Leinster provided the opposition for the first of two pre-season fixtures before the Gallagher Premiership curtain-raiser at Bath on Friday, September 20.
And though it wasn’t the result Saints wanted – they eventually lost 54-26 – it was a welcome run-out in the build-up to the new campaign.
Sam Graham, a second-half try scorer for Saints, described it as a ‘perfect test’, while head coach Sam Vesty labelled it 'a really good hit-out’.
The black, green and gold dotted down four times on the day, with three of those efforts coming during a much more even second half.
James Ramm, the Saints captain for the day, had got the scoring started early on, finishing off a flowing move that saw Graham provide the go-forward and Charlie Savala showcase his creativity.
Leinster came roaring back though, moving into a 26-7 lead by the break as Saints paid the price for a lack of discipline.
Elliot Millar Mills was yellow carded close to half-time, but Saints started the second half strongly, with replacement hooker Robbie Smith powering over.
The teams traded blows throughout the second period, with Will Glister and Graham adding further tries to the Saints tally.
But Leinster notched eight tries of their own as they headed back to Dublin with an impressive win.
Photographer Ketan Shah was at the Gardens to capture all of the key moments.
Here’s a collection of his best shots from Saturday’s pre-season showdown...
