Wood and Teimana Harrison were the back row trio.

Saints set the tone in the first few minutes, as sustained hard running and early possession was only halted when Collins was dragged into touch on halfway by Ellery. That typified how strong the home defence would be in the first half, but it needed to be, with a number of breakdown offences bringing a penalty count heavily against them, although none of them in kickable range. Despite the visitors' dominance, though, it was Saracens who opened the scoring. Initiated by a fine Goode half break from a Wyles, the ball was worked out through the forwards to the left, and Spencer made it 3-0 as the Saints failed to roll away.  

However, from the kick off, they were again pinned back in their own 22 although after a series of drives, Saints were halted by a knock on and then Saracens successfully defused a dangerous rolling maul. On the 24 minute mark, there were a pair of half chances for Ellery, as, first, a strong tackle by Barrington and George turned over possession and brought a crossfield kick which just eluded the winger, and then latched onto a stray pass after a long kick downfield bamboozled Dickson, only for Ellery's own pass to be intercepted in a promising position. 

Sarries did go further ahead in the 28th minute, though. Another strong run from deep by Goode instigated a series of phases which saw play switched to the left and then to the right. Saints turned over possession from Wray, but were then pinged for holding on, so Spencer made it 6-0. Ellery did well from the kick off with a strong return run which forced Northampton back but Saracens conceded the penalty for not releasing the tackled player. 

In a busy finish to the half, Saints went close after a tricky kick nearly put Ken Pisi in, but Goode was able to clear. However, there was a blow for the visitors when Lawes departed with an ankle injury and was replaced by James Craig. After the delay in play, the ball was worked left from the scrum, but Spencer was yellow carded for hands in the ruck. Sarries kept out the first maul but an error saw Goode's attempted clearance kick charged down by Gibson, and the ball was worked through Wood and Dickson to reach Myler for a diagonal run under the posts, and he converted his own try. 

The lead proved to be short-lived, as Goode atoned for his error by converting a scrum penalty from 30 metres out for 9-7. It could have been better for Saracens as they uncharacteristically failed to punish a Northampton error in the closing seconds of the half. Foden and Ken Pisi collided when trying to collect a high ball, conceding a knock on and a scrum inside their 22. The scene appeared set for a useful nine point interval advantage, but instead Saracens went early, giving Saints the free kick to close the half.

The decent finish to the first half raised hopes that Sarries could take more of an attacking hold of the game. However, Saints scored a quick second try and should have had a third soon afterwards as they restarted strongly. After the kick off sailed into touch, Saracens were then caught offside and Myler opted to kick for the corner. From the ensuing maul, Dickson squirmed over in the finest of margins as TMO referral suggested the ball was right on the line, and Myler added the extras for 14-9 on 41 minutes. 

There was a massive let off for the hosts just five minutes later, which felt like a should have been a turning point. Another penalty saw Myler kick for touch again and the ball was spread through Burrell and Ken Pisi to Foden on the wing, only for the full back to drop the ball over the line. The game continued in a similar vein to the first half as Saints' attempt at a running game was blunted by some alert defence, whilst both sides had their good moments in the scrum.

Gradually, a bit more zip entered Saracens' attacking play and Rhodes combined promisingly with Wyles along the left, eventually forcing a penalty for offside which Spencer converted to make it 12-14 on 52 minutes. The sense of growing momentum continued after an unforced Saints knock on in midfield saw Sarries win a penalty from the scrum, only to knock on from the consequent line out.

However, as the game progressed into its last quarter, it degenerated into a series of reset scrums and from one such set, Myler struck from 30 yards for a 17-12 lead on 63 minutes. 

Goode replied with nine minutes remaining as Dickson was caught offside at a scrum, and the scene appeared set for a dramatic late win as Taylor was at the heart of a promising move. However, a stolen lineout with six minutes to go proved crucial as the ball was spread out to the right and Saracens were penalised for not releasing the tackled player. Myler stepped up to make it 20-15. However, an odd finish to the game saw Myler opt for a kick to touch from a similar position when a fine chase isolated Wyles and forced the penalty for holding on. Rather than taking the three points, also denying the hosts a losing bonus point, they went through the phases but then lost possession, as Saracens forced the knock on with seconds remaining and got a free kick, but Mordt lumped into touch rather than forward.

A disappointing day, which highlighted the importance of key moments in the game. Saints probably deserved the win, but Saracens will rue the lack of a clinical edge to punish their mistakes, especially when given the lifeline of the "missed" Foden try. A different game is assured, though, in little over a month's time when the Saracens-Saints pendulum may swing back the other way.

Line Ups

Saracens:

15 Alex Goode, 14 Mike Ellery (Marcelo Bosch 62), 13 Duncan Taylor, 12 Brad Barritt, 11 Chris Wyles, 10 Nils Mordt, 9 Ben Spencer (Neil de Kock 68), 1 Richard Barrington, 2 Jamie George, 3 Petrus du Plessis (Juan Figallo 49), 4 Hayden Smith, 5 Jim Hamilton, 6 Michael Rhodes, 7 Kelly Brown (Jacques Burger 46), 8 Jackson Wray. Subs not used: 16 Jared Saunders; 17 Hayden Thompson-Stringer; 19 Kieran Low; 23 Nathan Earle

Northampton Saints

15 Ben Foden; 14 Ken Pisi, 13 George Pisi, 12 Luther Burrell, 11 Tom Collins, 10 Stephen Myler; 9 Lee Dickson (Tom Kessell 74): 1 Alex Waller (Ethan Waller 64); 2 Mike Haywood (Reece Marshall 79); 3 Kieran Brookes (Paul Hill 55); 4 Courtney Lawes (James Craig 31); 5 Victor Matfield (Sam Dickinson 70); 6 Jamie Gibson; 7 Tom Wood; 8 Teimana Harrison. Subs not used: 22 JJ Hanrahan; 23 Harry Mallinder

Attendance: 9451