Saracens 55-24 Northampton: Sarries demolish Saints

Sean Maitland scores his third try against Saints

Saracens demolished a poor Northampton 55-24 in their opening Aviva Premiership game at Twickenham.

Sarries scored nine tries in all - seven in a very impressive first half against a Northampton side who failed to turn up in the first 40 minutes.

The back-to-back European champions led 41-3 at the break, needing just 29 minutes of the new Aviva Premiership season to claim the try bonus point.

Leading the charge for Saracens were winger Sean Maitland, who grabbed a hat-trick, and hooker Schalk Brits who's free-running and off-loading game cut the Saints defence to shreds.

Brits raced in Sarries' eighth try before being replaced, while the men in black also had Brad Barritt, Richard Wigglesworth, Alex Lozowski, Vincent Koch and Ben Spencer on the scoresheet, to add to Maitland's treble.

Sarries' only concern appeared a potential ankle injury to George Kruis, the England and British and Irish Lions lock withdrawn in the game's first quarter.

Schalk Brits takes on Northampton's defence

Saracens had rested Lions contingent Jamie George, Mako Vunipola, Owen Farrell and new recruit Liam Williams, while Billy Vunipola remains injured.

The star-laden Londoners were also without new additions Will Skelton and Calum Clark, but made a mockery of that catalogue of absentees in rampaging past a stunned Saints.

Northampton finished seventh in an underwhelming campaign last term, and have lost star number eight Louis Picamoles back to France.

Despite claiming three second-half tries, Saints were wholly overwhelmed here, and could face another frustrating campaign if this opening loss is any indicator.

Saracens captain Barritt kick-started the rout, powering in from close range, before Brits launched his master class. The South African front-rower scythed through for a stunning line-break, before Duncan Taylor skinned two defenders and sent Wigglesworth crashing over.

Brad Barritt scores Saracens first try

Alex Goode's fine break teed up Maitland's first score, before a smartly-improvised basketball-style pass from Brits led to Lozowski crossing for the bonus point score.

Another blistering Brits break set Sarries on the front foot again, with Maitland the beneficiary once more for his second try.

And when Barritt turned the defence with a side-footed grubber, Maitland completed his treble - with such an easy finish that Goode was even queuing up for the score as well.

Just when Saints thought their first-half torture was at an end though, up popped Brits again, this time offloading cutely to set Koch rampaging home for Sarries' seventh try.

Tom Wood gets over for Northampton

Northampton finally scooped their first try after the turnaround, flanker Lewis Ludlam easing home, with Mallinder converting.

Saracens hit back immediately though, Lozowski racing through Saints' porous defence and Brits, who else, skipping under the posts.

Brits then left the field to fully deserved rapturous applause, his work well and truly done for another day.

Tom Wood sneaked a quick try double for Saints, the former England flanker proving typically obdurate.

Replacement scrum-half Spencer stole in to hand Sarries the final word however, as Europe's dominant flexed their muscles once more.