Saracens go top, Dan Biggar injured in Saints win

A weakened Saracens team overcame their international absentees to defeat Leicester Tigers 33-10 at Allianz Park and move to the top of the Premiership table.

Sarries are hit hardest of all the English sides when it comes to the Six Nations and Leicester initially benefited, going into the interval 10-5 ahead through Jonah Holmes’ try and Matt Toomua’s penalty.

Mark McCall’s men struggled for continuity, despite initially taking the lead via Richard Wigglesworth, as the Midlanders managed to frustrate the hosts in the first half.

That failed to last, though, and the defending champions assumed command in the second period with Tom Woolstencroft, Ben Spencer and David Strettle going over to secure the win.

Leicester themselves were without some key players, with Ben Youngs and George Ford both in England’s camp, but they handled it better until it all unravelled late on.

Toomua stepped into the fly-half berth impressively while their defence was excellent. Dan Cole, recently recalled to the Red Rose squad but released for this encounter, also contributed in the loose and the set-piece, and they played a significant role before half-time.

Geordan Murphy’s team were duly rewarded when Toomua kicked a three-pointer, but they were then unable to deal with the restart properly and succumbed when Matt Gallagher and Nick Isiekwe combined to send Wigglesworth over.

Sarries were failing to create too many opportunities, however, even though they had most of the possession, and the Tigers pounced. George Worth was the instigator, weaving his way through the heart of the home side’s defence and Holmes was on his shoulder to score for a 10-5 advantage at the break.

After the issues in the first half, it was about going back to basics in the second period for the defending champions and their forwards took command.

The scrum started to gain the ascendancy while their breakdown work was excellent and successive Alex Lozowski penalties enabled them to move back ahead going into the final 18 minutes.

Their kicking game, a staple of England’s success against Ireland and France, also started to pin the visitors back and, after the Midlanders were turned over seven metres from their own line, Saracens set up a lineout. With the gargantuan Will Skelton providing plenty of weight to the drive, Woolstencroft was the beneficiary of his team-mate’s work to effectively secure the win for the hosts.

Murphy’s charges were now struggling for territory under the weight of Sarries’ pressure and, following Alex Goode’s penalty, quick-fire scores from Spencer and Strettle gave them the bonus-point.

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In the other Saturday games, the story of the round arguably came at Franklin’s Gardens as Northampton Saints thrashed the previously in-form Sale Sharks 67-17.

The Greater Manchester outfit had won three matches in a row in the league but they were dreadful against a magnificent Saints team, who opened up a 32-10 advantage at the interval thanks to two Cobus Reinach scores, as well as efforts from Tom Wood and Tom Collins.

Dan Biggar also kicked two penalties but frustratingly for the fly-half and Wales, he was forced to limp off, which makes him a doubt for the England game. It did not halt the Saints’ momentum, however, and they added further tries from Ahsee Tuala, Taqele Naiyaravoro, George Furbank, Rory Hutchinson and Collins. Sale’s response came via Denny Solomona and a penalty try but it was an awful display by Steve Diamond’s team.

Elsewhere, Harlequins moved back above Gloucester and into third after Joe Marchant, Gabriel Ibitoye, Mike Brown, Jack Clifford, Danny Care, Ben Tapuai and James Lang gave them a comfortable 47-33 triumph over Worcester Warriors.

Worcester remain in trouble, despite Jack Singleton, Bryce Heem, Josh Adams, Michael Heaney and Tom Howe responding at the Twickenham Stoop, but they extended their buffer on Newcastle after the Falcons succumbed to Bath 30-13 at the Rec.

Semesa Rokoduguni, Joe Cokanasiga, Will Chudley and Francois Louw crossed the whitewash for the West Countrymen, meaning Nemani Nagusa’s try was in vain for the faltering Tynesiders.