Shelford opts to rely on a Goode thing

Saracens 31 Northampton 19

It was something of a Waynes' World at Vicarage Road where Messrs Shelford and Smith were pitting their coaching skills against each-other. So it should have boiled down to a test of New Zealand coaching methods against. . . well, New Zealand coaching methods. Unfortunately the English pair of Cock-up and Kick-it made sure that all the All Black know-how and finesse were largely wasted.

There were changes on both sides. Northampton's were enforced, Matt Dawson dropping out with a calf injury, their flanker Andrew Blowers pulling out with a neck problem, and both at short notice.

It was different with Saracens. No one could describe Kris Chesney, Kyran Bracken and Thomas Castaignède as luvvies, nevertheless Saracens' director of rugby, Wayne Shelford, decided they should be rested on the bench for yesterday's encounter.

"Kyran is a bit brassed off," said Shelford afterwards, "but I have to make the decisions and he has to put up with them." Chesney at least came on, but the other two had the afternoon off, so did a lot of other players who were not meant to.

That Saracens managed to win owed a huge amount to the precision punting and near-perfect place-kicking of their fly-half Andy Goode, whose personal haul of 26 points – he missed two out of eight penalties and landed two drop goals – was the best of his career. Yet their cause was certainly not helped by having to play much of the second half with 14 men, after losing two players at different times to the sin-bin. Discipline on both sides was pretty poor and yet again handling was substandard among both teams as well.

Among the better passages of play early on was Saracens' opening try, conceived by the fleet-footed Richard Hill, who put in a fine all-round performance. He pounced on a loose ball following Adrian Wynnan's high kick upfield and thundering forward. Having drawn the cover, Hill fed the lock Stuart Hooper, who collected the pass without breaking stride, broke the feeble defence that remained and touched down on the right-hand side.

Saints did keep up for a while. Paul Grayson had scored a superb drop goal himself, swivelling through 180 degrees to knock it over with his left boot, but even if he had not missed a 55th-minute penalty, he had no other clear opportunities to keep Saints on the march.

They lacked creativity. Unlike last week against Bath, when Saints had spun the ball wide at will and rampaged through the opposition, Saracens closed them down far too swiftly and defended like demons.

Nick Beal scored Saints only try in the 56th minute, which helped them to claw their way back to 16–16, but with Goode striking the ball from every angle and also from long range they were soon behind again and this time they stayed there, too far off the pace to salvage even a bonus point for finishing within seven of the opposition.

Saracens: A Wynnan; B Johnston, T Shanklin, K Sorrell (capt), D O'Mahony; A Goode, M Williams; A Kershaw, J Ross (M Cairns, 25), J Marsters, S Hooper, C Yandell (A Benazzi, 65), R Peacey (K Chesney, 57), R Hill, A Roques (J Parkes, 70-80).

Northampton: N Beal (M Tucker, 72); O Ripol, P Jorgensen (J Sleightholme, 58), J Leslie, B Cohen; P Grayson, J Brooks (J Howard, h-t); T Smith, S Thompson (D Richmond, 76), R Morris (M Stewart, 64), J Phillips, S Williams, M Connors, G Seeley (M Soden, h-t), B Pountney (capt).

Referee: A Ireland (Grangemouth).