Owen Caps a Joyous Week and May Just Alert Gatland

For Michael Owen this was the end of a perfect week. Sandwiched between two emphatic wins in Watford, the man who led Wales to their 2005 grand slam celebrated the birth of his first son. The Saracens No8 also had a bottle of champagne to wet the baby's head when he was named man of the match after scoring his first try for his new club.

Sonny James Owen may opt to play for Wales or England one day but, for the present, his father may force Warren Gatland to take another look at a No8 who had also led the Lions. Owen's move from the Dragons to Hertfordshire this summer was largely overshadowed by the transfer to Saracens of Bath's England captain Steve Borthwick but both made significant contributions on Saturday.

Borthwick's decision 15 minutes from time to opt for a scrum rather than give Glen Jackson the opportunity to convert an equalizing penalty changed the course of the match. Northampton had just been reduced to 14 men with the substitute scrum-half Ben Foden penalized for killing the ball. The Saracens captain knew that with Carlos Spencer taking Foden's position at the scrum the home side had an extra man. Saracens quickly exploited the space and their right-wing Rodd Penney scored the decisive try.

The game was over and the Saints in disarray five minutes later when Owen took advantage of a side reduced to 13 men after Dylan Hartley had also been shown a yellow card and the Welshman picked the ball up at the base of a scrum to score a second try. Owen's tireless ball-carrying had been a feature of his play throughout the game and he believes Saracens' uncompromising pack, which will be strengthened by the arrival of the South African back-rower Wikus van Heerden in a month's time, can help the great underachievers challenge for trophies this season.

"We've shown glimpses of what we can do but there is a lot more to come and after Christmas you will see the true Saracens," said Owen. "I've been really impressed by the club. Things are on a par with the set-up in the Wales team, everything is spot on with the coaching and it's a really challenging environment."

Saracens also have the advantage of, apart from Borthwick, having no players in the current England and England Saxons squads. That lack of recognition needled last season but on heavy grounds in a long English winter that pack may prosper. Chris Jack will have a scan today on a sore shoulder joint that caused him to miss the second half. The All Black lock's conversion to blind-side flanker looks a smart move by head coach Eddie Jones.

His opposite number, Jim Mallinder, refused to shed any light on the dropping of the Ireland flanker Neil Best on the eve of the game. Best faces a disciplinary hearing tomorrow after being cited for gouging the eye of James Haskell in the win over Wasps a week earlier.

Saracens Haughton (Wyles, 52); Penney, Sorrell, Powell, Ratuvou; Jackson (Ross, 72), De Kock (Rauluni, 72); Aguero, Ongaro (Cairns, 66), Johnston (Visagie, 68), Borthwick (capt), Vyvyan (Chesney, 72), Jack (Skirving, h-t), Saull, Owen.

Tries Penney, Owen. Cons Jackson 2. Pens Jackson 3, Ross.

Northampton Myler; Reihana (capt), Ansbro, Downey (Mayor, 12), Lamont; Spencer, Dickson (Foden, 52); Tonga'uhia (Smith, 54), Hartley, Murray (Stewart, 54), Lobbe (Rae, 46), Day, Hopley (Lewitt, 71), Gray, Wilson.

Pens Myler 3. Drop-goal Myler.

Sin-bin Foden, 64; Hartley, 70.

Referee M Fox (Leicestershire).

Attendance 7,409.