Northampton Saints 24 - 29 Saracens
"Unbelievable
intensity out there, we're thrilled to come out the right side of it"
said
Mark McCall.
I
sensed a nervy atmosphere on arrival at Franklin's Gardens at 11.30am
on Saturday morning. It was a little chilly and overcast but these
conditions weren't going to affect this monstrous match from playing
out.
The league winners, Northampton Saints, were vying for a place in the Aviva Premiership final to defend their title as Champions and visitors Saracens – who lost out to Saints at the eleventh hour last year - were out to retrieve their pride, prove their might and leap into the limelight ...and they did just that.
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| Lineout after lineout! Photos by Claire Jones, RedHatPhoto.com |
The hearts and hopes of thousands of Franklin's Gardens faithful sunk at the point when Owen Farrell slotted his fifth penalty in the 77th minute - racking up a total of 19 points from his boot alone to seal the deal for the London side. It was the point of no return and thousands put their heads in their hands ... a dismal and disappointing day for a Saints fan but fair play to Saracens; they were tremendous, clinical, cool and classy to watch.
Saracens stormed out of the tunnel and struck hard within the first three minutes of the match. As fullback Ahsee Tuala lay on the field injured within the first minute, play continued and a healthy overlap enabled David Strettle to set up his own fantastic try with a perfectly positioned chip and chase; and with a pop up from Duncan Taylor back into Strettle's hands, he was over. Faz added the extras and what became clear from the outset, Sarries execution in defence was exceptional as they were burrowing into every phase of play. Would the scenario have been different if Tuala wasn’t down? Possibly; and his injury saw him leave the field to be replaced by James Wilson.
But from one end of the pitch to the other, Northampton were on the attack and after two rolling mauls brought down illegally, Mako Vunipola was yellowed. The third attempt metres from the try line resulted in referee Greg Garner awarding Northampton a penalty try. Stephen Myler evened up the score board and it was game on, 7-7.
It
was fruitful to say the very least, there were high kicks and box
kicks galore! But when you looked at the style of rugby being played
- Saracens were strong, meaty and forceful.
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| Rolling mauls took centre stage! Photos by Claire Jones, RedHatPhoto.com |
In
my opinion, even with the loss of Mako they seemed composed, clinical
and confident. Ill-discipline did creep in though so the boot of
Farrell and Myler traded two penalties a piece.
What was separating these teams? Downright desire maybe. It was tight and tense.
And were Saints lacking structure in their set piece? Well I thought so now and then... and the inconsistency made it frustrating and nerve-racking to watch!
HT
13-13
Back
out and Saints saw fullback James Wilson not returning because of
injury – replaced by Stephenson - but the rolling mauls were
proving reliable. Garner awarded a penalty to Saints within the
first couple of minutes of the final forty when Saracens were offside
and Myler managed to slot his third penalty of the day.
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| Alex Waller attempting to break the defence Photos by Claire Jones, RedHatPhoto.com |
Then
came the rolling maul payback. The incredibly talented Jamie George
led the Wolfpack over the try line as 'Sarries, Sarries' resounded
around the ground. Farrell's conversion widened his teams lead and
when yet another penalty came minutes later, the International
star did what he does so well... Added another three points to the
tally, 16-23.
Was
this match slowing slithering out of Northampton's hands? Yes I
think so. But the Saints weren't done. Their second rolling maul of
the day proved effective and Franklin's Gardens erupted! Were Saints
back on course? Not exactly, when Myler missed the conversion; 21-23.
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| Tom Wood leading his side over with a rolling maul Photos by Claire Jones, RedHatPhoto.com |
However
for the final ten minutes momentum remained with Saracens.
Northampton's composure descended into the abyss and their clinical
capacity crumbled; and yet again Farrell's reliable boot rallied -
extending the visitors lead - yet again.
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| Saints penalised at the breakdown Photos by Claire Jones, RedHatPhoto.com |
So
as the clock wound down and Saints were penalised in the ruck for
holding on, Farrell's final kick was the winning strike of the game
to take Saracens to the Aviva Premiership final at Twickenham.
FT
24-29
A
bitter-sweet finish for Jim Mallinder and his mighty men.
Northampton Saints end their season on a high after winning the
league and making history for the club. But unfortunately they don't
have a chance to fight for the title as Premiership Champions this
season, Sarries do.
Jim
spoke of his disappointment after the game;
"I
think it was a good battle to be honest...I was pleased with the
effort we put in and we showed some real good periods of play...we
just didn't get enough of those small little bits right
... what you've go to do to be Champions is you've got to beat all
styles (of rugby), today we didn't get over this hurdle" said
Jim Mallinder.
A profound analysis of the way rugby is played in the Premiership in general really – we’ve witnessed the different styles all season - and the effects to momentum of losing two such strong fullbacks also cannot be underestimated. As neither can losing the toss.
Saracens are no strangers to the Aviva Premiership Final and after Saturday's outstanding defensive performance; I wish them the best of luck!
See you at Twickenham!