By The Archivist
November 2 2005

In the run up to Saturdays Guinness Premiership game we look back to some previous Saracens v Saints encounters. The clubs first met over a hundred years ago in the 1895-96 season with the Saints running out 39-0 winners. They have met over forty teams since with honours just about even. Sarries were definitely Saints bogie side in the 90s but the boys have hit back since the millenium though last year Sarries completed the double over Saints.

We look back at three games, the first where the highlight of the day was Robbie Morris at the speed of light.

Struggling Saints Slip By Sarries
By Stockers - February 18 2004

At an earlier than normal lunch party on Sunday at The Vicarage, some notable guests turned up late. The visitors from Northampton.

In a game that turned out to be a real nail biter but was ultimately disappointing in terms of skill, Northampton Saints did their usual trick of not turning up until the first 20 minutes of the game had been played.

Maybe the 1.00 pm kick off was just too early or they thought they were still warming up.

Saints started the game with a tight head super impact sub prop at loose head and Tongan Tevita Taumopeau on the tightside of the front row.

A light shower immediately before kick off made the already heavy Vicarage Road pitch even more treacherous. The Saints entered the arena to the strains of "Nowhere to run to, nowhere to hide" and this proved to be rather prophetic as the team struggled to find each other, their game plan, the ball and the way forward for a good many minutes.

Whatever, Saracens belied their lowly league position and started the game in determined fashion, leading to a try by Nikki Little after 8 minutes. Little converted although his inaccuracy with the boot later in the game would actually cost Sarries the match.

7 - 0 to the home side.

From the restart Saints applied some pressure at last and from a scrum, Robinson, though under pressure, got the ball away to Ripol. who sadly knocked on in the tackle 2 metres short with 7 points beckoning. Sarries were starting to win valuable turn over ball from Saints possession and from one such steal launched an attack up field which looked like a certain try, only for a pass to have been judged forward. Back down field for the scrum, from which Reihana was launched on an attacking run which was stopped by a huge tackle from Thomas Castaignede. He was busy congratulating himself on the hit and forgot to do the next bit, rolling away. Penalty to Saints and 3 points from Shane Drahm's boot.

7 - 3 after 17 minutes.

One big worry for Saints were the Sarries centres and Kevin Sorrell was carving some very large holes in our midfield defence.

Little, having earlier missed one of the easiest penalty kicks at goal took 3 points from a much more difficult position after Darren Fox had been pinged for playing the ball on the ground and given a strong lecture by Mr Leyshon after Saints had lost another turn over ball.

10 - 3 after 22 minutes.

Now the Saints team woke up at last. (Is it always 10 points to the opposition before we start playing?) Sharky chipped the ball through the Sarries line, possession was recovered and after the ball went through several pairs of hands the last pass was sweetly delivered by Chris Budgen to Hyndman who made no mistake in taking the try from 15 metres out. Drahm missed the conversion after some idiot with a klaxon put him off, leading to an appeal from the PA announcer for the traditions of the game to be respected.

10 - 8 after 25 minutes.

Now the officials started lowering the performance levels and from incidents which reflected badly on Saints. Robinson, anticipating that Bracken would get the ball from the ruck in front of him, set off to tackle his opposite number and made the hit. Unfortunately the ball and Bracken never met as his forwards were busy with a pick and drive. Lucky not to be penalised Saints and in fact the ref gave a penalty to the visitors shortly afterwards. Shortly after, Craig Yandell was pulled down at a line out, right in front of Mr Leyshon and his touch judge. Again nothing happened. Yandell left the pitch for treatment but returned later.

Now Saints attacked well up their right flank and the ball was passed infield from quickly recycled ball to John Leslie with the line only a metre away. He dropped it, another 7 points went astray.

