Northampton Saints were defeated in the opening round of this season’s PREM Rugby Cup, falling to a strong Saracens side at the StoneX Stadium.
Saints – whose matchday squad had an average age of just 21.9 – kept in touch in the game’s first half, with James Bennett and Josh Taylor both crossing for their first scores for the Club before Northampton added a quick brace through James Pater and James Martin to draw level.
A stunning effort from 17-year-old Will Catley put Saints ahead before the break but it was one-way traffic for a while after half-time, where Saracens crossed some seven times before Saints could respond.
When they did it was to send Bennett over for his second and Hugh Shields soon followed suit, but Saracens had already done enough to secure the win and take home the spoils in Round 1.
FIRST HALF:
Saracens had the lion’s share of early possession, creeping ever closer into Saints’ territory. But Northampton’s defence initially held firm and forced Max Malins to go to his boot for the crossfield kick option; after two failed attempts to put Rotimi Segun over that way, Saracens went back to crash ball rugby and eventually sent Phil Brantingham over from close range.
It was the 16th minute before the next score came, and despite Charlie Ulcoq and Thomas Rowe getting close for Saints, it was the hosts who crossed next. Malins found Tobias Elliot with a looping pass on the right and he charged forwards before popping the ball back inside to Angus Hall for the score.
Hall’s conversion made it 14-0 in Saracens’ favour but Saints got themselves off the mark at the end of the first quarter – with Bennett powering over from close range for his first Saints try after sustained pressure.
Saracens did hit straight back, putting Segun in on the left after Malins broke through just inside Saints’ half, but Saints got back on the scoresheet on the half-hour mark – with Oliver Scola powering forwards before Taylor rumbled over.
And Saints continued in the same vein, scoring a speedy brace. A deft offload on the step from back row Taylor set Pater free to dive over for Saints’ third before Martin’s brilliant catch kept the ball alive to set up the bonus point score.
The winger slipped past defenders to make his way back infield and found Catley with a pop pass, the Saints Academy centre then sent a crossfield kick over to Rowe, who caught it on the fly and raced forwards, all before sending it back inside to the 17-year-old to finish.
That made Catley Saints’ youngest ever try-scorer at 17-years-and-250-days-old, breaking a record previously held by Henry Pollock, and sent Northampton into the break 19-28 to the good thanks to Hugh Shields’ fourth conversion.
SECOND HALF:
The hosts shot out of the blocks in the second half though and scored a quick trio, sending first Alex O’Driscoll, Segun and then former Saint Tom James over to re-take the lead after just six minutes.
And the home side would add another before the second half reached the ten-minute mark, with James breaking and putting Sione Va’enuku through.
Hall’s conversion made it 47-28 and the one-way traffic continued. This time it was Malins who crossed, after more sustained pressure from Saracens created space out wide for the fly-half.
The home side got themselves another just after, when a jinking solo run from Jack Bracken saw the fullback break through on the halfway line and sprint clear. And a similar score, this time for Elliot on the right wing made it 68-28.
Bracken cleaned up the bouncing ball on the restart and, with Saints’ down a man thanks to losing both loosehead props Scola and Leftheri Zigiriadis to injury, raced through in space behind Northampton’s line to cross again for Saracens.
A fifth try for Northampton did eventually come, with the away side mauling themselves close in the game’s 65th minute before Shields crashed over just left of the posts.
Saracens’ fullback Bracken had his hat-trick not long after though. Malins ran a high ball back Saints’ way at pace, before the ball was sent out to the left touchline at pace to put Bracken in space for his third.
A second score for Bennett saw Saints onto the scoresheet once more – with repeated pressure from Northampton’s forwards giving the away side a platform to send the lock powering over from close range.
Shields was good from the tee with the conversion again to bring his tally for the match to 17 points, but Saracens hit back once more and sent Nathan Michelow over after winger Elliot broke down the right.
And the hosts had the game’s final word too, pushing into Saints’ 22 where they would have scored but for Weimann’s attempted intercept. The action, the game’s last, saw the scrum-half sin binned and Saracens awarded a penalty try.
LINE-UPS:
Saracens: 15 Jack Bracken, 14 Tobias Elliott, 13 Angus Hall, 12 Olly Hartley, 11 Rotimi Segun, 10 Max Malins (c), 9 Charlie Bracken; 1 Phil Brantingham, 2 Eoghan Clarke, 3 Marcus Street, 4 Olamide Sodeke, 5 Hugh Tizard, 6 Nick Isiekwe, 7 Nathan Michelow, 8 Alfie Barbeary.
Replacements: 16 James Hadfield, 17 Alex O'Driscoll, 18 Corne Weilbach, 19 Totoa Auvaa, 20 Toby Knight, 21 Tom James, 22 Finn Keylock, 23 Sione Va'enuku.
Saints: 15 James Pater, 14 Thomas Rowe, 13 Will Catley, 12 Toby Thame, 11 James Martin, 10 Hugh Shields, 9 Jonny Weimann; 1 Oliver Scola, 2 Robbie Smith, 3 Ion Neculai, 4 Tom Lockett (c), 5 James Bennett, 6 Archie Benson, 7 Josh Taylor, 8 Charlie Ulcoq.
Replacements: 16 Henry Walker, 17 Lefty Zigiriadis, 18 Noah Buxton, 19 Aiden Ainsworth-Cave, 20 Callum Chick, 21 Fergus Mainey, 22 Sonny Goode, 23 Freddie St John.