The Christmas craic probably created new decibel levels in the Thames Valley last night after battling London Irish manufactured an unlikely cliff-hanger victory out of a helter-skelter display studded with seasonal gifts.
Their seventh Premiership win from 12 games pushes the Exiles into second place in the Premiership, clear evidence of the powerful impact made by South African coach Brendan Venter.
Saracens had good reason to be furious with themselves after outplaying their opponents for nearly an hour and squandering a 20-6 lead with a succession of elementary errors. As the Saracens captain Kyran Bracken remarked: "The Irish took their chances but we're very disappointed with ourselves - we threw it away."
It was just as well that London Irish did finish with three converted tries and a penalty in a sustained 20-minute blitz, otherwise the majority of the 8,246 crowd at Reading probably would have gone home with a depressing sense of anti-climax.
Indeed, Saracens looked fully capable of keeping their line intact until the Exiles were awarded a 58th-minute penalty try in controversial circumstances, following a couple of collapsed scrums.
Even Venter admitted: "We had a bit of luck." It was far from obvious who had pulled the scrum down, but the Bristol referee Steve Leyshon placed the blame squarely on Saracens - the crucial turning point in a contest in which the Irish had been making a virtue of running down one cul-de-sac after another.
"We were definitely in trouble at 6-20, but we stuck at it and finished the better team," said Venter. "Saracens brought world-class players like fly-half Jannie De Beer and England flanker Richard Hill back into their side, and we knew we'd have to work very hard to get on top of them."
In theory it was a perfect afternoon for pacy, all-purpose rugby on a surface that was crisp and firm, yet London Irish stuttered and struggled for long periods to get out of the starting blocks. It was Saracens prop David Flatman who opened the try count just before half-time with a 40-metre break down the left flank. The lead was extended after the break when Richard Kirke dropped the ball and Darragh O'Mahony sprinted 80 metres down the left touchline to score at the flag.
The Exiles appeared to be heading for defeat but then came the penalty try and, nine minutes later, substitute Jeff Fahrensohn stole away from a ruck for a superb solo score near the posts which brought the sides level at 20-20.
With two minutes remaining, Paul Sackey cut through Saracens' tiring defence to touch down on the right and, minutes later, Barry Everitt sealed the win with a short-range penalty.
Scorers: London Irish: Penalty try, Fahrenson and Sackey try each, Everitt 3 cons and 3 pens; Saracens: Flatman, O'Mahony try each, De Beer 2 cons and 3 pens.
LONDON IRISH: Horak; Ezulike, Bishop, Appleford, Sackey; Everitt, Edwards; Worsley (Kirke, 47 mins) Drotske (Hatley, 47) Hardwick, Strudwick (capt), Williams (Fahrensohn, 62) Danaher, Dawson, Sheasby.
SARACENS: Winnan; Sparg, Horan, Sorrell, O'Mahony; De Beer, Bracken (capt); Flatman, Russell, Durant, Roche, K Benazzi, Hill, Roques, Cole.
Referee: S Leyshon (Bristol).
