The sight of Luther Burrell limping off Saracens’ plastic pitch three minutes from time was the only cloud on Northampton’s horizon on an afternoon when the heavens opened and stayed open. The champions returned to the top of the table in this repeat of last season’s Premiership final in monsoon conditions in north London.
There may be some dodgy moustaches in the Northampton side but they were razor-sharp in the first half in which they all but wrapped up their victory with three tries; their half-backs Lee Dickson and Stephen Myler were outstanding behind a dominant pack.
Saracens came storming back after the break when their American centre Chris Wyles scored two tries after the visitors were reduced to 14 men with their prop Alex Waller in the sin-bin. Charlie Hodgson secured a bonus point with the last kick of the match but that was little consolation to a damp home crowd.
Burrell is back in contention for a place in England’s centre after breaking a hand and he joined Stuart Lancaster’s squad on Sunday night. Jim Mallinder, Northampton’s director of rugby, said: “Luther went over on his ankle but he’s off to team up with the England squad. It’s not a life-threatening injury and hopefully he’ll have the chance to show England what he can do.
“Tactically we got everything right in the first half. It was more windy out there than it looked and kicking was difficult. The half-backs were impressive. It is difficult when you have been with an England squad both mentally and physically and then return to a club environment, and these international breaks are strange weeks for everyone.
“But we had our nine and 10 with us all week and that showed today.”
Burrell was keen to show his worth to Lancaster and he made a perfect start. Northampton made a vivid early impression in their lime-green kit and after 90 seconds Burrell took Myler’s pass, burst through the Saracens defence and flung out a long pass to the left wing, James Wilson. The New Zealander broke Chris Ashton’s tackle to plunge over in the corner, Myler converted from the touchline and Saracens knew they were in for a difficult afternoon.
Wilson showed his predatory instincts 10 minutes later. After Hodgson and Myler had exchanged penalties, Dickson set off on a sniping run and added a touch of brilliance with a delicate kick off the side of his foot; Wilson slid in for another try in the same spot.
Dickson is only England’s fourth-choice scrum-half, Richard Wigglesworth of Saracens having overtaken him in the pecking order, but it was the moment of the game that will linger longest in the memory.
The Saracens scrum was suffering, with the Argentinian tight-head Juan Figallo out of sorts. The game was barely into the second quarter when that scrum was shunted backwards. The ball popped out on the Saracens side but their scrum-half, Ben Spencer, was put under pressure by Dickson and the Northampton captain, Phil Dowson, pounced for a third try.
The Saracens fightback began with a couple of lineouts in the dying moments of the first half. The Saints pack repelled a first drive by the Saracens pack but from the second Billy Vunipola took the ball at the front of the lineout and Jackson Wray was driven over.
Figallo was replaced at the break by the Samoan James Johnston, who made a big impression and stabilised that wobbly scrum. Saracens at last played the game in the visitors’ half although it was an hour before the former Saints wing Ashton had a touch of the ball when he caught a clever crosskick from Hodgson.
Ashton is yet to score against the Saints since his move south, however, and it was left to Wyles to cross the line. Wyles broke Ben Foden’s tackle after a quick tapped penalty by Spencer had stretched the Northampton defence and five minutes later he took an Alex Goode pass to squeeze over in the corner.
There was another alarm for the Saints in the last minute when Myler was injured in tackling the Saracens hooker, Jamie George. But the fly-half thankfully recovered to receive his man-of-the-match award. “It was a tense finish and this is never an easy place to come,” he said. “We had to work hard today.”
Saracens Goode; Ashton, Tompkins, Wyles, Strettle (Ransom, 53); Hodgson, Spencer (De Kock, 70); Gill (Barrington, 54), George, Figallo (Johnston, h-t), Hamilton, Hargreaves (capt), Wray (Joubert, 52), Fraser (Burger, 63), B Vunipola.
Tries Wray, Wyles 2. Pens Hodgson 3.
Northampton Foden; Elliott, Stephenson, Burrell (Waldouck, 77), Wilson; Myler, Dickson; A Waller (E Waller, 77), Haywood (McMillan, 77), Ma’afu (Denman, 68), Craig (Nutley, 74), Day, Clark, Dowson (capt), Manoa.
Tries Wilson 2, Dowson. Cons Myler 2. Pens Myler 4.
Yellow card A Waller, 62.
Referee M Carley (Kent). Attendance 8,314.
