Aviva Premiership Semi Final Review - Saracens 13 - 27 Northampton Saints

I've written on here a fair bit about Sarries' marketing.  I happen to think they've done really well in building a club that stands out from all the rest, whether it's using cheerleaders, big money half time drop goal prizes or nail-scrapingly irritating music to be played after every Saracens score.  These are all gimmicks, essentially, but every single one of them has come off in one way or another – they have a great team ethos after various club trips, they're attracting new fans with their carnival-style approach to home games and their winning matches with their well-publicised wolf-pack mentality.  Surely they didn't need another one for Sunday in their game against perennial semi-final losers Northampton?

Well yes.  And normally I'd say go for it – it's just a bit of fun and it all helps generate a family friendly atmosphere.  But here, Saracens chose to have the players' wives, girlfriends and children lining up on the pitch to welcome the home side out.  For me, this is a big mistake.  For the last 2 hours they would have been getting focussed before working themselves up into a near-frenzy just before they came out onto the pitch.  Now, I'm sure when most people are faced with their other half or their offspring they don’t find rage to be the prevailing emotion (I'm sure there are exceptions), and part of me wonders if this tacky move actually took the sting or edge out of the men in black before they'd even got onto the field, rather than increasing the emotion.

There was nothing tacky about the visitors’ start though – the Saints pack came tearing into their counterparts with a fury we haven’t seen too often this season.  Suane Tonga’uiha thumped Schalk Brits backwards in a tackle to give Stephen Myler a shot at goal, which the fly half spooned wide, but this was just the beginning.  High pressure defence forced Joel Tomkins into an overly ambitious offload, and from Jamie Elliot on the left, the ball seemed to be offloaded by every single member of the Northampton pack before finding Ken Pisi all the way over on the right, and after the Samoan had made inroads into the Saracens 22, Kelly Brown was forced into conceding another penalty shot.  Myler missed again, but Sarries were rattled.

 Saracens were struggling to get any continuous possession – and when they did, they were invariably undone by strong Northampton defence (twice through the un-gigantic form of Jamie Elliot) or by poor decision making - with Owen Farrell grubbering dead after Alex Goode and David Strettle had made decent inroads.   And they were made to pay for their imprecision after 20 minutes, when the Saints drove over the line from a lineout 10 metres out, with giant prop Brian Mujati the man to wrestle the ball down.  Myler discovered his kicking boots and nailed the conversions, and the underdogs had a thoroughly deserved lead.

That 7 point advantage didn’t last for long though.  Two minutes later, with what seemed to be his first touch of the game, Chris Ashton was hammered by Samu Manoa and the ball spurted free from the ruck (somewhat suspiciously) into the hands of Dylan Hartley, who transferred the ball via Lee Dickson and Christian Day to Elliot, who had the fairly simple task of outstripping Steve Borthwick to complete a dream 180 seconds for the Saints.  Meanwhile, things went from bad to worse for the men in black as Charlie Hodgson was forced off due to a knock to the knee he sustained in the first 10 minutes, before Farrell conceded his second penalty of the game and Myler made it a 17 point advantage.  Farrell himself then had a relatively simple penalty attempt following an infringement from Tom Wood, after the England flanker had clattered Brits, but the Lions tourist summed up Saracens’ first half by scuffing his kick out to the left.  Northampton booted the ball out to bring on the half time break, having nilled the hosts for the first 40.

 Saracens needed a big recovery in the second half and, briefly, it seemed they’d get a perfect start.  Mako Vunipola started hammering into the Northampton line and Duncan Taylor hit a gorgeous line to take play into the Saints 22, before David Strettle burst through on the angle.  He seemed certain to score, especially on current form, but he inexplicably checked his run and ignored the unmarked Ashton on the outside, allowing Ben Foden to get underneath him and prevent the try.  Northampton cleared their lines after destroying the host's scrum, but Sarries continued to press, only to find themselves continually stalling at the 22 metre line – a result of powerful Saints defence from the likes of Manoa and Courtney Lawes and continued hesitance at the breakdown by Neil de Kock.

Finally, after 50 minutes, they received some reward for their perseverance, with Farrell knocking over a penalty goal before following up with another 3 pointer after Christian Day was marched back 10 metres for throwing the ball away after being pinged by JP Doyle.  Was this the start of the Saracens come back?  When things finally started going according to script?  Northampton answered that emphatically just 5 minutes later with a try to effectively seal the game.  Hartley was mullered just outside the home side's 22, providing Saracens with a hint of a turnover and drawing right winger Chris Ashton in.  This left replacement 9, Richard Wigglesworth, alone on the blindside and Lee Dickson, quick as a flash, exploited this by sending GJ Van Velze streaking down the touchline for another try.  Myler hit another conversion, and it was game over.

Despite Jamie Elliot being sinbinned for tackling Farrell in the air just after the hour mark, Saracens could only muster up one score on the ground where they have been so dominant of late, with Duncan Taylor stepping over for a converted score.  The game ebbed out with the Saints defence remaining rigid, and the East Midlanders had secured themselves a famous victory.

For the hosts, it's not quite back to the drawing board – this has still been a fine season where they have finished on top of the league, and next year they'll have a whole season to rebuild Allianz Park as a fortress.  But for the visitors, it's 4 years of hurt erased, doubters proved wrong – and finally the Saints get go marching on to Twickenham.  An East Midlands derby for a Premiership final – I don't think you need many gimmicks to market that one.

 

Saracens Player Ratings

Alex Goode – 6 – Some nice counters and decent kicks, but unable to make significant inroads into a brutally stubborn Northampton defence.

