Horan ran the show for Saracens

England flanker Richard Hill's first-half try was the difference between the two sides in atrocious conditions at Vicarage Road.

Saracens' sixth win of the season moves them above Harlequins to seventh place in the Premiership after a game which only just survived a pitch inspection before the kick-off.

Leeds were hampered by three missed penalties from Braam van Straaten and a yellow card for fly-half Gordon Ross but clung on to a bonus point in the Watford mud.

The visitors were handed an opening as early as the fifth minute when Bath's Christian Califano was sin-binned.

When you grind out a win like that, you just thank your lucky stars that you got points early Saracens coach Wayne Shelford

But van Straaten missed the resulting shot at goal from halfway before stroking over an easier effort two minutes later.

Saracens, though, dominated the early exchanges with double World Cup winner Tim Horan running the show from fly-half in place of the injured Thomas Castaignede.

The Tykes suffered a set-back when Ross was yellow-carded for pulling back Horan, as his opposite number chased his kick ahead.

Match facts:

Saracens: 11 Tries: Hill Pens: Wynnan, Goode Leeds: 6 Pens: Van Straaten (2)

Saracens pressed hard, prompted by Horan's searching kicks, and Leeds duo Winston Stanley and Dan Scarbrough were troubled behind their own line.

Futile

But it took until the third minute of first-half injury time for Saracens to make the breakthrough.

The home side swept upfield, led by Abdel Benazzi, and recycled the ball out to the right.

Califano showed superb handling to take and give in one stride to feed Hill, who forced his way over in the corner.

Braam van Straaten missed some kicks, but that happens in bad conditions - he's won us more games than he's lost Leeds coach Phil Davies

Van Straaten followed a 26th minute penalty miss with another failure early in the second half after Adryan Winnan had edged Saracens 8-3 in front with his 43rd minute effort.

Leeds enjoyed a period of pressure on the hour but were foiled when skipper Mike Shelley drove into one of his own players as he tried to barge his way over.

Saracens' Andy Goode stretched the lead with five minutes left before van Straaten gave Leeds a lifeline a minute before the whistle.

But frantic last-minute efforts to throw the ball around in search of an opening were ultimately futile in the quagmire.

Saracens: Winnan, Arasa, Sorrell, Shanklin, O'Mahony, Horan, Bracken, Califano, Cairns, Marsters, Hooper, Benazzi, Roche, Hill, Chesney. Replacements: Croall, Ross, Yandell, Peacey, Kirton, Haughton, Goode.

Leeds: Scarborough, Stanley, Davies, van Straaten, Albanese, Ross, Hegarty, Shelley, Regan, Holt, Campbell, Palmer, Mather, Ponton, Fea'unati. Replacements: Wheatley, Rawlinson, Hogg, Popham, C. Murphy, Dickens, Hall.

Referee: R Goodliffe (Sheffield (RFU))