Saracens climbed to third in English rugby union’s Premiership table with a decisive 39-24 win at home to champions Northampton on Sunday.
The Saints’ title defence is now in danger of petering out before the end of the year, with their fifth loss in eight league games this season leaving them 19 points adrift of the top two of Bath and Bristol.
Northampton defeated Saracens three times last term but there was little danger of a repeat victory as the home side dominated proceedings in north London on Sunday, with Sarries scoring 24 unanswered points in the first half.
Fergus Burke scored two tries for Saracens, with Rhys Carre, and the England trio of Theo Dan, Ben Earl and Jamie George also crossing. Burke landed three conversions and a penalty for a 19-point haul.
Tommy Freeman, Tom Pearson, Archie McParland and Ollie Sleightholme scored tries for Saints, two of which England playmaker Fin Smith converted.
“The first-half performance was outstanding, especially when we were playing into the gale,” said Saracens supremo Mark McCall.
“It’s probably the best 40 minutes we’ve had for a long time as everything we did was smart.”
He added: “Our half-backs Fergus (Burke) and Ivan (van Zyl) used the ball very well and were really smart as it was taxing for them being up against England squad half-backs.”
Northampton director of rugby Phil Dowson lamented his side’s lacklustre display in the opening 40 minutes by saying: “There may be a 100 reasons to explain that first half effort, but we are not looking for excuses.
“This game was akin to the Gloucester one, when we didn’t turn up in the first half and there is no apparent reason why.
“We can be physical, but we are not consistently so. It may be that we’ve lost senior players last season and this next wave hasn’t stepped up on a regular enough basis,” he added, with veteran forward and former England captain Courtney Lawes among those who exited Franklin’s Gardens after Saints’ title triumph.
With all 10 teams in the Premiership having played eight league games apiece, Saracens are now four points clear of fourth-placed Leicester and five behind southwest rivals Bath and Bristol.
The top four teams at the end of the regular season contest the title-deciding play-offs.
