Premiership: Saracens 27-12 Northampton

Saracens are looking to win a third consecutive Premiership title this season

Reigning Premiership champions Saracens recorded their third win of the season after a physical encounter with Northampton at Allianz Park.

Alex Lozowski and Saints counterpart Stephen Myler kicked three penalties each as the first half ended 9-9.

Myler put the visitors ahead after the break but Sarries seized control when Alex Waller was sin-binned.

Jamie George crossed and the hosts were then awarded a penalty try before two more Lozowski penalties sealed victory.

The first period saw a battle for supremacy between both forward packs, with France international Louis Picamoles influential at number eight for Northampton.

Saints, playing with the wind behind them in the second half, looked to have gained the upper hand but the momentum switched when prop Waller was shown yellow for a dump-tackle on George off the ball at the breakdown.

England hooker George ran in the first try from a well-worked line-out and the game was effectively settled when referee Greg Garner gave the hosts a second score with Waller still off the pitch.

Northampton replacement Sam Dickinson then received a yellow card late on, allowing Lozowski to take his personal tally for 17 points and help extend Saracens' 100% start to their title defence.

However, Sarries winger Chris Ashton could be cited after being accused of biting the hand of Waller in a first-half incident.

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall: "We were second-best in the first half and we allowed some things to get under our skin a little bit.

"Their line speed was tremendous and we couldn't get any quick ball.

"We weren't quite ourselves in the first half, but I thought in the second half we did a phenomenal job.

"The most encouraging thing today was that we found a way to win while not being at our best."

Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder on Waller's sin-binning: "We had the ball, Alex got charged into and he took it too far.

"Saracens are tough enough to beat when you have got 15 men, but when you are down to 14 for 20 minutes you are really up against it.

"I thought we did pretty well for 55 minutes or so. We put them under pressure and we defended with the passion and intensity that we needed to.

"They were spilling ball and we were beginning to get into them, and then a moment of madness from Alex Waller started our downfall."

Saracens: Goode; Ashton, Bosch, Barritt (capt), Wyles; Lozowski, Wigglesworth; M Vunipola, Brits, Du Plessis, Itoje, Hamilton, Rhodes, Burger, B Vunipola.

Replacements: George, Barrington, Figallo, Brown, Wray, Spencer, Tompkins, Maitland.

Northampton: Tuala; K Pisi, G Pisi, Burrell, North; Myler, Dickson; Waller, Haywood, Brookes, Lawes, Paterson, Wood (capt), Harrison, Picamoles.

Replacements: Clare, Ma'afu, Hill, Dickinson, Gibson, Groom, Mallinder, Foden.

Sin-bin: Waller (55), Dickinson (70).

Referee: Greg Garner