Saracens 27 - 12 Northampton Saints

IMAGE VIA SARACENS

This opening paragraph will include two clichéd words in sport, as it was a game of two halves in this physical encounter between Saracens and Northampton Saints. After being described the All Blacks of the Aviva Premiership, Sarries found a way to comfortably win 27 – 12.

A Jamie George and penalty try including 17 points from the boot of Alex Lozowski gave Sarries the win. However, it could have been a lot different if it wasn’t for Alex Waller’s yellow card on 55 minutes.

The first half centred around big men tackling other big men and no one was giving either side an inch and it was fantastic. It was basically a heavyweight battle of the No.8 with Billy Vunipola in Sarries corner and France’s Louis Picamoles in Saints’ corner with Picamoles winning on a point’s decision in first 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, there were some penalty scored with Lozowski and his opposite number Stephen Myler kicking three penalties each to end the half 9 – 9.

Half – Time – Saracens 9 – 9 Northampton Saints

Saints kept the pressure on the home side with Myler scoring another penalty on 50 minutes, after the previous penalty went wide two minutes in the second half, and that would be the last time Northampton would score any points.

Waller’s was sent to the sin-bin on 55 minutes after committing a dangerous off the ball tackle on Jamie George and the replacement hooker would punish the visiting team scoring the try from a quick lineout. The resulting conversion was missed by the young Sarries fly-half, but the home side had a slender 14 – 12 lead.

IMAGE VIA PREMIERSHIP RUGBY

For a large part of Waller’s sin-bin Northampton were handling themselves really well, but with only minutes left the pressure from continuing Saracens mauls got too much for the Saints defence and it collapsed which gave referee Greg Garner on choice but to give a penalty try. Lozowski was able to add the bonus two points to extend their lead to 21 – 12.

But, should have the penalty try been given?

With 10 minutes to go, Sam Dickinson got himself sin-binned and it signalled the end for the Midlands club as Lozowski converted two more penalties to give Saracens a comfortable win.

Saracens – 27 points

Tries – George, Penalty.

Conversions – Lozowski

Penalties – Lozowski (5)

Northampton Saints – 12 points

Penalties – Myler (4)