The champions are gone; the league leaders are advancing. It was a stranglehold at the end that finally ended the Saracens, initiated by none other than Courtney Lawes, playing their last game at Franklin Gardens. In doing so, Northampton thwarted a last-ditch effort by one of the country’s championship teams, many of whom also played their last game.
The English game is therefore saying goodbye to some of its most decorated players, at least for now. Owen Farrell goes to France without the latter gong, as do the Vunipola brothers. Mark McCall after revealed that Farrell had health issue his quad on Monday and wasn’t sure until the heat-up. Elliot Daly took over the kicking duties.
And yet it was two high-profile interventions from Farrell that earned the visitors two tries in the second half, the second from Lucio Cinti with just a minute on the clock. But the Saracens’ hunt for the kick of any kind, which would have won a scandalous victory even by their standards, was stifled by the local defense.
“I’m fine,” Farrell said. “It’s sad that this season is over and it’s over for some of us here. I will come back to this with tenderness. It doesn’t seem like anything special, but I’m sure it was [something special to watch].”
However, the defense of the saints was unyielding and subject to any Saracen she could throw at him. A defeat here would have been too much for Northampton after being so richly illuminated this season and having progressed so far in Europe. They are probably still haunted by memories of their previous semi-final this season against Leinster in Dublin, when it took them so long to find their mark. This time, fortunately, they were on the floor, which was famous for visiting another pedigree team in the semifinals.
Sure enough, the Saracens tore them apart for most of the first 20 minutes. No doubt punished by their own mysterious non–appearance – the home loss to Sale in the last round of the regular season, which meant they had to come here in the first place-the visitors seemed to be in the mood.
Many teams-we are thinking of the Harlequins at Tottenham Stadium in March-may have capitulated, but the Saints managed to limit them to the two penalties of that time, both kicked by Daly.
Even more encouragingly for Northampton, they were the first to cross the whitewash almost at the first request. It may have been their only try of the game, but it was sharp and precise.
Cinti kicked Alex Mitchell loose, and the Saints had gone on the opposite side. George Furbank made a half-break and the fabulous dump from behind sent Burger Odendaal to the line for the first attempt of the match.
The Saracens thought they had scored their first try, five minutes after that of Northampton, when Jamie George was substituted from a short line-up, but he was ruled out of the TMO. George was ahead of Ivan van Zyl when the latter advanced.