Humiliated
Saints crushed by rampant Sarries
Deja vu can be a horrible feeling when nightmare memories torment the mind, as Northampton fans would testify after another harrowing experience against Saracens.
This was Saints’ heaviest home defeat in Europe, a humiliation given that it was on such a big stage. It was little surprise that the stands were emptying long before the final whistle. Deep gloom for one lot, profound satisfaction for the other.
This is a Saracens side in their pomp: forceful, clever and irrepressible. They may not always have been easy on the eye but this was a joy to watch, the pick of their eight tries the penultimate one, a slick, well-worked score by Alex Lozowski.
Even though Saints’ supporters have seen their team recover after their 55-24 opening-day mauling by Saracens in the Premiership, this all-consuming performance by the two-time European champions was a throwback to those Twickenham agonies. The Northampton heebiejeebies will not be easily quelled. This was a rout, a bruising, sobering, psyche-scarring event. The psychiatrist’s couch awaits – again.
“We thought we had learned our lessons but clearly we hadn’t,” said Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder. “We need to come up with another plan [to play Saracens].”
Four tries were conceded in the first half alone, with the Pool Two bonus point secured by their opponents and barely a whimper of protest raised as Saracens showed once again why they will be the team to beat in Europe.
They were already on a record run of 18 matches without defeat, only one draw in that sequence spoiling the perfect return, and there was never the slightest danger of a further breach. Even in the toughest of groups, alongside beaten finalists Clermont and Ospreys, Saracens look indomitable.
“That was definitely our best performance of the season,” said Saracens director of rugby Mark Mccall. “It was pleasing how we sustained it [to the end]. We fought for everything but none of us thought it would end up the way it did. It’s crucial now that we back that up against Ospreys.”
Northampton’s misery was compounded by a first-half knee injury sustained by Wales wing George North, who will have a scan today. Saints were obliged to live off scraps, and for their scavenger-inchief of chances to be removed after 28 minutes was cruel.
There were stand-out displays from lock George Kruis, looking to impress watching England coach Eddie Jones ahead of the November Tests, and his young partner, Nick Isiekwe. There was plenty to admire too in the play of two-try wing Liam Williams, and in the ball-carrying of prop Vincent Koch. There was also a typically fiery showing from fly-half Owen Farrell, who moved past 600 points in the competition with his 17 here.
Farrell was also involved in a first-half dust-up with his one-time England colleague, Saints’ No 8 Teimana Harrison. Farrell was jumped on by Harrison, who pummelled him on the deck after a trademark fierce tackle by the Saracen that verged on the illegal, with Ben Foden up-ended. The penalty went against Farrell for what appeared to be a forearm under Harrison’s chin.
“The reaction [of Owen] worried me a little bit,” said Mccall.
Saracens have moved well beyond being the percentage-based side they were, and brought far more variety to their approach play. They are an all-court team, happy enough if the game calls for hard yards at the forward coal-face or confident in their ability to read the play to offload into space knowing that there will be someone to run on to the ball, be it a Marcelo Bosch in the centre or Koch at prop.
They are all comfortable in their own skin. And it showed in that blistering opening sequence. There was a one-way flow of traffic toward the Saints’ line for most of the first half. Northampton were scrambling, waving desperately for cover defenders to come across. In truth, drowning not waving.
There was simply no gainsaying Saracens from the moment that Williams touched down for the first of his tries in the 12th minute. Prior to that there had been a miss from head-on to the posts by Farrell from 35 metres.
What a false omen that proved to be. That opening score showed Saracens at their best, a 13-phase effort with forwards and backs combining. Brad Barritt’s try eight minutes later was more prosaic, the centre joining a line-out drive. Lovely hands from Bosch teed-up Williams’s second on the half-hour with a former Saint, flanker Calum Clark, getting the bonus point in the bag on the stroke of half-time.
If there was any prospect of a half-time pep talk rousing the Saints, that thought was quickly dispelled when Koch crashed over within 100 seconds of the restart.
Thereafter it was merely a question of how many – and not just how many Saints supporters would stay to the end.
There were three more Saracens tries, from Mako Vunipola and Ben Spencer, then Lozowski’s effort, a beautifully-crafted one from a scrum. Mikey Heywood nabbed one for Northampton. It was no consolation by any stretch.