Saracens (3) 26 Tries: Penney, Owen Cons: Jackson 2 Pens: Jackson 3, Ross Northampton (6) 12 Pens: Myler 3 Drop-goal: Myler
 Penney finally made the breakthrough for Sarries after 66 minutes |
Second-half tries from Rodd Penney and Michael Owen gave a dominant Saracens side victory over Northampton. Saracens enjoyed the lion's share of possession early on, but missed chances meant they trailed 6-3 at the break. Stephen Myler kicked Saints further ahead, but sin-binnings for scrum-half Ben Foden and hooker Dylan Hartley undermined their chances of success. Penney and Owen both crossed in the last 15 minutes to punish Northampton as Saracens climbed to fourth.
Saracens director of rugby Eddie Jones: "We probably started the game a little bit too easy and got a little bit loose in the way we played but you've got to give a lot of credit to Northampton. "They scrapped and fought hard at the tackle contest. "Michael Owen's certainly displaying some of the form we saw with Wales a couple of years ago. He's a very talented player. Both him and Steve Borthwick have fitted in really well. "Our application was excellent. We really stuck in in the second half." Northampton coach Jim Mallinder: "Saracens put us under a lot of pressure and once you lose two men you really are struggling. "We played quite well the first half but you have to make the most of the chances, especially away from home, and that's something we didn't do. "They have a good pack so you have to fight for every bit of possession."
Saracens: Haughton, Penney, Sorrell, Powell, Ratuvou, Jackson, de Kock, Aguero, Ongaro, Johnson, Borthwick, Vyvyan, Jack, Saull, Owen. Replacements: Wyles for Haughton (52), Ross for Jackson (73), Rauluni for de Kock (73), Cairns for Ongaro (67), Visagie for Johnson (67), Chesney for Vyvyan (73), Skirving for Jack (41). Northampton: Myler, Reihana, Ansbro, Downey, Lamont, Spencer, Dickson, Tonga'uiha, Hartley, Murray, Fernandez Lobbe, Day, Hopley, S. Gray, Wilson. Replacements: Mayor for Downey (12), Foden for Dickson (52), Smith for Tonga'uiha (53), Stewart for Murray (53), Rae for Fernandez Lobbe (46), Shields for Day (71), Lewitt for Hopley (71). Sin Bin: Foden (65), Hartley (71). Att: 7,409 Ref: Martin Fox (RFU).
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