Dan Biggar kicks Saints to tense victory over Quins

Wales’ Dan Biggar scored 17 points on his home Northampton Saints debut as they opened their Premiership account with a 25-18 triumph over Harlequins at Franklin’s Gardens.

Try-scoring chances were limited in the first half, leaving it to the accurate kicking of Dan Biggar and Marcus Smith to dominate proceedings. Biggar scored three penalties to his opponents’ one as the Midlanders took a six-point buffer into the break, before the Welsh international added a fourth off the tee early in the second period.

The Londoners hit back via Danny Care’s converted try but Dylan Hartley’s effort immediately cancelled out that score. The respective kickers then traded three-pointers to leave Paul Gustard’s charges nine points in arrears heading into the final 10 minutes.

James Lang did cross the whitewash late on to give the away team hope but it was not enough as Harry Mallinder secured the win with a penalty.

After a frustrating start for the Saints, which saw them go down 27-16 to Gloucester, this was the ideal response to that opening round loss.

Northampton were the better team for most of the contest but the early exchanges set the tone as they twice went close via Tom Collins and Piers Francis. Both times they were thwarted by Smith and the fly-half then added to the hosts’ pain by kicking Quins in front following an infringement at the contact area.

Chris Boyd’s men continued to apply pressure, however, and were rewarded by Biggar’s three-pointer, but they struggled to cross the whitewash.

Quins’ defence remained resilient, despite a couple of half-breaks, and all the Saints could muster was another effort off the tee by their fly-half.

Boyd’s charges were creating opportunities and Ahsee Tuala’s outstanding run was symptomatic of their ambition, but mistakes were preventing them from moving clear.

It kept the visitors in the contest and meant that they only went into the interval 9-3 in arrears after Biggar’s penalty on the stroke of half-time.

Northampton maintained their control on proceedings in the second period and were rewarded by their pivot’s fourth penalty, but they were soon on the back foot for the first time in the contest.

Harlequins finally managed to gain some possession, going through the phases inside in the opposition 22, and Care spotted a small hole to weave his way over the line.

To the home side’s credit, they responded to that setback superbly and earned a penalty which they kicked to the corner. The Saints set up the maul and the returning Hartley, who was playing his first Premiership match at Franklin’s Gardens for several months, touched down.

Biggar converted and then increased the Saints’ buffer following another successful effort off the tee, but Smith’s penalty kept Harlequins in the contest.

They duly began to control the encounter and Northampton’s rearguard eventually yielded as Lang scythed through to reduce the deficit.

It was not to be for Gustard’s team, however, and Mallinder – kicking due to an injury to Biggar – scored the game-clinching three-pointer.

The scorers:

For Northampton:
Try: Hartley
Con: Biggar
Pens: Biggar 5, Mallinder

For Harlequins:
Tries: Care, Lang
Con: Smith
Pens: Smith 2

Northampton: 15 Ahsee Tuala, 14 Ken Pisi, 13 Luther Burrell, 12 Piers Francis, 11 Tom Collins, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Teimana Harrison, 7 Heinrich Brüssow, 6 James Haskell, 5 Courtney Lawes, 4 David Ribbans, 3 Ben Franks, 2 James Fish, 1 Alex Waller (c)
Replacements: 16 Dylan Hartley, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Ehren Painter, 19 Api Ratuniyarawa, 20 Jamie Gibson, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Andy Symons, 23 Harry Mallinder

Harlequins: 15 Aaron Morris, 14 Charlie Walker, 13 Joe Marchant, 12 Ben Tapuai, 11 Nathan Earle, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Danny Care, 8 James Chisholm, 7 Chris Robshaw (c), 6 Archie White, 5 Ben Glynn, 4 Matt Symons, 3 Will Collier, 2 Elia Elia, 1 Mark Lambert
Replacements: 16 Max Crumpton, 17 Nick Auterac, 18 Phil Swainston, 19 Stan South, 20 Renaldo Bothma, 21 Charlie Mulchrone, 22 James Lang, 23 Paul Lasike

Referee: Tom Foley
Assistant referees: Anthony Woodthorpe, Peter Allan
TMO: Graham Hughes