Just after the half hour Sarries attacked up the right wing but good Northampton defence and turn over ball stopped the attack, only for a moment of Castaignede magic to threaten the Saints defence again. At the breakdown, the ball failed to come out but the yellow card did. French hooker Ibanez had decided that someone was killing the ball and frustration led to Mark Connors and Darren Fox being stamped upon. The Ozzy lock received lengthy treatment whilst Monsieur Ibanez had a 10 minute break as the clock showed 35 minutes gone.

At this point Robbie Morris replaced TT, obviously following the example set by Wales the day before in subbing props BEFORE half time.

Into injury time at the end of the first half another Saints attack from a tap penalty should have been 7 points again but Hyndman was penalised for not releasing in the tackle after his support was slow to arrive. A half of rugby where Sarries looked by far the more committed side and were quicker in most aspects of the game. Still, at least the sun had come out!

The second half started at 2.00 pm on a Sunday. All very odd. Nick Beal replaced John Leslie who had taken a knock towards the end of the first half and so Bruce Reihana moved forward.

Saints attacked form the kick off...but dropped the ball. They regained possession............but then knocked on. Despite Shane Drahm being pole axed off the ball, the Saints kept going and attacked. Ibanez was still in the bin and Saints superiority in numbers was decisive as Connors took the ball on in the midfield Saints recycled quickly and worked the ball left where a huge overlap allowed Drahm to stroll in for Saints second try, the try scorer adding the conversion.

10 - 15 after 5 minutes of the second half.

And then.............and then...........a try to savour for the fans in Gold Black & Green. A try made by two props, a rare and exquisite thing to savour for many years.

From the Saints 22 metre line Chris Budgen showed great strength in crashing through tackles and maintaining the go-forward. He recycled well and the ball was worked to the Saints right wing where there was some space along the touch line. Who was waiting for the pass? Only the other prop, young Robbie Morris! Groans at the thought of a prop with the ball still in his own half were soon replaced with roars from the GB&G fans as Robbie lit the afterburners, charged at an amazing turn of speed up the right wing, fending off tacklers and after a run of 40 metres, delivered a sublime pass out of the tackle to Reihana who scored the try almost un-noticed as the rest of the team rushed to congratulate the Big Man. Drahm converted.

10 - 22 after 8 minutes! Phew!

Maybe Saints relaxed too much here because line outs were now being lost whereas earlier they had been secure and Sarries upped their game. Sorrell was bursting through thre midfield again and as a result of one fine Sarries attack, full back Robbie Kyd took the ball down the right wing, laid down the gauntlet for Nick Beal and just evaded the despairing tackle to touch down in the corner. However, Little missed the conversion.

15 - 22 after 16 minutes.

Sarries had certainly woken up and Taine Randell and Castaignede were living up to their reputations. There was a period of quite exciting rugby where no points were scored but there was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing and a fair few mistakes as well. Saints were losing attacking line outs with a regularity which points to Item 1 on the team meeting agenda this coming week. The one good thing Saints were doing was making Sarries play the rugby in their own half and the Northampton offensive defence was pinning the home side down on the right side of the gain line.

Sarries pressure was becoming intense now as they tried to regain the initiative and Robinson was penalised for not rolling away at the tackle and Mr Leyshon lost patience, giving Sharky a 10 minute breather. The kick was straightforward and Little took the 3 points.

18 - 22 after 29 minutes.

Sarries pressure was still being met with heroic Saints defence, even with 14 men but it became more than just a bit nail biting when Saints conceded a penalty on 80 minutes and Sarries kicked to touch on our 22 metre line. Sarries kept their attack going and looked to have set Paul Bailey free for a certain try under the posts. Oriel Ripol saved the game for his club with a fantastic cover tackle from the left wing to stop Bailey just short of the line. As Sarries tried to recycle the ball Mr Leyshon signalled a scrum, the players all stopped and he then blew for the end of the game. Saints had won the home players looked at first bewildered and then gutted and the Sarries crowd booed the officials from the pitch.

So Saints had won away at Vicarage Road for the first time in the ZP despite playing well below par and against a Saracens side who looked much better than their position in the league suggests.

