Saracens thrash Northampton Saints as Schalk Brits rolls back the years in London Double Header opener

Saracens 55 Northampton Saints 24: Sean Maitland scores a hat-trick but Brits takes the plaudits after announcing his retirement come the end of the season

Schalk Brits inspired Saracens to a 55-24 rout of Northampton Saints at Twickenham (Getty)

After being dethroned from the top of English rugby last season, Saracens opened their Premiership campaign with a demolition of Northampton Saints at Twickenham in a nine-try 55-24 victory that will leave the apparent away side hastily running back to the drawing board.

Sean Maitland led the way with a hat-trick before the break as the reigning European champions wrapped up the bonus point in just 29 minutes, but it was the veteran hooker Schalk Brits, who before kick-off confirmed that this will be his final season before retirement, that did the damage to result in a 41-3 scoreline at half-time.

Saints knew they had let themselves down and rallied in the second-half, outscoring Sarries three tries to two to avoid suffering a defeat heavier than the record 54-12 loss to Wasps 17 years ago, but in truth Saracens has backed off and were already turning their attentions to next week’s clash with Leicester Tiger.

Having rested three of their British and Irish Lions in Mako Vunipola, Jamie George and Owen Farrell, with Billy Vunipola, Calum Clark and Will Skelton also absent through injuries, Saracens were far from their strongest against a Saints side that had most of its options available other than two fly-halves in Piers Francis and Steven Myler, meaning Harry Mallinder had to start at 10. It would prove costly.


 Brits announced he will retire at the end of the season 
 (Getty)

Dylan Hartley spoke last week of his hopes of leading Saints back into the top four. On this showing, it’s a relegation scrap that’s more likely this season. Saracens were mightily impressive, but they could have played with their minds still on the beaches of Bermuda where they spent their pre-season camp and still take full advantage of this laboured defensive display.

It took Saracens nine minutes to get up and running, but it was simple rugby that brought the first score of the game. It came from good defending from Maitland, though the afters from the Scotland international after tackling Harry Mallinder into the touch was unnecessary. The pressure inside the Saints 22 took its toll though and it allowed Richard Wigglesworth to miss out Schalk Burger and feed Lozowski, whose offload to Brad Barritt on his shoulder sent the captain over.

Lozowski missed the extras, a theme that would continue as the game wore on, but the second try came within three minutes later as Saracens hit their stride. The ever-young Brits made the initial burst from halfway, exchanging passes with Burger, Wigglesworth, Richard Barrington before it went back to the Springbok flanker, and a quick play of the ball allowed Scottish centre Duncan Taylor to step inside Nafi Tuitavake and Alex Waller before offloading to Wigglesworth to score, with Lozowski this time making the conversion count.

It was a sign of things to come, as first Mallinder’s nightmare afternoon continued as he missed a very kickable penalty, before debutant No 8 Mitch Eadie limped off with an ankle injury. More worryingly for England was that he followed George Kruis, with the British and Irish Lion forced off after just 15 minutes.


 Maitland scores the first of three tries for the Scotland wing 
 (Getty)

Mallinder eventually got Saints on the board with a penalty but it triggered one of the worst quarters of rugby in Saints’ history. Five tries, inspired by the brilliant Brits, ended the contest with in the most devastating fashion. Alex Goode and Burger combined to set the World Cup winner free, and when the ball was recycled it allowed Lozowski and Barritt to release Maitland for his first as he outgassed opposite an Tom Collins.

The bonus point arrived nine minutes later when Lozowski, having just missed a near 50m penalty on the angle, was the beneficiary of some Brits magic. Maitland made the break, although Tom Woods’ lazy flap of a tackle was a key reason why the wing broke free, and his flick out the back of his hand allowed Brits to charge towards the corner, throw the ball one-handed to the on-rushing Wigglesworth and, when the scrum-half was stopped on the line, his half-back partner was on hand to dot the ball down.

The tries were getting easier, especially when Brits broke from his own 22, offloaded to Vincent Koch who delayed his pass perfectly for Maitland to finish from halfway, and the sixth try followed three minutes later to complete Maitland’s hat-trick as the wing walked onto a Barritt chip behind after a powerful burst through the middle from Koch.


 Maitland completed his hat-trick before half-time 
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The reigning European champions weren’t done yet, with Koch getting his reward for one of his best performances in a Saracens shirt as he gathered a Brits offload and held off two tacklers to score under the posts, ensuring that Lozowski’s conversion kept Sarries up with the clock at 41-3 up.

Jim Mallinder didn’t have to say much at half-time as Saints knew how badly they were playing, and thankfully the real Northampton side showed up for the second period, with Saints scoring first through flanker Lewis Ludlam on his first Premiership start thanks to a nice fend on Brits.


 Wood scored Northampton's second try 
 (Getty)

However, the hooker struck back as he ran through Mallinder minutes later to score a try of his own, before Northampton bagged their second thanks to a surging run from prop Alex Waller, who beat Gioode before offloading to Wood to score. The dethroned Saints captain quickly added his second, smartly touching the ball down at the base of the upright, before replacement Saracens scrum-half Ben Spencer added Saracens’ ninth try after strong carrier from Jackson Wray, Burger and Michael Rhodes to allow Spencer to dot down from the ruck.

Saints pushed for the try-scoring bonus point, but their set-piece let them down when it mattered and, in truth, their first-half showing didn’t deserve one.


 Saints failed to claim a bonus point despite Wood's second try 
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Teams

Saracens: Goode; Maitland (Wyles, 46), Taylor, Barritt (Bosch, 60), Earle; Lozowski, Wigglesworth (Spencer, 66); Barrington (Thompson-Stringer, 52), Brits (Spurling, 54), Koch (Figallo, 52); Day (Rhodes, 60), Kruis (Isiekwe, 15); Itoje, Burger, Wray.

Northampton Saints: Tuala (Grayson, 67); Foden, Tuitavake, Burrell, Collins (Pisi, 52); Mallinder, Groom (Mitchell, 58); Waller (Ma’afu, 62), Hartley (Haywood, 62), Brookes (Hill, 54); Lawes (Ribbans HIA 46-54), Day (Ribbans HIA 31-40, 54); Wood, Ludlam, Eadie (Gibson, 16).

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys