Deadly Derick sinks Saints
Saracens inflicted a first defeat of the season on Northampton Saints with a 24-17 victory at Vicarage Road.
Last Updated: 26/09/10 5:53pm
Saracens inflicted a first defeat of the season on Northampton Saints with a 24-17 victory at Vicarage Road.
Last season's beaten Premiership finalists had fly-half Derick Hougaard to thank for the win - the South African booting over all 24 points during a man-of-the-match display.
Hougaard slotted over seven penalties and a spectacular drop-goal as Northampton were left to pay a heavy price for an indisciplined performance.
Paul Diggin scored the game's only try in the last minute, crossing from the right to secure the visitors a losers' bonus point.
Pressure
Saints not only began the match as the league's only unbeaten team, they also started without England duo Chris Ashton and Courtney Laws, both rested as part of the agreement between the Premiership clubs and the RFU which ensures Elite Player Squad members are not overplayed.
Northampton, knocked off top spot the previous night after London Irish's victory at Newcastle, started the sharper and were ahead inside five minutes following a penalty by Shane Geraghty, awarded for a scrum offence.
Hougaard equalised three minutes later after Saints strayed offside in a ruck, but a clever kick-through by Geraghty should have led to a try for the visitors, only for Christian Day to fumble on the line.
Further pressure saw Saracens penalised for offside in front of their posts, and Geraghty kicked Northampton back into the lead moments later.
Saints were giving their hosts a torrid time in the scrum where loosehead Deon Carstens was repeatedly penalised for not binding correctly.
Geraghty extended Northampton's lead to six points after 22 minutes when another scrum nosedived into the pitch, but Northampton drifted offside and Pearson presented Hougaard with the opportunity to cut the deficit from 35 yards.
The former Leicester Tiger eclipsed that effort shortly after with a magnificent drop-goal from all of 45 yards to level the scores.
Brilliant
His supreme kicking buoyed the hosts and two further penalties before half-time edged Brendan Venter's men 15-12 ahead at the interval.
Saints, down to 14 men shortly before the break when Calum Clark conceded a second penalty by trying to interfere with the drive, went further behind when Hougaard slotted over goal number five.
Home pressure was rewarded again in the 53rd minute when Northampton tried to halt an attack illegally, and Hougaard did brilliantly to kick a difficult penalty between the posts from the right-hand touchline.
With Sarries driving upfield at every opportunity, Saints' frustration was clear for all to see and Geraghty became the second player to visit the sin bin when he was caught on the wrong side of the ruck on 58 minutes.
Hougaard kicked his eighth goal to make the game safe, although Diggin's late score at least ensured the visitors took a losing bonus point from the defeat.
