Glasgow Warriors 19 Northampton Saints 28: Tom Vickers' review and player ratings

Earlier in the season, there were promising signs in battling wins against Bath and Newcastle Falcons.

But then came the setback at Leicester Tigers, 'a slow death' as defence coach Lee Radford labelled it, and a match that seemed to be a reminder of how far this team still had to go.

They headed into a huge home clash with a talented Harlequins team knowing they couldn't afford to fall any further behind in the Gallagher Premiership top-four race.

And the display they produced proved to be the perfect tonic for that derby-day disappointment.

Since then though, things have ramped up even further.

And confidence in this crop of Saints stars has gone through the roof.

They have produced statement away successes at two of the toughest grounds to win at in Europe, backing up a brilliant showing at Saracens with a big victory at Glasgow Warriors on Friday night.

Saints' reinvigorated defence came to the fore on both occasions, and so did their ability to outgun sizeable opposition with a power game we have rarely seen in recent years.

Tommy Freeman epitomised that against Glasgow, forcing his way over for two tries on a night when he looked like Popeye after consuming a can of spinach.

But that description could apply to the entire Saints squad, who spent the summer with an added focus on bulking up.

Bulk up they did, and that has paid real dividends as they now pack a real punch.

So has the addition of Radford as defence coach, with the extra intent to keep teams out clear for all to see.

Saints now have the hunger in their own half that they previously possessed predominantly in opposition territory.

It is allowing them to frustrate sides and then, when the chances come, they are able to go back to that razor-sharp attacking ability to strike at the heart of the opposition.

Saracens and Glasgow have both seen their big strengths nullified by Saints, whose maul defence is a world away from last season.

Even when they let these formidable packs get into their back garden, they are able to kick them out with such resilience.

Glasgow hooker Johnny Matthews is the top try scorer in the United Rugby Championship, with some nicknaming him Erling Mauland (a reference to Manchester City striker Erling Haaland) so prolific has he been at scoring maul tries this season.

He has eight scores to his name, but he was never able to get close to the Saints line on Friday night as the likes of Alex Moon and Lawes disrupted the home side at every turn.

Glasgow eventually got something going right at the end, but it was far too little, too late.

Saints had soared into a 22-5 lead by the break, playing at a pace and with a physicality that the Warriors couldn't match.

They had dealt with the conditions far better, and their incredibly crisp handling meant there were few openings for Glasgow.

It was a stunning first 40 minutes, one of the best first-half showings they have produced for many a year.

And it laid the foundations for a superb success, ending a run of 10 successive defeats in the Champions Cup since the excellent win at Lyon in January 2020.

It also dented Glasgow's home record, with the Warriors having lost just once at Scotstoun in the previous two years.

And it was yet another big statement from Phil Dowson's men at the end of a three-week period full of them.

When the going gets tough, tough teams get going - and that's what Saints have done since that deflating defeat at Tigers.

They have pumped their season back up to the point where this team is flying into a home game against Toulon with the genuine belief that they can beat the French giants.

Saints probably won't be the favourites for that match against a side containing the familiar faces of David Ribbans and Dan Biggar.

But then they weren't favourites against Saracens or Glasgow, either.

How they rated…

GEORGE FURBANK – so solid once again and he made some telling contributions including a late try-saving tackle… 8.5

OLLIE SLEIGHTHOLME – wasn’t able to score for a third game in a row, but he did what his team needed him to do… 7.5

TOMMY FREEMAN – CHRON STAR MAN – this guy is just pure class and he now has the physicality to match his skill, making him a player who opposition sides will truly fear… 9

FRASER DINGWALL – his moment of magic helped to open the door for Courtney Lawes’ try and the centre just continues to go from strength to strength 8.5

GEORGE HENDY – he’s turning into some player already and this was another night when he showed that he is at home on the big stage as he caused Glasgow real problems… 8.5

FIN SMITH – got away with one intercept pass but that was the only tough moment he had on another night when he created chances, stood strong in defence and was so accurate from the tee… 8.5

ALEX MITCHELL – overcame the concession of an early intercept try to turn in another big performance, making a try-saving tackle and setting the tone for his side with his high-tempo work… 8.5

ALEX WALLER – was hugely unfortunate to suffer a first-half injury after having a frustrating time in the scrum, conceding a couple of penalties that he didn’t agree with… 6

CURTIS LANGDON – a ball of energy, the hooker produced another powerful performance that was key in helping Saints to push Glasgow back… 8

PAUL HILL – looked fresh and fired up as he produced a really strong performance after returning to the team… 7.5

TOM LOCKETT – a sign of how every squad member is stepping up for Saints, the lofty lock looked comfortable on the big stage… 7.5

ALEX MOON – a huge showing from the lock, who was key in disrupting Glasgow at maul time and who got through so much work… 8.5

COURTNEY LAWES – another gargantuan performance from a player who seems to contend for the player of the match award on a weekly basis… 9

ANGUS SCOTT-YOUNG – covered so much ground as he made tackle after tackle, racking up a whopping 25 in total, nine more than any other Saints player… 9

SAM GRAHAM – caused real panic for Glasgow at the breakdown and once again showed what an important player he is becoming for Saints… 8

Replacements (who played more than 20 minutes)

TAREK HAFFAR (for Waller 29) – showed the potential everyone at Saints knows he has as he refused to be fazed on debut, delivering a dynamic display that unfortunately ended with a late yellow card… 7.5

TOM PEARSON (for Graham 44) – not a bad player to bring off the bench as he came on for Graham and continued to add energy to the team… 6.5

ROBBIE SMITH (for Langdon 58) – savoured the occasion against his former club, returning from injury to give Saints a boost… 6