Fly-half Gordon Ross kicked 19 points as Leeds secured their first Zurich
Premiership victory of the season at the fourth attempt.
The Yorkshire side, beaten in their opening three matches, fully deserved
their away success over lacklustre Saracens.
The slow-starting Sarries, who conceded 10 points in the opening four minutes
of the 25-15 defeat at Sale in their previous match, were 10-0 down again after
only 13 minutes.
Ross kicked a third-minute penalty and added the conversion after left-wing
Tom Biggs scored an excellent try.
The Leeds Metropolitan University student marked his recall to the side by
taking beating Saracens full-back Dan Scarbrough, his former Leeds clubmate,
standing as he went round him and crossed in the corner.
Saracens hit back when they took the ball off the end of a lineout and Paul
Bailey went over in the corner.
Fly-half Nicky Little converted from the touchline but was then off target
with a straight penalty 40 metres out.
His opposite number Ross stretched Leeds 19-7 ahead by half-time with three
penalties to take his first-half tally to five successes from five kicks.
Saracens paid the penalty for their indiscipline as Ross punished them for a
ruck infringement, a high tackle by Little on Dave Rees and an obstruction.
A more determined start to the second half saw Saracens, who had hardly
figured as an attacking force before the interval, turn pressure into points as
Little kicked three penalties, to one from Ross, to reduce the deficit to six
points.
But Leeds, with former England full-back Tim Stimpson - sidelined by a knee
injury since his close season signing from French club Perpignan - making his
debut as a second-half replacement, repelled their attacks.
Leeds came again in the 74th minute when Snyman, South Africa's most capped
centre, took a pass from Ross and turned through Little's tackle to crash over
by the posts for a try which Ross converted to stretch the lead to 29-16.
Saracens launched a last-ditch assault but a superb tackle by young Biggs,
which stopped centre Ben Johnston in full flight, combined with some poor
handling and over-elaboration in attack, kept Saracens at bay until the seventh
minute of injury time.
Leeds eventually cracked when Little crossed for the second Saracens try,
which he converted, but it was too late to save the home side from their second
successive defeat.
Teams:
Saracens: Scarbrough, Haughton, Johnston, Sorrell, Bailey,
Little, Williams, Yates, Ibanez, Broster, Chesney, Vyvyan,
Hill, Seymour, Randell.
Replacements: Raulini for Williams (61), Lloyd for Yates (57),
Cairns for Ibanez (57), Skirving for Chesney (69).
Not Used: B. Russell, Harris, Kydd.
Tries: Bailey, Little.
Cons: Little 2.
Pens: Little 3.
Leeds: Albanese, Rees, Christophers, Snyman, Biggs, Ross,
Dickens, Shelley, Regan, Kerr, Hooper, Palmer, Dunbar, Rigney,
Popham.
Replacements: Stimpson for Rees (57), Murphy for Palmer (40),
Parks for Dunbar (57), Rawlinson for Popham (74).
Not Used: Cusack, McMillan, Cardey.
Tries: Biggs, Snyman. Cons: Ross 2. Pens: Ross 5.
Att: 5,325
Ref: Sean Davey (West Sussex).
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