Super Sarries still perfect

Saracens maintained their 100 percent Guinness Premiership record as they clinched a battling 22-6 home victory over London Wasps on Sunday.

The derby encounter was played out on a rain-sodden Vicarage Road pitch, but it was the hosts who coped better with the conditions.

Sarries were without England captain Steve Borthwick, but their opponents were hit harder by international absentees with Tim Payne, Joe Worsley and Simon Shaw all missing.

Saracens were on the board first as Derick Hougaard atoned for an earlier missed penalty attempt by dropping a goal with just four minutes on the clock.

Wasps responded by camping on the Saracens line and were eventually rewarded with a penalty converted by Dave Walder.

A lively opening was then capped by the only try of the contest on 11 minutes as Wasps could not halt a powerful driving maul allowing hooker Schalk Brits to break clear and touch down, Hougaard converting.

Wasps reduced the arrears midway through the half as Walder slotted another penalty, but Hougaard soon responded in kind to make the scoreline 13-6 and that was the way of things at the break.

Walder was quickly presented with another opportunity to slice the lead but saw his long-range penalty miss soon after the restart.

Hougaard was no more successful from just inside his own half on 54 minutes and sent another effort from distance wide of the target two minutes later - his third miss from five attempts on goal.

But the fly-half ensured Sarries were rewarded for the domination they had enjoyed as he skilfully landed his second drop-goal of the afternoon shortly before the hour mark.

Further pressure then saw Wasps concede yet another penalty and this time Hougaard made no mistake in the 63rd minute.

The visitors' problems up front were not solved by a rash of substitutions and Hougaard sealed their fate with a penalty on 70 minutes to take his personal tally to 17 points.