Saints run of European form came to an end at Vicarage Road this afternoon when domestic competition returned to the calendar. The Northampton squad's strength in depth was put to the test with several top names being rested altogether or selected on the bench. Would this be enough to gain a victory over Saracens at the second attempt this season? Sadly no.

Continuous overnight rain had finally ceased by the time both teams took to the field. Saints kicked off and Courtney Lawes, playing in the back row today, took a superb catch to set up a series of attacks which a strong Sarries defence coped with with some ease. When the home side had possession, strong running through the midfield with Farrell and Chesney to the fore led to gains in territory that Saints midfield defence took time and yards to halt.

Despite Saints winning a free kick when Sarries infringed at a scrum, the line out from the resultant Myler clearance to touch went unchallenged by Saints. Sarries took the clean ball off the top, worked the ball left through a couple of phases, Chesney charged on up the narrow side and fed the ball left for Noah Cato to power through two despairing tackles to reach the ball over the line to open Saracens account after 11 minutes. Gordon Ross missed the conversion from wide on the left.

Saints won the restart kick, one of the better facets of their play today and, after some pick and drive phases, Sarries were pinged for coming in from the side and Steve Myler took the 3 points from 30 metres out.

Christian Day won the next restart kick for Saints. The ball was cleared to touch 5 metres in to Sarries half. The home side threw long into the midfield and Farrell charged forwards. It seemed as though half the Saints team tried to stop him by hanging of his shoulders but not one had the wit to grab his ankles. He set up a ruck on Saints 22 where Sarries won a penalty slap bang in front of the posts. Ross couldn't miss. 8-3 after 17 minutes of a pretty lack lustre game.

Myler reduced the lead 3 minutes later after Saints took the catch from the restart and won a penalty for offside 45 metres out.

This time it was Saracens to take the restart kick and Saints No9 Lee Dickson leapt to catch the ball but was illegally taken out whilst still in the air by Noah Cato in true Inspector Clouseau fashion. Ten minutes in the bin for him!

Dickson received 3 or 4 minutes of treatment but resumed, only to get caught in possession immediately after Saints delivered scrappy ball at a line out. Sarries kicked the penalty to touch on Saints 22, won another uncontested line out and two phases later, Moses Raulini was hurtling through a weak Saints midfield defence to touch down under the posts. Again Ross couldn't miss to take the score to 15-6 after 23 minutes.

Two tries, one by Noah and the next by Moses! Well there has been a lot of rain and it was a Sunday.!!

Saints then hit back superbly. Yet again, they won the restart and worked the ball right. Myler fed the ball on to Foden, having a great game at full back, who passed outside to Ashton. The ex-league speed merchant took the ball on and as the last defender got to him, passed back inside to Foden for a great try by the posts. Inexplicably, Myler fluffed the conversion but Saints were still in touch at 15-11.

The next restart was fluffed as well and Saints were pinged for playing the ball in an offside position. Three more points to Ross.

Saints scored next however, after Cobus Visagie was penalised at a scrum for being Cobus Visagie. From the line out, Saints worked the ball left managed to keep hold of the ball in some scrappy play, recycled to Myler who spotted the lurking Roger Wilson wide on the right wing. The flanker had just enough room to pirouette out of Andy Saull's tackle and stay in play before speeding over for the try out wide. The conversion kick was tricky and Myler failed to add the extras but Saints were well in contention at 18-16, although Ross managed to slot a drop goal before half time to widen Sarries lead to 5 points.

The third quarter of the game was poor quality rugby, both sides making unforced errors and no clear advantage emerging for either team until Ross slotted another penalty after 18 minutes to improve Saracens lead to 8 points

Roger Wilson snaffled the restart kick and Day and Diggin led the attack up the left wing. Barry Stewart took a bad knock at a ruck and was replaced soon after but Saints had a penalty and opted for a line out 5 metres from the home team goal line. The first attempt at the line out took to long and was retaken at the insistence of the ref. The second throw was over the top and into Sarries hands.

Saints returned to the attack soon after but wasted another line out when Shields throw was judged not straight.

The Saints line out tactics were puzzling all afternoon. Often they seemed jittery on their own throw and challenged very few of the Saracens throws, preferring to wait to drive the catchers back rather than compete in the air. Perhaps someone will explain but it wasn't good at all.

However, the scrum looked better and when Euan Murray replaced the groggy Stewart, the Saints pack demolished their opponents to win a penalty from which Myler added the 3 points.

After Ross had restored the gap with a kick on 21 minutes the Saints substitutions started. Scott Gray replaced Lewitt and Dylan Hartley subbed Shields. Hartley was lucky to stay on the pitch with his first play of the game when he short arm tackled Rauluni about 3 feet in front of the assistant ref. He escaped sin binning after a warning from the ref. Not quite the complete professional yet Dylan.

Then Carlos Spencer replaced a rather unconvincing Nils Mordt but Myler moved to inside centre to accommodate the Kiwi at No 10. However, it was his opposite number Ross who scored next with a penalty in front of the posts to extend the Sarries lead to 30-19 with 12 minutes left.

Joe Ansbro replaced Mayor and with Carlos injected some direct pace from the backs which for most of the match had been left to Foden and his wings. Former Saracen Alan Dickens replaced Dickson and Nacho Lobbe came on for Day but the tempus was getting up to fugit and there was too large a gap even to get a losing bonus point.

Although Lobbe stole a Sarries line out only 5 metres from their line and Spencer and Ansbro attacked in midfield, they were unable to add to their score. Inexplicably, they wasted time when winning penalties at scrums in Sarries 22 and opting to retake the scrums instead of something a bit more urgent. Eventually, the ball was lost, Sarries won a penalty upfield and Ross extended the lead to 33-19 with the last kick of the game.

It was a strange performance by Saints. The line out was a mess and Saracens ruled the roost in this department. Not to challenge Sarries throws on numerous occasions was difficult to understand.

Saints midfield was crying out for the solidity in defence of James Downey and the cutting incision in attack of Ansbro. Steve Myler missed two kicks at goal although one of them was pretty difficult and not until late in the game was some leadership on the field apparent from anyone other than the skipper, Matt Lord. A feature of Saints this season has been the leaders all over the pitch. That was absent to a great extent today, as was the support from the travelling fans. There were a few there but silently observing the defeat. Not a single Oh Wendy, a few shouts of encouragement but nothing like the normal level of Saints support even at away games.

I bumped into Nacho Lobbe after the game. He said that we can beat Scarlets next week at home and get the bonus point and need to be confident. At least we'll make some noise to support the team.

Many of us dislike Vicarage Road as a rugby venue. Today, in front of just under 7,000 spectators, there was precious little atmosphere but should we, as fans, not consider whether maybe by staying away in such large numbers we are adversely affecting the prospects of the team we support?

Teams:

Saracens

Goode; Leonelli, Powell, Farrell (c), Cato; Ross, Rauluni; Lloyd, Cairns, Visagie (Mercey 50), Borthwick, Chesney (Ryder 65), Barrell, Saull, Skirving (Seymour 50).

Northampton Saints  

Foden; Ashton, Mayor (Ansbro 70), Mordt (Spencer 60), Diggin; Myler, Dickson (Dickens 73); Tonga'uiha, Shields (Hartley 60), Stewart (Murray 50), Lord (c), Day (Lobbe 73), Lawes, Lewitt (Gray), Wilson.

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