At the best of times, it pays not to go to Saracens the week after they have been beaten. Northampton need to be particularly careful, there being something about the look of them of late to inspire Sarries, who put 50 past the Saints no fewer than four times last season. For them to rock up with a back division of precocious youngsters was asking for trouble, however brilliant their form.
Northampton duly copped yet another hiding from their nemeses. Not quite as bad as it looked as if it was going to be after half an hour, but enough to be getting on with.
Saracens ran rings round them – a bonus point within 28 minutes and a 29-3 lead at the break. Northampton’s cause had been further undermined by the withdrawal of James Grayson before kick-off. At least that raised the age profile, the relatively senior Tom Collins, 24, stepping into the side, but the resultant rejig, with George Furbank moving up from full-back to fly-half, was enough to disconcert just a degree too far – as if that were needed for Saracens to take advantage.
Try number one arrived in only the fourth minute, Jackson Wray waltzing through a vast gap in midfield from inside his own half to spark a series of phases that ended when Alex Goode and Saracens’ very own precocious youngster – or at least the one given a run-out here – Max Malins set Sean Maitland free to stroll in down the left.
Malins, 22, is quite the future star, if he can settle on a position. Here he played at full-back, rather than fly-half, and his outrageous pass between the legs kept the ball alive for Nick Tompkins to break away five minutes later.
Another two-try combination had Saints reeling again at the start of the second quarter. Malins and Tompkins combined to send David Strettle away after Furbank had fumbled. When Luther Burrell – on when yet another youngster, Fraser Dingwall, fell foul of an early injury – was shown a yellow card for Northampton’s umpteenth penalty in the storm, the inevitable followed. Saracens set a scrum and a simple loop by Goode around Brad Barritt sent Maitland off for his second stroll to the line, this one for the bonus point.
A penalty by Rory Hutchinson, pressed into kicking duties, was all Northampton had to show for their first half, which looked worse yet with a fifth Saracens try a few minutes before the break, Tom Woolstencroft steering a driven lineout home. When Alex Mitchell’s no-arm tackle on Ben Spencer in the 51st minute was punished with a penalty try and yellow card, Saracens were past the 30-point mark. Another 50-pointer seemed inevitable.
Actually, it was Northampton who scored the remaining points, Rhys Marshall steering a Northampton lineout over, before Burrell and Hutchinson sent young captain, Lewis Ludlam, galloping clear. Some respect, at least, and well deserved for a team who have been scoring freely of late, but Saracens had long ago secured what they came for. Not enough to take them back to the top, quite, but we know who the home semi-finalists are going to be.
Before then, though, Northampton are at least set to benefit from the returning experience of Dylan Hartley, whom Chris Boyd, their director of rugby, expects to come back before the end of the season. “He had an operation on Tuesday and is pretty bullish,” said Boyd. “They did some spring cleaning. He thinks his knee is 20 again.”
If so, it will be in good company.
