Owen Farrell took the time to talk to fans and sign autographs before the match. Photo: Shutterstock/Matt Impey Saracens 12 Northampton 18
The first game since Owen Farrell announced he was retiring from international rugby to protect the mental health of himself and his family — and we got a glimpse of what's to come grab England.
A knee injury forced the former England captain to watch the game in the stands with his son and Saracens fans gave him a warm welcome, smiling as he signed autographs before kick-off before the home team gave him his autographs. he received a standing ovation in the 10th minute to show his appreciation after a difficult week.
This was rugby at its best, a far cry from the way Farrell was booed by his own fans during the World Cup.< /p
But what followed was not the Saracens' best. Not at all. Without Farrell's driving force and direction, the inconsistency of their recent performances finally caught up with Mark McCall's side against a Northampton Saints team shaping up to be serious contenders.
Farrell would certainly be itching to be one. there, but could only watch helplessly as his side suffered only their 13th league defeat at home in 11 years and their second in six weeks.
Farrell will be ready to travel with the team to Johannesburg on Sunday to begin preparations for their opening Champions Cup match against the Bulls on Saturday, while McCall, who has a significant injury list, admits his side still have a lot of work to do.
“We were way off target today, especially in the first half physically and on both sides of the ball,” McCall said. “We have to be honest about what we need to improve. It's not about winning or losing, it's about performance, and that wasn't enough. But we have a great group here and they are learning their lessons well. Really good teams learn lessons. We got away with it last week, but not today.”
Courtney Lawes takes over Saints' Saracens resistance Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
Farrell was at least able to witness some fantastic kicking from both sides, with Fraser Dingwall's cross-field kick after the George Furbank break creating a first try for Ollie Sleightholme, who was able to touch down in acres space at the beginning of the second half.
Saints were already 6-0 up at half-time thanks to two penalties from Fin Smith, backed by some ferocious defensive play, and new defensive coach Lee Radford has already made his mark on the system, tackling technique and commitment. p>When Smith converted, Northampton led 13-0, finally sparking Saracens' furious response in frosty conditions, with Tom Parton scoring from a superb long pass from Farrell substitute Manu Vunipola.
p>And yet it was then that Saints created a moment of magic: Alex Mitchell, who finished the World Cup as Farrell's midfield partner, burst towards the line thanks to some mesmerizing dummies.
Alex Mitchell, who finished the Rugby World Cup as Farrell halfback, continued to score for the Saints. Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images) < p>It wasn't all about Saracens, there was still time for a late rally, this time the kicking prowess of Alex Goode, whose push into space allowed Alex Lewington to touch down in the corner after a strong strike from Hartley.
It was a tense final, but Northampton's defense held firm, with Courtney Lawes again leading the opposition after a fine display in last weekend's win over Harlequins.
Defeat denied Saracens the chance to climb to the top of the Gallagher Premiership, with Saints instead going up to fifth place, avenging last season's semi-final defeat.
“It’s a credit to the players trying to succeed. implement what we are trying to implement,” said Phil Dawson, Northampton’s director of rugby. “Lee came in and left his mark – the boys really brought what he brings to the game. He was brilliant and today was a testament to that.
“He came from rugby league, he didn't have a ton of union experience and he asked questions. There's the overall system and the individual stuff: defending is based on emotion and he sells that and gets support from the players.»
Tommy Freeman also put in an impressive performance that likely caught the attention of England head coach Steve Borthwick
“Tommy was obviously disappointed not to go to the World Championships,” added Dawson. “He can play in the center, on the wing or as a defender. He's definitely raising his hand and Steve is talking about him.»
His team will head to Glasgow on Friday night for the first match of the Champions Cup.
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