Saracens v Northampton Saints: Tom Vickers' big match preview

Competition: Gallagher Premiership (play-off semi-final)

Venue: StoneX Stadium, London

Date and kick-off time: Saturday, May 13, 2023, 3.30pm

Weather forecast: 18c, partly cloudy

Live television coverage: BT Sport 2

Referee: Karl Dickson

Saracens: Goode; Malins, Lozowski, Tompkins, Maitland; Farrell (c), van Zyk; M Vunipola, George, Riccioni; Itoje, Tizard; Isiekwe, Earl, Wray.Replacements: Dan, Mawi, Judge, Hunter-Hill, Knight, de Haas, Taylor, Daly.

Saints: Furbank; Ramm, Dingwall, Hutchinson, Freeman; F Smith, Mitchell; A Waller, Cruse, Davison; Ribbans, Moon; Lawes, Ludlam (c), Augustus.

Replacements: R Smith, E Waller, Hill, Salakaia-Loto, Scott-Young, Graham, James, Collins.

Not considered for Saints selection: Geordie Irvine, Emmanuel Iyogun, Joel Matavesi, Sam Matavesi, Matt Proctor, Ollie Sleightholme.

Most recent meeting: Saturday, April 15, 2023: Saints 38 Saracens 29 (Gallagher Premiership)

Tom’s preview: The plucky underdog who has the bark but not quite the bite to stop the postman delivering a ticket to Twickenham through the opposition’s door.

That is what Saints have been in their recent Premiership play-off semi-final outings, at Exeter Chiefs in 2019 and at Leicester Tigers last year.

Saints have had some razor-sharp spells in those games but the relentless physicality and concentration levels they have needed to prevail in such an encounter against such a team has eluded them.

On Saturday, the will be tasked with giving the latest underdog story a happier ending.

Standing in their way will be a Saracens team who are fully expected not only to collect that ticket to Twickenham but to celebrate at the big bash on May 27.

After all, Mark McCall’s men are the table-toppers.

They are a team packed with big-game experience and international stars.

They are unbeaten at home in the league this season and they continue to look formidable.

But if these Saints players are to draw on anything it is that 10 years ago, pretty much to the day, their predecessors faced up to a very similar scenario.

And you know what - they overcame it.

Back then, Saints headed to Saracens and they were expected merely to provide safe passage to the main show for their opponents.

No one really thought a team who had endured such a patchy season could mix it with a side who had been the picture of consistency.

But the black, green and gold had other ideas.

They came flying out of the blocks, leading 17-0 at the break, and then when the pressure came in the second period, they won the most important moments as they ensured they would upset the odds in truly grand style.

Under the ‘Why Not Us?’ banner in the away dressing room, they celebrated.

That was a group of players who wouldn’t win the title that year, as Leicester Tigers prevailed in a hugely controversial grand final, but who would channel disappointment and frustration to claim the crown a year later.

That remains Saints’ only Premiership trophy.

But this club has so many pages in the history book of valiant away-day displays.

And they desperately need another this weekend.

They need to find a way to do what that team of 2013 did at Saracens.

To stun their hosts not only with style but with substance.

That was a Saints team with a tremendous forward pack, with backs who could finish when the time came.

This new side hasn’t got the same level of forward dominance and there are doubts whether there is the same resilience, especially defensively, but what it does have is the same desire and the same ability to strike if given the chance.

Like the team of 2013, this side has sampled semi-final heartache.

And like the team of 2013, it will feel it can channel those frustrations in the right way.

Whether that is good enough to deliver a repeat performance, it remains to be seen.

Saracens have the all-round game that can trouble any team in Europe.

Saints have yet to show they are capable of beating the best when the best are at full strength for 80 minutes.

But one thing is for sure, no Northampton Saints team should ever tread on to a stage with fear.

Because they can stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before them and know that anything is truly possible.

Tom’s prediction: Saracens are top of the table for a reason and though Saints have the ability to cause them some problems, it feels like the home side will be too strong. There are numerous breakdown threats in the Saracens side, which should allow them to slow Saints down, and the forward power of Mark McCall’s men will be expected to prevail here. Saracens 35 Saints 22.