Northampton Saints 43-31 Saracens LIVE - Gallagher PREM latest as Tommy Freeman stars with four tries and Saints win 12-try thriller

The top-of-the-table Gallagher PREM clash more than lived up to the billing, as Northampton Saints and Saracens produced a strong contender for game of the season and the hosts ran out 43-31 winners thanks in large part to four tries from Tommy Freeman.

Saints will spend the month-long hiatus from top-flight rugby at the top of the league after seeing off second-placed Saracens, who led at half-time thanks to a blistering 12-minute, 17-point comeback at the end of the first period.

With a host of Quilter Autumn Nations Series stars on show for both sides, the league leaders exploded out of the blocks and raced into a 17-0 lead as Fin Smith pulled the strings superbly, setting up Freeman, George Hendy and Tom Pearson before a yellow card for the latter derailed the hosts.

Saracens had already wrestled momentum back through a Fergus Burke try in the blink of an eye and Jack Bracken profited off smart play from his brother before Pearson departed, then against 14 men Juan Martin Gonzalez and Hugh Tizard dotted down to make it 26 unanswered Saracens points.

However, the pendulum swung decisively back after that as Freeman scored three more tries to seal the win, with Saracens only able to offer up a Max Malins consolation score as Northampton took victory in an instant classic.

Like what you saw today? Well that's just the start, we still have five more top-flight matches coming up this weekend before the Quilter Nations Series takes centre stage in November, featuring plenty of the stars you saw in action tonight!

Watch the 2025 Quilter Nations Series, and 2025/26 Gallagher PREM and PWR live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

The player of the match caught up with TNT Sports, after he signed off for England duty by becoming just the third Saint to score four tries in a PREM match - joining Sean Lamont and Ollie Sleightholme.

"We knew they’d be in a bit of form, it was top of the table, one and two so it was a huge game," Freeman said

"We just want to play fast, if we can get our game on the pitch, we’re playing fast, if the ball goes off we want to chuck it on, we know that teams can’t live with that. Saracens are a great team, they came at our breakdown to slow it down but we knew that if we got quick ball we’d have some good opportunities.

"It’s so fun, being on the wing and popping up in spaces where you’ve got Mitch [Alex Mitchell] and Fin [Smith] controlling the ship, it’s pretty special."

It was one hell of an occasion to honour Saints captain Fraser Dingwall's 150th appearance for the club, he caught up with TNT Sports afterwards:

"We were really frustrated in the first half I think, we did so much good stuff then a bit of a swing of momentum and we let them score a few tries off nothing. It's frustrating but I think we knew ifwe could get back onto the pitch and start doing the things we're good at, we could turn the tide.

"The attack is all in our control, when we get things right in terms of our breakdown speed, I'm fortunate enough to have these unbelievable players around me like Fin [Smith], [Tommy] Freeman and Hutch [Hutchinson], they can do incredible things, all of a sudden they're picking things off.

"Good game that," says Nick Mullins on TNT Sports commentary, in the understatement of the season. Saracens make a half-break but that only allows Pollock to win the penalty at the breakdown and Saints have done it!

They will enter the international break top of the Gallagher PREM thanks to a sensational victory over the second-placed team in the league who gave it their all tonight. It was a real treat of rugby.

Todaro weaves in and out of Saracens defenders after the visitors' accuracy falls short, it was a mazy run by the Argentine but Pollock is certain to score if he passes it! As it is, Todaro belatedly offloads and the move breaks down, allowing Saracens one more shot with the clock in the red.

In this game, don't rule out another swing of momentum, but Saracens are now really up against it. They have the ball on their own 10-metre line and must get at least one more try for their second bonus point.

Farrell is shaking his head at Malins in disgust, Freeman has four and Saints surely have the win now! Malins overruns the attacking move and when Saints snaffle the bouncing ball, Smith doesn't miss a beat in sending a cross-field kick for Freeman. It's a pinpoint touch allowing Freeman to cut in off his wing, bamboozle poor McFarland and dive across the whitewash unopposed.

Riccioni is gone for good now, alongside Charlie Bracken whose last intervention was creating that wonderful score. Both sides have all-new front rows too, who will be put to the test now in Saracens territory and feed...

It's another change in momentum, courtesy of a controversial high-ball call by Woodthorpe for an alleged barge by Todaro. Farrell is greeted with huge cheers as his conversion slides wide but you can't fault the score itself - Charlie Bracken takes the penalty quickly, weaves in and out of the backpedalling defenders and then dinks a grubber in for Malins to gather and score.

Hat-trick for Freeman! Saracens retain parity in players, but at the expense of concededing their sixth try of the evening as a huge Rory Hutchinson miss-pass allows Freeman to walk over.

And Smith arrows in a difficult conversion, meaning Saints lead by 12.

Saracens will be back down to 14 if they're not careful Fraser Dingwall is stopped inches away from the tryline and Saracens dive over the top to kill the ball by any means necessary before another shoving match breaks out.

Max Malins fields another kick in behind under pressure from Todaro, and referee Anthony Woodthorpe rules he took the ball over the tryline.

Riccioni and Willis are both back on after costly yellow-card period, Saints are looking to score their third successive unanswered try. Caluori has also departed, for Angus Hall. You can't score five tries every week!

"It's one of the games that could go on until midnight and you'd want more of it," says Nick Mullins on TNT Sports commentary, and he's proven right moments later when Freeman pressures young Jack Bracken into a mistake that he should punish with his hat-trick try.

However, the England international fumbles to instead force a Saracens scrum in coffin corner, meaning Tom Willis must depart for replacement tighthead Marcus Street. It's one hell of a first task, this.

Freeman has his second! Saracen look shell-shocked, they couldn't do anything to slow Saints down as they made ground metre after metre, until they produced a three-man overlap on the left for Freeman to walk over.

Smith's conversion bounces off the post and in.

Sometimes these promotions feel like a chore but not in this game - if you're not watching on TNT Sports and discovery+, you're truly missing out. Northampton have rediscovered there mojo and have gone the length of the field, to the verge of another try!

The Gardens are rocking once again! Saints keep folding round the corner and eventually with his side short on numbers, Earl shoots out attempting to make a big hit on Pearson. Saracens' outside defenders are more worried about Pollock outside him but Pearson, motivated after his costly yellow card, rides Earl's tackle and flops over!

Smoth's conversion is good too, game on! Again...

Saracens win the lineout but Pollock reads it like a book and intercepts in the backline! He's stopped by a desperate Farrell but offloads from the floor, and ultimately Saracens can only slow Saints down by Marco Riccioni knocking the ball down for an obvious booking.

And again, Carre hits back by winning another scrum penalty but the kick doesn't reach touch so Saints can clear up to halfway, and Ben Earl trots on for Saracens.

That's more like it from Saints! Van der Mescht stays in midfield and gets a one-on-one to put Saints on the front foot. The hosts then spin the ball wide to Freeman, who kicks it through and is so close to regathering - instead Todaro kicks it out.

Meanwhile Theo McFarland has replaced Gonzalez, and Calouri can't catch the drop-out so Saints can have another attacking set-piece..