Premiership: Northampton Saints 6-30 Saracens - Alex Lozowski shines for Sarries

Alex Lozowski had a 100% success rate off the tee and has landed 23 of 24 penalties this season

Alex Lozowski's 20-point haul helped Saracens to a hard-fought win over Northampton at Franklin's Gardens.

The sides were locked at 6-6 after an even first half as Dan Biggar and Lozowski traded penalties.

Lozowski slid in for the game's first try before adding a conversion and a further penalty to extend the lead to 16-6 after an hour.

Tom Woolstencroft sealed victory with a pushover try before Maro Itoje crossed late on as a tiring Saints side wilted.

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Saracens matched the win of runaway leaders Leicester and remain second, but slipped back to nine points adrift as the Tigers secured a bonus point in beating Newcastle.

Northampton went into the match on a run of three straight defeats in all competitions - and seven in their past nine - but had only lost once at Franklin's Gardens this season.

The hosts showed early adventure and put Saracens - who had lost their past three away games - under pressure in their own 22 in an even opening, but they were unable to breach a tenacious defence which has yielded just three tries all season in the first quarter of matches.

Biggar twice cancelled out Lozowski penalties in an attritional and even first half, played in wet, slippery conditions.

Saints may have scented just a second win over Saracens in nine meetings, but it was the visitors who came out stronger in the second half and gradually pulled away with an efficient if unspectacular display.

Maro Itoje crosses for his second try of the season for Saracens

They scored the pivotal opening try just four minutes after the restart when Alex Goode glided through a small opening and fed Lozowski to cross.

The fly-half made it a two-score game when wing Ollie Sleightholme was penalised, and, despite a hard-working performance, the Saints never threatened to close the gap.

Sarries continued to turn the screw, while the hosts lost their discipline as the efforts of the opening hour began to tell.

Woolstencroft was driven over for the second try just a minute after prop Conor Carey was yellow-carded for collapsing a maul.

Moments later Itoje rubbed salt in the wound, touching down after Eroni Mawi broke from a maul, and Lozowski capped a perfect kicking display by nailing his third conversion.

Saints played the final three minutes with 13 men, losing a further player to injury and having to go to uncontested scrums, but the game had long since gone.

Northampton Saints director of rugby Chris Boyd told BBC Radio Northampton:

"At half-time we'd had plenty of opportunities, but couldn't convert them so it was partially down to us and partially down to the fact they have a very good defensive system.

"It's a bit tough to swallow. We talked at half-time about the fact there'll be four or five moments in the second half that will decide the game and unfortunately they got three bits of territory and three tries.

"We probably lost the kicking battle too many times and the rain didn't help us. It was greasy and hard to run so that's exactly what they want to do - wait for you to make a poor decision at the wrong end of the field."

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall:

"We showed a lot of fight, grit and resolve and we had to tweak a few things in our kicking game and that allowed the rest of our game to lift.

"We had a lot more energy in defence and we attacked a lot better in the second half and the set-piece went to a different level. Just a really good, hard-fought away win.

"When you're under the pump as we were, in front of a great crowd as Northampton have, in your 22 as often as we were, you need your senior players to step up. I thought across the board ours did. I thought Maro had a big game."

Northampton: Furbank; Sleightholme, Hutchinson, Francis, Skosan; Biggar, Mitchell; Waller, Matavesi, Hill, Coles, Ratuniyarawa, Lawes, Ludlam (capt), Augustus.

Replacements: Fish, Iyogun, Carey, Ribbans, Wood, James, Dingwall, Tuala.

Sin-bin: Connor Carey (71)

Saracens: Malins; Maitland, Lozowski, Tompkins, Daly; Goode, van Zyl; M Vunipola, George (capt), Beaton, Itoje, Isiekwe, McFarland, Earl, B Vunipola.

Replacements: Woolstencroft, Mawi, Milasinovich, Hunter-Hill, Wray, de Haas, Manu Vunipola, Segun.

Referee: Adam Leal

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