Semi Final,

14 March 2010, Franklin's Gardens

Northampton Saints 31, Saracens 20

By Jonathan Stockham at Franklins Gardens

A cloudy day with a chill, stiff northerly breeze welcomed the visitors to Franklin's Gardens and a firm pitch looked ripe for a running game of rugby to suit the Saints. Sarries kicked off with the wind at their backs although their stand off, Derick Hougaard, seemed determined not to use his own backs, preferring the very long range drop goal as a point scoring option. His first attempt, from half way, came from the first play of the match. He missed, some booing ensued followed already by chants of "Boring".

He did get the chance to open the scoring soon after from a penalty kick when Sarries did attack with the ball in hand and Saints strayed offside in defence.

From the restart Saints got stuck in. A great break by Bruce Reihana was continued by Roger Wilson and ground gained. Sarries knocked on and at the ensuing scrum, the home pack drove the opposition backwards, winning a penalty in the process but with advantage being played, Saints powered on. Nacho Lobbe juggled the ball but kept driving for the line, quick recycling saw the attack continue and Phil Dowson was driven over from short range for Saints' first try of the day. Shane Geraghty just missed the conversion but with 9 minutes gone, Saints had taken the lead.

Although Hougaard tried another drop goal, this time from 60 metres but missed again, (very boring), Saints let him perfect his penalty technique twice to put the visitors back in the lead. Saints closed the gap to 1 point on 22 minutes when Sarries No 8 Ernst Joubert tripped an opponent. Whilst he was in the bin, Saracens added another 3 points from a penalty although Geraghty got 3 back on the half hour.

Joubert returned from the bin and with Sarries back to full strength, Hougaard tried yet another drop goal from long range to much booing. Again he missed. Very very boring!

Geraghty also missed soon after from a penalty but was then on target just before half time to take Saints into the lead, thanks to some pretty dense offending by Sarries prop Richard Skuse who made no attempt to roll away after a tackle, sealing off the ball on the wrong side. With half the Saints pack doing the decent thing and trying to nudge him out of the way with some good old fashioned rucking, Monsieur Poite showed him the yellow card to spare him any more punishment.

The break arrived with Saints just in the lead on 14-12 and Sarries on their second yellow card. Saints had looked the more threatening side with the ball in hand but to be fair to Sarries, they had looked useful when they tried to play rugby. To stand there and watch their stand off missing drop kicks from his own half must make one wonder if it's worth all the hard work.

Part Deux and Saints were heading downhill and downwind towards the South Stand.

From a Sarries up and under, Saints regained the ball, attacked left and Lee Dickson was nearly through but quick ball moved the attack to the right and a long miss pass from Bruce to Brian Mujati saw the tight head thunder over in the corner, confirmed by the TMO. Shane just missed the extras from the touch line but Saints opened a decent gap at 19-12.

Saints rattled on and from another Sarries up and under taken by Dickson, the ball was taken on by Geraghty, neatly offloaded to Chris Ashton who burst through and fed Diggin for Saints third try. The kick should have been a formality but Geraghty missed, just as he did a few minutes later when a penalty kick from 15 metres out hit the crossbar after good running by Brett Sharman had taken Saints close. Ten minutes of the half gone and 24-12 to Saints.

Glen Jackson, on as replacement for Hougaard, narrowed the gap to 24-15 after Kruger said some naughty words to the ref about his decision at a line out.

Saints pack were very much on top and although winning some of the power contests they were occasionally undoing the good work through infringements at the set piece.

Lee Dickson left the field to rapturous applause on 25 minutes. Saints worked back upfield and scored their fourth try after using an overlap on the left and quickly recycled ball to send Neil Best over with the ref tangled up with the Ulster flanker. Sir thought he'd better check it out with the TMO as he was staring at the sky as Besty touched down but no fear of it being disallowed. Geraghty added the conversion and Saints looked home and dry at 31-15 with 10 minutes left.

Saints then brought virtually the entire subs bench on and their defensive organisation went slightly awry as a result. Sarries started to exert real pressure and Reggie Dreyer, hardly on the pitch was sent off to the bin for impeding an opponent off the ball. Some argy bargy on the Saints line saw Kruger and his opposite number Botha binned for holding each others lapels. Saints were now down to 13 men and Sarries scored from the penalty with a try for Melck although Jackson failed with the conversion. 31-20 and still 5 minutes to go.

Images of Scotland's last few minutes against Wales when down to 13 men made your writer a tad nervous but Saints held out to seal the emphatic victory and a their first chance of silverware this season.

A great effort against determined opponents but Saints brand of running rugby is hard to stop and a damn sight more exciting to watch than much of the rugby fare on offer elsewhere at the moment.

Match Pictures can be found here

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