Sarries keep EDF hopes alive

Saracens kept their EDF Energy Cup semi-final hopes alive with a 33-19 victory over Northampton on Sunday.

The boot of Gordon Ross was the decisive factor, the fly-half notching up 23 points from six penalties, a conversion and a drop goal in the Pool D clash at Vicarage Road.

Both sides scored two tries, England Under-20 winger Noah Cato and scrum-half Moses Rauluni for the hosts, with full-back Ben Foden and number eight Roger Wilson scoring for Northampton.

Cato opened the scoring on 11 minutes when he beat scrum-half Lee Dickson for pace and blasted through Foden's challenge to cross the line.

Stephen Myler closed the gap with two penalties but Ross replied to keep Saracens in front.

Cato was sin-binned in the 20th minute for tackling Saints lock Matt Lord while he was still in the air but, despite the handicap, Sarries still stretched their lead to 15-6.

Rauluni snatched the ball from the base of a ruck to run straight between the posts and gift Ross an easy conversion.

Amends

Northampton fought back, scoring twice down the right wing, first through Myler, who broke and released Chris Ashton to feed Foden on the inside for the try.

Another penalty from Ross kept the hosts' points ticking over before Myler lofted a kick across to the right wing and Wilson crossed in the corner after spinning out of Andy Saull's touchline tackle,.

With Cato back on the pitch Saracens restored their five-point lead when Ross calmly dropped a goal with the final kick of the first half.

Ross then made amends for a miss within a minute of the restart, slotting a 40-metre effort in the eighth minute of the second period.

But Northampton closed the gap to five points after forcing a 55th-minute penalty thanks to left-wing Paul Diggin.

Blow

Two more penalties from Ross however, denied the visitors their losing bonus point.

Northampton continued to press in the final stages but some desperate defending by Saracens kept them out.

Fittingly it was Ross who struck the final blow, landing his sixth penalty with the final kick of the game.

Saracens now need to win their final Pool D match at Bristol next Saturday and rely on Northampton beating group leaders Scarlets for the outcome to be decided on bonus points.