The final score was 18 - 22, giving Saints 4 league points, Sarries a losing bonus point and Northampton Saints maintaining 3rd in the Premiership. A game high in excitement ultimately but low in skills levels.


And then back a further four years


Saints well on track.

Sarries 10 Saints 30

By Chris G
Date: 4/12/2000

The Saints kept their current revival well on track as they won their fifth game on the trot by destroying a totally outplayed Sarries at Vicarage Road on Sunday. The club has now leapfrogged several teams to sit nicely placed at fourth in the table with the summit now within their reach.

The Saints dominated proceedings in the opening encounters but failed to find any way through the Sarries defence. Time and time again the ball was lost in contact at a vital point in the attack.
They battled on gamely but it was Sarries who posted the first points.

Richard Haughton, one of several 'associate' players appearing for Sarries, took the ball in his own twenty two and rounded both Luca Martin and Matt Allen before chipping over full back Paul Grayson for an easy touchdown. It was the first time Sarries had entered the Saints half and the conversion gave them a seven point lead.

The Saints immediatly hit back and several pick and drives later gave Ali Hepher the time and centre field position to knock over a long range drop goal. Larry added a penalty minutes later, where lock Kris Chesney was despatched to the bin for killing the ball,
to reduce the deficit to one point before Sarries paid their second visit of the afternoon to Saints territory.

After a couple of ill natured scrums and lineouts, where Kyran Bracken was clearly acting illegally at the base, the captains were called together and warned of their teams conduct. Strangely it was the Saints who were penalised and the resulting penalty gave the home side a 10-6 half time lead.
Twice they had been in the Saints half, twice they had scored, however it was the last points they were to score all day.

The second half started with the Saints laying their cards of intention firmly on the table from the beggining.

They forced Sarries back into their twenty two and gave their defence no way out. Under pressure there was a knock on which gave the Saints a five metre scrum.

With all play looking like it was to go to the openside, Pat Lam picked up at the base and sauntered round Kris Chesney on the blinside to score an easy try. Indeed such was the time that Pat was given he almost had time to stop for a pie and a pint on the way!

Larry failed to convert but the constant Saints pressure that followed allowed him to rattle up a further four penalties in the ensuing twenty minutes.

Now with a thirteen point lead the Saints were sailing but Sarries were still in with a sniff of a bonus point and fought back gamely. They could find no way through the Saints midfield and back row. Tackle came upon tackle, with Harvey Thorneycroft amongst others, saving the day.

The Saints weathered the storm and again drove upfield in the dying minutes.
Dom Malone took up the challenge and went on a diagonal run to the corner only to be hauled down just short.

The ball was recyled to the right of the attack and the Sarries defence was sucked in hook line and sinker. Malone found Andy Blowers in centre field and just as it looked like he was going to step inside for his first Saints try he drew the last defender and sent a long looping pass out to Joe Shaw to score his debut in the corner.

By now the Sarries support was leaving in droves.
They had been outplayed on the pitch and outsung on the terraces. Oh joy!

Larry converted on the final whistle to give the Saints a well earned and well deserved victory.

A good win for the Saints and now the season is well and truly back on track. The win was all the more remarkable because the backs never really got into their full stride.

With several players out of position and the yet to return Sleightholme, Beal, Dawson, Brouzet, Moir and Cohen the future my friends looks bright!

And last of course we can't look back without refering to that Tetley Bitter Cup game in 2000. Some rate it as the most exciting game of rugby they had ever seen......

Saints By A Whisker!

Saracens 32 Northampton 34
Tetley Bitter Cup
Saturday January 29th 2000
Vicarage Road

Saracens fly-half Matt Leak missed a penalty in the
last minute to give Northampton a place in the last eight
of the Tetley's Bitter Cup after a thrilling encounter
at Vicarage Road.

New England recruit Ben Cohen had seconds earlier
scored what looked like a match-winning try before
Saracens hit back straight from the restart to
secure the penalty.

