Premiership Rugby Cup: Northampton Saints 58-34 Saracens
- Published
Northampton's Courtnall Skosan finished with three tries but was still not the highest scorer in the game
Premiership Rugby Cup: Northampton v Saracens |
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Northampton 58 (29) |
Tries: J Matavesi, F Sleightholme 2, Skosan 3, Pollock 2, Hinkley Pen: J Grayson Cons: J Grayson 5 |
Saracens 34 (12) |
Tries: Moore, Adejimi 4, Wilson Cons: Manu Vunipola 2 |
Northampton beat Saracens in a pulsating Premiership Cup tie which saw 15 tries and 92 points shared.
Samson Adejimi scored four tries for the visitors while Springbok Courtnall Skosan bagged a hat-trick for Saints.
Sarries are rooted to the foot of Pool 3 after a second successive defeat while Saints' first win saw them leapfrog Harlequins into second.
Saints host Quins next on Tuesday, while Sarries welcome the Exiles in the competition on 17 October.
There were a mere 41 points in the opening 40 minutes as the hosts took a commanding lead at the break.
The tone was set within three minutes as Joel Matavesi pounced on a kick from James Grayson to open the scoring.
A lightning counter-attack from a misplaced Manu Vunipola pass led to the second Saints score just four minutes later through Frankie Sleightholme.
Francis Moore ended a flowing team move by dancing past the final man to touch down for Sarries after 13 minutes, but Skosan cruised over for his first soon after.
The Saints secured their bonus point after 20 minutes while Sarries were down to 14, with Ollie Stonham in the sin-bin for killing the ball. Teenager Henry Pollock crashed over after the penalty was kicked to the corner with the lead growing to 24-7.
Adejimi reduced the arrears after a powerful maul on 22 minutes but Sleightholme collected a lovely offload from Matavesi to register his second try with the final play of the half, ending another slick counter-attack to make it 29-12 at the turnaround.
As in the first half, it took the hosts only three minutes to cross the whitewash, Pollock turning the ball over, allowing Grayson to kick across the field for Skosan to gather and race over the line.
Adejimi battered his way over for a reply and Vunipola's successful conversion, one of only two on the night, reduced the deficit to 36-19, but Skosan grabbed his third from close range after Callum Braley's fine pass, before Adejimi followed suit at the other end to keep Sarries in it.
The gap was reduced to 12 points with 15 minutes to play when Adejimi plunged over after another maul in the corner, but Grayson notched a penalty to go with his five conversions to settle any Saints nerves and teenager Pollock put the outcome beyond doubt as he brought up the home side's half-century from a powerful maul.
Northampton's ninth try came from the elusive Aaron Hinkley, but there was still time for replacement Oscar Wilson to cross for Sarries down the left to complete the scoring.
Northampton: Ramm; Skosan, Litchfield, J Matavesi, F Sleightholme; J Grayson, Braley (capt); Waller, Gradwick-Light, Heffernan, Nansen, Lockett, Sylvester, Pollock, Hinkley.
Replacements: Bell, Mulhall, Prowse, Atuanya, Scott-Young, Garside, Kean, Thame.
Saracens: Elliott; Reynolds-West, Jackson, Hallett, Moore; Manu Vunipola, Bryan; Flynn, Adejimi, Bello, Wardell, Pearce-Paul, Michelow, Knight, Stonham.
Replacements: Isaacs, Wainwright, Judge, Eke, Nkwocha, Bracken, McInulty, Wilson.
Sin-bin: Stonham (22).
Referee: Andrew Jackson.