Match Report: Northampton Saints 46 – 17 Harlequins

Northampton Saints kicked off 2023 with a bang in front of a sold-out cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, running in six tries to beat Harlequins 46-17.

James Ramm’s first-half double paved the way for the men in Black, Green and Gold to lay down an impressive team performance, with Alex Waller also striking in the opening 40 minutes.

After the interval Lukhan Salakaia-Loto wrapped up the bonus point for Phil Dowson’s side, before further scores from George Furbank and Rory Hutchinson added the gloss to a fine victory in front of over 15,000 people at the Gardens – Northampton’s largest-ever Gallagher Premiership win over Quins.

FIRST HALF

Early pressure in the visitors’ half paid dividends for Saints, as big carries from Tommy Freeman and Lewis Ludlam took Northampton up to the five-metre line before Quins conceded a penalty. From the resulting lineout, two more bursts from David Ribbans and Matt Proctor allowed loosehead prop Waller to burrow over under the posts.

Wearing the No.10 jersey, Fin Smith added the extras, and Saints came close to extending their lead in the 15th minute when Ribbans was held up over the line following a big counter ruck from the hosts and charge upfield from Angus Scott-Young.

All the momentum was with Northampton though, and three minutes later some big carries up the middle from the forwards allowed Smith to fling the ball wide for Ramm to slide over in the corner.

Harlequins got on the board in the 23rd minute as they won back possession when Smith’s grubber through unluckily came back off Nick David and into the visitors’ hands. They then won a penalty on the edge of the 22 which Tommy Allan stroked through the uprights.

Saints lost Sam Matavesi to injury after 29 minutes, but his replacement Mike Haywood and the rest of the front row combined well to win a scrum penalty immediately after – although Smith’s shot at goal drifted just left of the posts.

The hosts were still firmly on the front foot, and after ten minutes of pressure before the half-time break, finally crossed the whitewash again following a frenetic passage of play which saw possession change hands several times.

After a knock-on in midfield from Andre Esterhuizen, Freeman’s kick through was gathered by Ramm, and despite pressure from several Quins defenders, the pair exchanged passes for the Australian to dive over for his second score to the delight of the home crowd.

SECOND HALF

Saints also lost Smith at the start of the second half, as the No.10 went off with an HIA meaning Furbank stepped in at fly-half – but the hosts picked up where they left off and saw a Matt Proctor try chalked off by the TMO, with Ramm just in touch as he offloaded to the centre.

Northampton were playing with advantage and Furbank knocked the kick through for three points to take the scoreline to 22-3.

He added another after the introduction of the lively Callum Braley, who made an immediate impact by almost sniping over for a score before Saints’ pressure forced Alex Dombrandt into the sin bin.

With Quins still down a man, Northampton scored another very well worked try after kicking a penalty into the corner; quick ball and hard carrying saw Luklan Salakaia-Loto – playing flanker for the first time in Black, Green and Gold – crash over to secure the bonus point.

At 32-3, both sides rang the changes with replacements flooding off the bench, and the game opened up for the final 20 minutes. Dombrandt, having returned to the action, cut a good line and offloaded to Jordan Els to cross under the posts for Quins’ first try of the game.

But Saints hit straight back with a quality try for Furbank, created by slick hands from Ribbans and Hutchinson. The fly-half converted his own score to take the scoreline to 39-10.

After a freak hail storm briefly wreaked havoc on the game, a strong carry from Ramm allowed Hutchinson to beat a couple of defenders and finish in the corner, with Furbank judging the swirling wind to perfection from the touchline with the conversion.

There was still time for a late consolation try for Quins from Nick David, who showed his pace to dart into the corner, but it did nothing to dampen the spirits of Northampton’s supporters who celebrated a thumping win on the final whistle.

Saints now hit the road for a couple of weekends, with trips to Exeter Chiefs and Munster on the horizon before Dowson’s side return to the Gardens later this month to welcome Stade Rochelais in the Heineken Champions Cup.

LINE-UPS

SAINTS: Furbank, Freeman, Proctor, Dingwall, Ramm, F Smith, Mitchell; A Waller, S Matavesi, Hill, Ribbans, Moon, Salakaia-Loto, Scott-Young, Ludlam (c).
Replacements: Haywood, Iyogun, Petch, Wilkins, Graham, Braley, Hutchinson, Skosan.

QUINS: David, Murley, Marchant, Esterhuizen, Bassett, Allan, Gjaltema; Baxter, Walker, Kerrod, Lamb, Hammond, White, Lawday, Dombrandt (c).
Replacements: Musk, Els, Louw, Matthews, Wallace, Care, Edwards, Beard.