Chris Ashton – 5 – A couple of promising bursts after a quiet opening, but got needlessly pulled into a ruck to open the way for the Saints' 3rd try.
Joel Tomkins – 4 – A naïve performance.  Too many times he gave the ball away in promising positions with attempted miracle offloads.  He looked shellshocked at the resistance he was facing.
Owen Farrell – 4 – He is so much better than this.  The semi-final brought out the worst in his game – poor decision making, lacklustre execution and petulance.
David Strettle – 5 – Like Ashton, made a couple of sharp bursts but ruined his good work with a mistake – this time not finishing/passing a great opportunity for a try early in the second half.
Charlie Hodgson – 6 – Poor Charlie.  Didn't really get a chance to showcase his attacking ability before a knee injury forced him off.  Tackled and kicked well whilst he was on, mind.
Neil de Kock – 4 – Surprisingly, far too hesitant at the base of rucks throughout the game, allowing himself to get caught on several occasions and sap momentum out of his side's attack.
Mako Vunipola – 6 – Had a hard time in the scrum but at least he kept charging whenever he got a chance, being one of the few Sarries men to make yards.
Schalk Brits – 4 – Just not his day.  The lineout wobbled, and although he put in an admirable shift, seemed to spend most of his day getting absolutely clobbered in contact.
Matt Stevens – 5 – Like his fellow prop, had a hard time in the scrums and struggled to make an impact in the loose.  At least he didn't give as many penalties away this time.
Steve Borthwick – 5 – Failed to rule the lineout like he would have hoped and couldn't stem the Northampton's pack dominance in the first half.
Alistair Hargreaves – 6 – Got around the park well in an attempt to make a nuisance out of himself but it was a day when he came up against a pack possessed.
Kelly Brown – 6 – Gave a couple of penalties away in the first half but also made a significant bust to get Sarries onto the front foot and never stopped working.
Andy Saull – 7 – A good final appearance for the young flanker.  Charged with venom and tackled his socks off, including one textbook hit on Mujati.  It wasn't enough though.
Jackson Wray – 5 – Utterly, utterly anonymous, particularly in the first half.  As a number 8 he should have been leading the resistance to get stuck into the Saints pack, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Subs

John Smit – 5 – Always physical but not enough explosiveness to make the difference here.
Carlos Nieto – Not enough time to make an impact.
Rhys Gill – Not enough time to make an impact.
Mouritz Botha – Not enough time to make an impact.
George Kruis – 6 – Tried to up the home side's energy and gave a decent account of himself.
Richard Wigglesworth – 6 – His service was an improvement and he at least provided entertainment with a hilarious tantrum late on.
Duncan Taylor – 7 – A good game from the big Scot.  Made holes in the middle and scored a try in an accomplished display.
Chris Wyles – 6 – A bit quiet from the American, but then again, he was never really given a chance to show his speed.

 

Northampton Player Ratings

Ben Foden – 6 – Pretty quiet from the Saints flyer, sweeping up well but it seems a long time since we've seen him shred a defence, doesn't it.
Ken Pisi – 6 – A couple of lively darts in the first half were impressive before he drifted out of the game – he remains a dangerous runner, though.
George Wilson – 7 – Considering he was out of position, he was excellent.  Part of a colossal defensive effort and his boot was a useful weapon for the visitors (even if he did misplace a couple).
Luther Burrell – 6 – A quiet but effective performance from the big man, dealing with Tomkins well and getting his side on the front foot with the ball in hand.
Jamie Elliot – 8 – A couple of surprisingly big hits stopped Sarries' attacks dead, and then finished well for his try.  Always a danger, it's just a shame he saw yellow for a clumsy challenge.
Stephen Myler – 7 – After a dodgy start, old crazy eyes had a field day with the boot, nailing a selection of tricky kicks to really but the nail into the hosts' coffin.
Lee Dickson – 8 – A really intelligent performance from the 9.  He directed his pack well and his quick thinking led to 2 of his side's tries.
Soane Tonga'uiha – 7 – A big performance from 'Tiny'.  Took apart Stevens in the scrum and carried the ball with real relish, bringing an ultra-physical presence into the game.
Dylan Hartley – 8 – Massive statement from the Lions hooker.  He was everywhere and at his abrasive best throughout, causing havoc in the rucks and leading the charge with customary aggression.
Brian Mujati – 8 – Like Tonga'uiha, won his scrum battle and showed up well in the loose, but bagged himself a fine try as well from a rolling maul.  Saints will miss this duo next year.
Courtney Lawes – 9 – Awesome.  A big presence at the breakdown, he was a huge factor in the visitors' dominance in the first half.  Made a couple of trademark hits as well.
Christian Day – 7 – Really got stuck into the hosts' lineout and, although he lacks the explosiveness of his second row partner, that would have really hurt Saracen pride.
Callum Clark – 6 – A quieter member of the Saints pack, but still part of a big collective effort that saw the home side looking shell-shocked after 40 minutes.  Managed to get Owen Farrell's back up, too.
Tom Wood – 6 – Interesting from the newly-appointed England skipper.  Some huge hits in defence were undone by some handling howlers – but, once again, led from the front when it looked like Saracens might be creeping back in.
Samu Manoa – 9 – Phenomenal from the big American.  He didn't just tackle Sarries' runners, he disintegrated them.  A colossal presence both with and without the ball and a chief reason behind Saints' physical dominance.  Man of the Match.

Subs

Alex Waller – Not enough time to make an impact.

Tom Mercey – Not enough time to make an impact.
Phil Dowson – 7 – Impressive cameo, helping Saints seal the game by making a couple of important turnovers.
GJ Van Velze – 7 – Great movement and opportunism for his try and he brought energy and dynamism to Saints' game.
Martin Roberts – Not enough time to make an impact.
Tom May – Not enough time to make an impact.