Saracens (21) 33
Tries: Cato, Rauluni Con: Ross Pens: Ross 6 Drop: Ross Northampton (16) 19
Tries: Foden, Lewitt Pens: Myler 3

Ross slotted six penalties, a conversion and a drop-goal

Gordon Ross kicked 23 points as Saracens beat Northampton in an EDF Energy Cup game at Vicarage Road.

Noah Cato and Moses Rauluni scored tries for the hosts, while Gordon Ross kicked six penalties, a conversion and a drop-goal.

Ben Foden and Ben Lewitt touched down for the visitors, while Stephen Myler was on target with three penalties.

Saracens still need to win their final Pool D match at Bristol next Saturday to have any chance of advancing.

They also have to rely on Northampton beating group leaders Scarlets for the outcome to be decided on bonus points.

Saracens director of rugby Eddie Jones:
"[Dylan Hartley] took the head of the player away from the ball and it's a serious misdemeanour (Hartley escaped with a lecture for a high tackle on Moses Rauluni).

"He seems like a good kid, he can play a bit, but you don't want to see players doing those sort of things.

"If he's doing it in a club game like this then you'd worry about him in a Test match.

"[Steve Borthwick's] done a marvellous job for us, just with his competitiveness, he's so serious about his rugby.

"If Martin [Johnson] does make him captain and surrounds him with three or four people of the same likeness of mind, that's going to be important.

"If they can do that the whole talent in England will be galvanised and there is plenty of talent out there."

Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder:
"[Hartley's] aggressive but he's controlling himself and I think the referee probably made the right decision. It wasn't the best challenge and he got penalised for it."

"He has a good game, he's a good player, he's big, he's physical, he likes carrying the ball and he's good defensively.

"I think he now needs some international rugby to test himself against the best."

Saracens: Goode, Leonelli, Powell, A. Farrell, Cato, Ross, Rauluni, Lloyd, Cairns, Visagie, Borthwick, Chesney, Barrell, Saull, Skirving. Replacements: Walker, Mercey, Ryder, Seymour, Wilson, Penney, Thrower.

Northampton: Foden, Ashton, Mayor, Mordt, Diggin, Myler, Dickson, Tonga'uiha, Shields, Stewart, Lord, Day, Lawes, Lewitt, Wilson. Replacements: Hartley, Murray, Fernandez Lobbe, S. Gray, Dickens, Spencer, Ansbro.

Referee: Martin Fox (RFU)

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