SARACENS 17

Guinness Premiership round 15

Franklin's Gardens

Saturday, February 18, 2006

As yet another crunch GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP encounter opened, few in the capacity Franklin's Gardens crowd foresaw the coming eight-try spectacular as the illness that had struck Saints in Watford reared its head inside three minutes. Saracens used a lineout 40 metres out as the platform for a driving maul, and when Saints were penalised for pulling it down, Glen Jackson stepped up to put the visitors three points up. And when Saracens went 10 points up in the eighth minute with Dan Scarbrough's converted try, nerves were fluttering, especially when Bruce Reihana hit the post with his second penalty.

The disappointment lasted fully 60 seconds. Though the initial follow-up was delayed somewhat, Paul Tupai was right on hand to charge down Mark Bartholomeusz's attempted clearance to notch his first Saints try, and with Reihana's successful conversion, and penalty four minutes later, the scores were tied by the end of the first quarter.

It took four minutes for Saints to hit the front, thanks to a pass Kyran Bracken would rather forget. His forwards had done the hard work, turning over the ball after a dangerous Ben Cohen run, but Bracken passed into space. Mark Robinson collected the loose ball and put Sam Harding over between the sticks. Reihana slotted the simple conversion for a 17-10 lead.

This should have been extended by at least five points just shy of the half-hour. Bracken turned the ball over, Robinson fired out to Carlos Spencer, who in turn fooled the defence enough for Cohen to charge through a gaping hole. Unmarked Saintsmen were on Cohen's right, but so was Richard Haughton and Saracens cleared. But Cohen didn't have to wait too long to receive what was coming to him.

England's incumbent winger rounded off some lovely attacking play sparked by another Robinson break. One push for the line after another pulled the defence left and right, making it a straightforward matter for Cohen to cross in the right corner. Reihana converted from the touchline and Saints were 14 points up.

Two gilt-edged chances for Saints first try-scoring bonus point of the season went begging before the break, but three points in as many minutes after the break opened the floodgates for Saints' winger Sean Lamont. Four tries were to come for the Scotsman in the second half, but the first came courtesy of the visitors.

Jackson's chip to Haughton fell woefully short and into Lamont's hands 65 metres out. The gap opened and he accelerated, straightened, and crossed the whitewash. Lamont collected his second in the 53rd minute, beating Reihana to a Spencer cross-kick, but not before Spencer had provided the highlight of the afternoon.

Collecting Chris Budgen's pass facing his own line, Spencer chipped over his head. The defence was understandably bemused leaving Saints' fly-half free to collect his own kick. The support was swift in coming, and the cheek came within a couple of metres of being rewarded as Cohen was bundled into touch.

Saints were by now in full flow, and just before the hour Lamont had his first hat-trick for the club. Again Spencer was creator, running a backline loop move with Jon Clarke to open the space for Lamont to crash over. Reihana added the extras, but the visitors ensured that the half did not go all the hosts' way when a lovely Adam Powell offload gave Steffon Armitage a consolation try, converted by Jackson.

This was only temporary respite for the beleaguered visitors. John Rudd's power earned him a touchline try, but the force was with Lamont and just as Saracens were threatening a second try, he was in the right place to grab a vital interception on his own 22. From the moment Lamont grabbed the ball another score looked on, and the Travis Perkins man-of-the-match eluded Thomas Castagnede and the despairing Haughton to grab his fourth try. Reihana added the final points of the afternoon and nine minutes later Saints left the field to a fully deserved standing ovation.

Teams:
Northampton Saints - Reihana (co-capt); Lamont, Clarke (Kydd 69mins), Quinlan, Cohen (Rudd 59mins); Spencer, Robinson (Howard 63mins); Smith (Budgen 75mins), Thompson (co-capt)(Hartley 59mins), Budgen (Emms 55mins), Damien Browne (Gerard 69mins), Lord, Harding, Tupai (Fox 54mins), Daniel Browne (Gerard 61-69mins).

Saracens - Bartholomeusz (Castagnede 51mins); Scarborough, Johnston, Powell, Haughton; Jackson, Bracken (Rauluni 47mins); Yates (Lloyd 34mins (Yates 76mins)), Cairns (Byrne 51mins), Visagie (Broster 47mins), Raiwalui, Chesney (capt)(Ryder 55mins), Russell, Armitage, Skirving (Seymour 62mins).

Scorers:
Northampton Saints - Tries: Tupai, Harding, Cohen, Lamont (4), Rudd; Cons: Reihana (6); Pens: Reihana (2).

Saracens - Tries: Scarbrough, Armitage; Cons: Jackson (2); Pen: Jackson.

Travis Perkins man of the match:
Sean Lamont

Attendance:
13,523

CLOCKWATCH:
3mins SARRIES: Pen Jackson 0-3
8mins SARRIES: Try Scarbrough Con Jackson 0-10
14mins SAINTS: Try Tupai Con Reihana 7-10
18mins SAINTS: Pen Reihana 10-10
24mins SAINTS: Try Harding Con Reihana 17-10
33mins SAINTS: Try Cohen Con Reihana 24-10
H-T 24-10
43mins SAINTS: Pen Reihana 27-10
46mins SAINTS: Try Lamont Con Reihana 34-10
53mins SAINTS: Try Lamont 39-10
58mins SAINTS: Try Lamont Con Reihana 46-10
65mins SARRIES: Try Armitage Con Jackson 46-17
67mins SAINTS: Try Rudd 51-17
71mins SAINTS: Try Lamont Con Reihana 58-17