Bristol Bears ....................20pts
Tries: Batley 4, Thacker 52
Conversions: MacGinty 5, Williams 53
Penalties: MacGinty 11, 20
Saracens ...........................41pts
Tries: Itoje 22, 31; Segun 61, Gonzalez 65 Conversions: Farrell 23, Daly 32, 66 Penalties: Farrell 14, Daly 27, 36, 48, 56
JUST like Manchester City, Saracens become remorseless when the finishing line looms into view. Bristol may have been on a run of six successive victories but they became enmeshed in the web exquisitely spun by the champions.
The more the Bears tried to extricate themselves, the more stuck they became. It was a masterly display by Saracens who conceded an early 10-point lead as they looked to respond to Bristol’s running game in kind.
In the previous round at Bath, they accepted the invitation to an arm wrestle and ground down the home side. Here they hustled free-flowing Bristol into mistakes and gorged off them, a team for all weather and occasions.
Their two tries in a first half that saw them recover from 10 points down to lead by 10 at the break came from moves that started when Bristol, buoyed by Joe Batley’s early try that followed Harry Randall’s quick thinking, were in possession. And so did their two after the break.
First, Ellis Genge dropped a pass he had to reach for in his 22 with Bristol down to 14 after Siva Naulago deliberately knocked on. Sarries regathered, Juan Martin Gonzalez stepped inside two defenders and Maro Itoje reached for the line.
Nine minutes later, Bristol had a lineout close to Sarries’ 22. Gabriel Oghre threw long, failed to find his target, Owen Farrell secured a 50-22 with a raking kick and Itoje scored again from the resulting drive.
Bristol started the second half knowing their season hinged on their response. After Elliot Daly, taking over from Farrell who felt a tightening in his groin, had landed his third penalty of the afternoon, Sarries were reduced to 13 when Itoje was sent to the sin-bin for a high tackle on Steven Luatua and Ben Earl quickly followed for a breakdown offence.
Bristol used the second yellow to launch an attacking lineout and replacement hooker Harry Thacker secured the biggest cheer of the afternoon. James Williams, kicking with AJ MacGinty having failed a head injury assessment, converted to make it a six-point game.
This was Bristol’s moment, but it lasted only as long as it took them to lose another lineout. Sarries may have had a numerical disadvantage, but it merely made the co
