MATCH REPORT | Northampton Saints 22-20 Saracens Men

Northampton Saints advanced to the Gallagher Premiership Final after a brave Saracens side were beaten 22-20 in the semi-final at Franklin’s Gardens.

In a match that resembled a heavyweight boxing fight such was the level of physicality, the hosts edged out the Men in Black who fought until the last second to defend their title.

Sarries started with the bit between their teeth and two successive penalties just three minutes in took them right up to the try line. A third penalty followed, and Elliot Daly kicked it between the posts to give the visitors a 3-0 lead.

Saints then looked to get their attack going but a huge hit on George Furbank saw the ball cannon out of his grasp as he headed towards the 22. They went again in the next phase but Ben Earl was alive and turned the ball over to earn a penalty.

A lovely starter play from Sarries then almost resulted in the first try of the evening. From the top of a lineout Daly went through a gap and Ivan van Zyl combined with Alex Lewington to enter the 22. Owen Farrell’s cross-field kick to Juan Martin Gonzalez then almost saw the Argentinian dot down but the ball went forward as he looked to gather.

The visitors were going hard at the breakdown and earned another penalty on the 17 minute mark which Daly slotted straight through, doubling the lead to 6-0.

Northampton did click with a quarter of the match gone as they scored their first try to take the lead. Furbank broke through a tackle and his audacious offload up to Burger Odendaal saw the centre race clear and dive under the posts. Fin Smith’s conversion made it 7-6 to the home side.

Sarries then thought they had retaken the lead with a lovely set move from a lineout which ended with Jamie George diving over, but after a check with the Television Match Official he was deemed to have been in front of the kicker.

Smith then edged Saints further ahead with three penalties in quick succession before the break, as they headed down the tunnel with a 16-6 lead.

More thunderous hits were going in at the start of the second half as Sarries looked to wrestle back some much-needed momentum.

Some brave play from under their own sticks almost saw Alex Lozowski break through but he was denied, and just as it looked like it wouldn’t be Sarries day they scored a try out of nothing to get right back in to the game.

Phase after phase took them towards the 22, and then an incredible break and grubber from Farrell found Lewington on the wing who did brilliantly to dot down with an acrobatic finish. Daly’s superb touchline conversion brought the visitors to within three points with just over 20 minutes to go.

Saints almsot responded straight away when Ollie Sleightholme hacked the ball ahead, but fortunately for the Londoners the ball went dead and they survived.

Smith then had a huge opportunity to extend Northampton’s lead, but he snatched at the penalty and it went just wide.

Alex Mitchell then thought he has scored a wonder try with a lovely one-two and he was away in the corner, but a simply incredible tackle from Juan Martin Gonzalez dragged him in to touch to the disbelief of the home crowd.

Their pressure did tell with a fourth penalty from Smith in the 62nd minute, putting Saints 19-13 ahead as we entered the final quarter.

The Northampton scrum was on top and they earned another penalty through that domination, as Smith put them more than a score ahead with 10 minutes remaining.

Lucio Cinti then gave the visitors a glimmer of hope as he went over in the corner with just two minutes remaining after Farrell’s wide pass, and Daly’s conversion made it a two point match as we entered the final play.

Sarries gave all they had in the closing exchange but the home side held firm and booked their place in the showpiece at Twickenham next weekend.