Saracens friendly bid to keep England stars
Saints set for Biggar things as Dan shines
IF LAST week was hellish, Northampton were far more saintly in Lyon yesterday, winning with a bonus point, doing all they could to make the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup.
But they had to battle back from 17-5 down at half-time, with Dan Biggar pulling the strings. The Wales fly-half set up the two crucial late tries that saw Saints prime themselves for qualification.
Northampton had not won in France since 2011. They will only miss out if Saracens and Gloucester both win today with bonus points. And with Gloucester having to storm Toulouse’s citadel, Northampton look set for a first knockout appearance since 2016.
Last week’s win over Benetton was described by Saints boss Chris Boyd as ‘disgustingly dreadful’. He was far happier after the comeback inspired by Biggar.
‘Dan is a fierce competitor, he brings his A-game every week,’ Boyd said. ‘He’s open to learn and get better. That is a mark of a world-class player.’
The try Biggar set up that won this game was a peach. Needing a fourth score, and trailing by two points with eight minutes to go, Northampton had a ruck in midfield. Biggar called his scrum-half, Cobus Reinach, to switch the play, took the pass rushing right and quickly fed full-back George Furbank inside.
The England hopeful finished in style — a timely score in front of Simon Amor, the national attack coach, with Eddie Jones naming his Six Nations squad tomorrow.
James Fish then went over for a fifth score late on and the game was won.
At half-time, Saints had it all to do. Mikey Haywood had rumbled over from a maul, when Lyon’s Francisco Gomez Kodela was in the sin-bin, but Lyon punished Saints through tries from Felix Lambey and Liam Gill as Jonathan Wisniewski kicked both conversions and a penalty.
But on the resumption, Teimana Harrison crashed over, Biggar kicked that conversion, a penalty and hoofed a clearance long for Reinach to speed on to and score.
Charlie Ngatai hit back as Lyon regained a slim lead but then Biggar conjured the opening for Furbank, and Fish made sure Saints have a chance to mix with the big boys in the last eight.