STRETTLE METTLE...
Boff biffs Wallabies David’s late show pure gold for Sarries
Northampton 27 Saracens 38
ARGENTINA beat the Wallabies in Australia for the first time since 1983 with a 23-19 victory.
Nicolas Sanchez and Bautista Delguy scored tries before half-time and fullback Emiliano Boffelli landed two monster long-range penalties to break a 35-year drought on Australian soil.
South Africa won in New Zealand for the first time since 2009 with a thrilling 36-34 success.
All Blacks captain Kieran Read said: “We threw everything at them but they defended outstandingly.” DAVID STRETTLE struck with two late tries in three dramatic minutes to extend Saracens’ unbeaten start to the season.
The former England wing – who returned to the club from Clermont in the summer – overturned the Saints’ lead in the 72nd minute and then put Saracens out of sight in the 75th to make it five successive win fopr his club at Northampton.
With England coach Eddie Jones watching before naming his squad for a training camp on Thursday, it was a timely reminder from Strettle that at 35 he is not yet too old for consideration.
“He’s a beautiful athlete. If you wanted to be a runner, that’s the way you want to run,” said Saracens director of rugby Mark Mccall.
“He has played two games for us. He did all right in 40 minutes up at Newcastle until he got concussed and did well again today. We’re absolutely thrilled to get five points from the game here.
“It was a game we probably won two or three times.”
Strettle’s fellow wing Alex Lewington also touched down twice to take his total to five tries in three games since joining Saracens from London Irish in the summer.
And with scrum-half Ben Spencer touching down in between, Mccall’s men picked up maximum points in the Midlands once again. Unlike recent meetings between the two sides, this was no pushover though.
Saracens, struggling to cope with the Saints maul, coughed up 14 penalties.
Danger
They leaked a first-half try to Piers Francis with Jamie George yellow-carded, and two more after the break to Dylan Hartley and Ben Franks with Billy Vunipola in the sin-bin.
They looked in danger of defeat when Dan Biggar
EXETER stay top of the Premiership table after a 35-18 win over battling SALE at Sandy Park.
Exeter scored five tries through Santiago Cordero, Jack Maunder (right), Jonny Hill, Tom Lawday and Alex Cuthbert. Joe Simmonds converted three and Gareth Steenson two. Marland Yarde and Bryn Evans scored Sale’s tries with Alan Macginty adding two penalties and a conversion.
Joe Cokanasiga scored two tries as BATH won 37-32 at HARLEQUINS.
NEWCASTLE beat WORCESTER 23-20 at Sixways for their first Premiership victory of the season. knocked over his fifth successful kick out of five with 11 minutes left.
But Strettle’s fleet-footed response, first in skinning Courtney Lawes on the outside and then dotting down in the corner from George’s pass, silenced the Northampton fans and made it Saracens’ day.
There was plenty of fizzing rugby but the highlight for many was a first-half collision between Northampton’s debutant Taqele Naiyaravoro and Vunipola, who threw himself at the enormous Australian wing after he had brushed off Lewington.
It was the unstoppable force against the immovable object and the earth moved.
Naiyaravoro remained standing but Northampton fell in the end.
Tries: Francis, Hartley, Franks; Pens: Biggar 2; Cons: Biggar 3 Tries: Lewington 2, Spencer, Strettle 2; Pens: Spencer, Goode 2; Cons: Spencer, Goode