Sarries stun league leaders

Danaher: Scored the opening try of the contest

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Saracens put an end to London Irish's 10-match unbeaten run with a battling 16-13 victory over the Guinness Premiership leaders.

A 60th minute penalty from Glen Jackson proved the difference in a hard-fought but largely forgettable capital clash at Vicarage Road.

The Exiles had their chances to level matters in the closing stages, Peter Hewat twice missing penalties on what was a difficult afternoon for kickers.

The Australian full-back only managed to convert three out of six attempts, his 50 per cent success rate proving crucial in the final reckoning.

Top spot

The defeat - their first since the start of October - means Toby Booth's troops surrender top spot to Bath, who beat Northampton at The Rec.

They huffed and puffed throughout the derby dust-up but were simply never able to hit the heights they reached seven days earlier when they demolished title rivals Gloucester.

Having scored four tries to beat the Cherry and Whites 42-12, Irish managed just one on their travels, Declan Danaher the man to get it after 20 minutes.

The flanker grabbed his second in as many games when he finished off a flowing counter-attack move that had come about due to a poor kick-and-chase by Sarries.

Faced by some plodding forwards, Sailosi Tagicakibau ran the ball back intelligently before springing Hewat away down the left flank, who then passed inside for Danaher to slide in under the posts.

That proved to be a rare highlight for the Exiles, though, with too many passes going to the floor, rather than hand, as they struggled for fluency in attack.

Ready replacement

Saracens were hardly clinical themselves despite the youthful excuberance of winger Noah Cato and full-back Alex Goode.

Their only try came when scrum-half Moses Rauluni, called up to replace the sick Neil de Kock, darted through a gap close to the line following Tagicakibau's inability to deal with an up-and-under.

Jackson's conversion made it 13-10 in favour of the home side at the interval but the lead could have been even greater had the number 10, sporting a fetching moustache for the festive fixture, been a whisker closer with a fourth-minute penalty.

He did land his second attempt, awarded after a collapsed scrum, to break the deadlock, only to miss another straight after the break, the ball clipping the post and staying out.

Thankfully for the hosts his kick on the hour was on target, giving Sarries a crucial victory, their fifth in the last six matches and a perfect late Christmas present for their loyal fans.