Haffar Last-Gasp Try Leaves Saracens Staring at Play-Off Elimination

Northampton Saints 28-24 Saracens: Champions leave it late as Saracens stumble at the worst possible time

The sun was just starting to dip behind the stands at Franklin’s Gardens when Tarek Haffar crashed over the try line in the 81st minute, sparking wild celebrations and sealing a dramatic 28-24 win for Northampton Saints. For Saracens, it was the ultimate sucker punch—one that not only cost them the match but possibly their place in the Gallagher Premiership play-offs.

It had looked like business as usual for Mark McCall’s men for long spells. They played the first half with poise and clinical efficiency, racing into a 19-7 lead thanks to scores from Tom Willis, Juan Martin Gonzalez and Elliot Daly. When Rotimi Segun added the bonus-point try early in the second half, the visitors appeared to be cruising.

But Saints—restored to near full strength after rotating their squad last week—had other ideas. They fought their way back with grit, resilience, and a touch of drama, scoring three tries in the final 20 minutes to turn the game on its head.

Saints sluggish early, Saracens look sharp

It wasn’t the most inspiring start from the reigning champions. Northampton looked off the pace in the opening exchanges—what Phil Dowson would later describe as “drab and lacklustre.” But they still drew first blood in the eighth minute. A clever grubber kick from Fin Smith was collected by Josh Kemeny, who used every bit of momentum to barrel over and open the scoring.

Saracens responded swiftly. A powerful rolling maul brought them deep into Saints territory, and from the resulting platform, Tom Willis muscled his way over from close range.

From there, the visitors grew in confidence. A slick handling move saw Daly carve open the Saints defence before offloading to Gonzalez, who dotted down in the right corner. It was a textbook Sarries try—precise, composed, ruthless.

Just before the break, they struck again. Gonzalez was again involved, combining with Tobias Elliott before Daly finished the move himself, slicing through under the posts. At 19-7, it looked like Saracens were in total control.

Saints denied by the TMO, but belief grows

Saints sluggish early, Saracens look sharp

The start of the second half brought more of the same. Segun finished off a fluid move from left to right, and with the bonus point in the bag, the visitors looked set to coast home. That feeling was only reinforced moments later when Alex Coles appeared to pull one back for Saints, only for the TMO to intervene. Replays showed he had lost control just as he grounded the ball in the corner—a marginal call, but the right one.

Yet, despite being 17 points down, Northampton’s belief never wavered. The bench brought fresh energy, and suddenly the tide began to turn.

Tarek Haffar was the man to spark the comeback, bulldozing over from close range just after the hour mark. The home crowd, subdued until then, began to sense something was brewing.

Tom Seabrook nearly added another moments later after a Saracens defensive slip, but the winger couldn’t gather the ball cleanly as he chased a kick into the corner. It was a big miss—but it wouldn’t matter in the end.

Penalty try sparks chaos, Haffar completes the heist

With eight minutes left on the clock, Northampton kicked to the corner and set up a monstrous driving maul. As it thundered toward the line, Andy Onyeama-Christie illegally dragged it down. The referee had no hesitation—penalty try, and a yellow card.

Now just two points behind, the Saints pushed for the win. They camped in the Saracens half, probing for gaps, moving the ball with pace and purpose.

Then came the moment. A flowing passing move swept from one side of the field to the other. There were murmurs of a forward pass in the build-up, but after a lengthy TMO review, the try stood. Haffar had his second. Saints had the lead. Franklin’s Gardens erupted.

Coaches react: contrasting moods in the technical area

After the final whistle, Dowson was a mixture of relief and pride. “We were drab and lacklustre in the first half but the bench took it to a different physical level,” he said. “The forward pass calls in the final play were in the lap of the gods… but even if it hadn’t gone our way, our second-half performance spoke volumes.”

There was a note of caution too, with injuries to Curtis Langdon (shoulder), Alex Coles (knee) and James Ramm (shin) potentially keeping them out of next week’s final regular season fixture.

McCall, by contrast, cut a frustrated figure. “A painful experience,” he called it. “We were all over the place in the final 20 minutes. It fully encapsulates our mixed-bag season—the gap between our best and worst is far too wide. We didn’t deserve to win.”

What it means: Saints soar, Saracens stumble

The victory keeps Saints at the top end of the table and ensures they’ll go into the final weekend with momentum and belief. For Saracens, it’s a damaging defeat. They remain sixth in the standings and now face a nervous wait.

To reach the play-offs, they’ll not only need to beat Bath—who have already secured first place—but also rely on other results going their way. It’s hardly the position Saracens, the dominant English side of the last decade, expected to find themselves in.

But this is the Premiership. And this is rugby at its most unpredictable.

With one weekend left in the regular season, there’s still everything to play for—but for Saracens, the margin for error is now down to zero.