SARACENS 38 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 15 Guinness Premiership round 12 Wednesday, December 27, 2006 Vicarage Road A reshuffled Saints team headed to Vicarage Road tonight to try to keep the winning momentum going from December’s previous four games. This goal was aided when it became clear that Carlos Spencer had his kicking boots on and he took the visitors into an early lead with a penalty in the third minute. But Glen Jackson rarely has an off day from the tee and he simply answered Spencer straight back with one of his own four minutes later. The kicking duel continued leaving the scores at six-all after 17 minutes after Saracens had come close with two try-scoring opportunities with the latter seeing massive winger Tevita Vaikona being narrowly pushed into touch. The home side took advantage of some poorly placed kicking just minutes later which left Saints with a lineout on their own 22. The throw went to the back of the line for hooker Shane Byrne to gallop away with the ball to release the backs and winger Kameli Ratuvou for a try, which he ran under the posts to give an easy conversion to Jackson. Sarries were 13-6 up. Spencer reduced the deficit with a penalty two minutes later but Saracens had the bit between their collective teeth and again came perilously close to the whitewash. And when Saints conceded a penalty, the home side opted for points which Jackson obligingly provided for them. But Spencer kept up his end of the bargain and replied with his fifth penalty to bring the half-time deficit to just one point. The second half opened more positively for the Saracens crew with most of the action deep in Saints’ half thanks largely to the probing efforts of full-back Dan Scarbrough. Jackson clocked up his first miss of the evening but made up for it in the 45th minute with a try, which he went on to convert to take the scores to 23-15. Saints then had a chance to a score a try of their own when Saracens misfired the kick-off and winger Matthieu Bourret collected the scraps and ran over the line… after a neat little knock-on, sadly. Flanker David Seymour was the next to knock on a perfect try chance after Paul Gustard had charged into Saints’ 22. His throw to Seymour was not the best however and had to share in the blame for the squandered opportunity. Head coach Paul Grayson opted to bring on fresh legs as the game entered its final quarter with the trio of Chris Budgen, Paul Tupai and Paul Diggin coming on for Pat Barnard, Daniel Browne and Vaughan Going. Saracens did not seem to need fresh legs however as lock Kris Chesney steamed through Saints’ defence to release Scarbrough who nimbly skipped over the falling Chesney to make further strides, but his chip ahead went dead to the disappointment of the home crowd. Then Vaikona really started to motor and it took all of Saints’ defensive efforts to keep him away from the try-line. But it was not this Tongan international that put the next points on the board… it was the forwards. Referee Dave Pearson awarded Saracens a penalty try after several failed attempts at the scrum. Jackson converted again and the scoreboard looked a rather unhealthy 33-15. Saracens were now gunning for their fourth try and their cause was further aided by the sin-binning of Robbie Kydd for a high tackle on Vatuvou. The fourth try duly came from another forward move and the man with his hands on the ball was debutant Cencus Johnston. Saints, meanwhile, had failed to get points on the board in the second half. The final score read 38-15. Teams:
Northampton Saints – Going (Diggin 59mins); Lamont, Mallon, Kydd, Bourret; Spencer, Vass (Howard 69mins); Smith (Tonga’uiha 63mins), Thompson (capt) (Hartley 63mins), Barnard (Budgen 58mins), Damien Browne, Lord, Easter, Harding, Daniel Browne (Tupai 59mins) Saracens – Scarbrough; Vaikona (Penney 71mins), Sorrell, Powell, Ratuvou; Jackson (Taylor 79mins), De Kock (Raluni 77mins) ; Lloyd, Byrne, Visagie (Johnston 69mins), Chesney, Raiwalui (capt), Gustard, Seymour (Russell 69mins), Skirving (Ryder 79mins). Scorers:
Northampton Saints – Pens: Spencer (5) Saracens: Tries: Ratuvou, Jackson, penalty; Johnston; Cons: Jackson (3); Pens: Jackson (4). Yellow card:
Kydd (76mins) Attendance:
12, 082 3mins Spencer pen 0-3
7mins Jackson pen 3-3
12mins Spencer pen 3-6
17mins Jackson pen 6-6
22mins Ratuvou try 11-6
23mins Jackson con 13-6
25mins Spencer pen 13-9
31mins Jackson pen 16-9
34mins Spencer pen 16-12
40mins Spencer pen 16-15
Half-time 16-15
43mins Jackson pen miss 16-15
45mins Jackson try 21-15
46mins Jackson con 23-15
54mins Jackson pen 26-15
69mins Saracens penalty try 31-15
69mins Jackson con 33-15
76mins Yellow card Kydd
77mins Johnston try 38-15
78mins Jackson con miss 38-15
Full-time 38-15 | 