Leak had a further chance to steal a win with a drop
goal attempt but saw his kick flying narrowing
wide of the posts.

Saints, riding high in the Premiership and with a
place in the quarter-final of the Heineken Cup,
made a flying start with two tries inside six minutes.

Matt Dawson, confirmed as England captain for the
Six Nations opener against Ireland, sliced through
the Sarries midfield to create pressure in the
hosts' 22. After a period of sustained rucking the
home defence was left threadbare and hooker
Federico Mendez powered over in the corner.

Saracens responded immediately with a penalty
by Lacroix. But Saints were soon back on the attack.

Straight from the restart England fly-half Paul Grayson
found himself stranded wide on the left 10 metres
from the Saracens try line, he then flung a long pass
back in field to fullback Ali Hepher who spun the ball
out wide to where Saints had the numerical
advantage and centre Matt Allen had a simple run in.

Dawson and Lacroix then exchanged penalties
to leave the score at 13-6.

The Vicarage Road club, boosted by midweek victory
over Premiership leaders Gloucester, then forced
their way back into the game, spreading the
ball wide at every opportunity.

Their adventure paid dividends when a break from
Ryan Constable and some fine interplay with Rob
Thirlby on the right led to a ruck on Saints' five-yard
line. Prop David Flatman spotted a gap as Saints
rushed back to cover and surged over for the score.
Lacroix converted to level the scores 13-13.

A short pass from Lacroix to Richard Hill led to the
England's flanker breaking through the Northampton
defence with the try line in sight but a despairing
tackle from Cohen brought him down metres
from the line.

From the ensuing ruck Northampton infringed and
Lacroix kicked the resultant penalty to put Saracens
in front at the break.

Saracens refused to take their foot of the pedal in
the second half but some fierce Saints tackling
in their own 22 kept them at bay.

But it was the Saints who grabbed the first score.
They forced a line out deep inside Saracens territory
and replacement Steve Walter was driven
over the line.

Saracens then reclaimed the lead with
two penalties from Leak.

The lead then changed hands again when
Northampton's superiority up front was rewarded
with a try from Scotland's flanker Budge Pountney
after a period of sustained pressure. Dawson
converted to give them a five-point cushion.

The scrum half missed a golden opportunity to
extend Saints' lead, missing a straightforward
penalty.

Scotland's second row Scott Murray then got in on
the try-scoring act with 10 minutes remaining, driving
from the edge of a maul to score next to the post.
Leak converted then added another penalty
to give Saracens a 32-27 lead.

Then came Cohen's try which Dawson converted
to force further heartbreak on Saracens who yet
again fell to a narrow defeat in the dying minutes.


Scores: 0-5 Mendez try; 3-5 Lacroix pen; 3-10
Allen try; 6-10 Lacroix pen; 6-13 Dawson pen;
11-13 Flatman try; 13-13 Lacroix con; 16-13
Lacroix pen; 16-18 Walter try; 16-20 Dawson con;
19-20 Leek pen; 22-20 Leek pen; 22-25 Pountney
try; 22-27 Dawson con; 27-27 Murray try; 29-27
Leek con; 32-27 Leek pen; 32-32 Cohen try;
32-34 Dawson con.

Saracens: R Thirlby; R Constable, J Thomson
(B Johnston 3), K Sorrell, D O'Mahony; T Lacroix
(M Leek 44), M Powell; D Flatman, G Chuter, J White
(P Wallace 65), B Davison (K Chesney 25),
S Murray, R Hill, F Pienaar (captain)
(B Cole 55), T Diprose.

Northampton: A Hepher; J Sleightholme, A Bateman,
M Allen, B Cohen; P Grayson, M Dawson; G Pagel,
F Mendez (S Walter 44-53, 66), M Stewart
(M Scelzo 70), R Metcalfe (D Mackinnon 66),
J Phillips, T Rodber, B Pountney (S Holmes 72),
P Lam (cap).

Referee: S Walsh (New Zealand).