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VIDEO: David Flatman picks his Premiership Round 1 'Flats XV'
By Online Editors
David Flatman picks his XV from the first round of the 2017-18 Aviva Premiership Rugby season.
Saracens made a statement of intent with a 55-24 thrashing of Northampton Saints in Saturday’s Twickenham double-header of Premiership action.
The European champions were in stunning form to heap pressure on Saints coach Jim Mallinder and his staff, racking up nine tries in a dominant showing that emphatically earned a bonus-point triumph.
After last season’s play-off winners Exeter Chiefs lost to Gloucester on Friday, Sarries underlined their title ambitions in style, with returning British and Irish Lions stars George Kruis and Maro Itoje on show.
Sean Maitland’s hat-trick made him the star of a first half in which captain Brad Barritt, Richard Wigglesworth, Alex Lozowski and Vincent Koch also touched down, while Harry Mallinder’s penalty was Saints’ only score in the opening 40 minutes.
With a desperate need to restore some pride, the Saints – who failed to live up to expectations with last term’s seventh-placed finish – fared much better after the interval and Lewis Ludlam’s first try for the club was the reward for their efforts.
Then, after the on-song Schalk Brits responded for Mark McCall’s men, excellent work from Alex Waller set up a try for Tom Wood, who soon doubled his tally.
It was fitting, however, that Sarries had the final say as Ben Spencer dotted down after concerted pressure, while the second match at Twickenham ended in a 39-29 win for London Irish over Harlequins.
Dan Robson took centre stage for last season’s table-toppers Wasps as he scored four tries in the 50-35 defeat of Sale Sharks.
The scrum-half single-handedly claimed a bonus point for his side, who were beaten by Exeter in last season’s final.
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Latest Comments
I think we need to get innovative with the new laws.
Now red cards are only 20 minutes, Razor should send Finau on a head hunting mission to hospitalise their 10 with a shoulder to the chops.
Give the conspiracy theorists a win.
Go to commentsEngland played well enough to win but couldnt score when they needed to and couldnt defend a couple of X-Factor moments from Telea which was ultimately the difference. They needed to hold the ball more and make the AB's make more tackles. Territorially they were good for the first 60. Defending their lead and playing pragmatic rugby in the last 20 was silly. The AB's always had the potential to come back. England still have a long way to go, definite progress would have been shown had they won but it seems they are still stuck where they were shortly after the six nations and their tour to NZ
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