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Saints left chasing shadows as Saracens turn it on at home

By PA
BARNET, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 22: Ben Earl of Saracens breaks clear to score their sixth try during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between Saracens and Northampton Saints at the StoneX Stadium on December 22, 2024 in Barnet, England. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Saracens moved up to third in the Gallagher Premiership table with a convincing 39-24 win over reigning champions Northampton at a sold-out StoneX Stadium.

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Saints defeated the north Londoners three times last season, but there was never any likelihood of extending that run as an abject first-half effort left them with an impossible task.

It was Northampton’s fifth loss in eight league games this season and they now find themselves 19 points behind joint leaders Bath and Bristol.

Team Form

Last 5 Games

1
Wins
3
3
Streak
1
13
Tries Scored
26
-71
Points Difference
51
1/5
First Try
5/5
3/5
First Points
5/5
1/5
Race To 10 Points
4/5

Fergus Burke scored two tries for Saracens, with Rhys Carre, Theo Dan, Ben Earl and Jamie George also crossing. Burke added three conversions and a penalty for a 19-point tally.

Tommy Freeman, Tom Pearson, Archie McParland and Ollie Sleightholme scored for Saints, two of which Fin Smith converted.

On his 200th appearance for the club, Nick Tompkins led out Saracens, who were dealt a pre-match blow when Elliot Daly withdrew with a hamstring problem.

Tompkins looked set for an early celebration when he crossed the line after only eight minutes, but the try was ruled out for an offside in the build-up.

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It mattered little as within three minutes, Saracens were ahead when Burke collected a kick ahead from Tobias Elliott to touch down.

That was the only score of a competitive first quarter but soon afterwards, the home side had another try disallowed. Number eight Tom Willis had forced his way over, but TMO replays showed an earlier knock-on by Ivan van Zyl.

Saracens maintained the pressure and were rewarded when Wales prop Carre proved unstoppable from close range and then fellow front-rower Dan brushed aside some weak tackling from Saints to score his side’s third try.

Three minutes before the interval, the hosts secured their bonus-point when Northampton failed to deal with a chip ahead from Van Zyl, with Burke collecting the loose ball to race over unopposed.

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Points Flow Chart

Saracens win +15
Time in lead
70
Mins in lead
0
86%
% Of Game In Lead
0%
14%
Possession Last 10 min
86%
3
Points Last 10 min
12

Burke converted to give Saracens a 24-0 at half-time, despite playing into the wind, as Saints failed to score in the opening period of a Premiership fixture for the first time in nearly a year.

Three minutes after the restart, Saints finally got on the scoreboard when Freeman ran strongly to brush aside a weak tackle from Liam Williams and score.

The visitors were further buoyed by a yellow card for Maro Itoje for an illegal tackle on Northampton lock Tom Lockett, who was injured and had to be replaced.

The Saints capitalised when Pearson drove over, but they suffered a further injury blow when Emmanuel Iyogun was helped off with a leg injury.

Itoje returned from the sin bin to see George and Earl score tries in quick succession to stem any hopes of a Saints’ comeback.

A better second-half effort from Saints was rewarded with late tries from Sleightholme and McParland to earn them a losing bonus-point, but the hosts had the final say with a penalty from Burke.

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J
JW 3 hours ago
Where is the new breed of All Black 10?

Players like Prendergast and Finn Smith already have a few seasons at top club level under their belt and are now test players, at an age when NZ players make their debuts in SR.

That’s just a difference in standards. You’re confusing SR for being their local domestic comps, where it’s more accurately comparable to Champions Cup, apart from that teams are happy to throw games as it’s in a bit of a limbo in terms of importance atm.


All these kids have been playing for a comparable NPC team for years now. Sam is no where near ready for tests but he has a great temperament, much like Sextons, that makes it a good choice to speed up his development. He wasn’t even a comparable Super Rugby starter before playing for Ireland, so not a great comparison.


Fin would be much better example, but then England don’t have 3 world class Test tens in front of him (not that I’d put Beauden their but obviously in terms of young NZ players chances, he is). Would he otherwise have debuted at the same age as Fergus Burke (injury and leaving withstanding), around 24, a couple of years later? England also aren’t as pedantic to who they give jerseys to, in NZ a test jersey is very hard earned for the most part.


In general I think the effects are as you say, but the only difference is the money involved, as you yourself said, their paths are just as all over the show being loaned out playing for clubs etc. My solution to that, and what you perceive as the problem, would be to introduce university football that utilitizes the large investment they have into high performance sport.

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J
Jennifer Ross 5 hours ago
One rule for Europe's copycats, another for the Springboks

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Jennifer Ross 5 hours ago
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