Saracens humiliate Bath
PREMIERSHIP WRAP: Saracens powered to an incredible 71-17 rout of Bath as Maro Itoje made a try-scoring return to the English Premiership on Sunday.
Itoje was playing in the top-flight for the first time in 12 months after Saracens’ salary cap breaches forced the club’s relegation to the Championship.
Having completed his rest period following the British and Irish Lions’ South Africa tour, Itoje starred in front of watching England head coach Eddie Jones.
However, Itoje will be concerned that his afternoon ended early in the second half after he took a blow to his left shoulder at the Recreation Ground.
His early exit did appear precautionary as Saracens consigned woeful Bath to a fourth successive league defeat and worst Premiership start since 2001.
“I am not sure if Maro is a shoulder or a pec. We are just trying to find out how serious it is,” Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall said.
Saracens made it three wins out of four, amassing 45 points in the first half through Jamie George’s try double, another two from Max Malins and one each by Itoje and Ben Earl.
Eroni Mawi added a seventh Saracens try, Malins completed his hat-trick and Rotimi Segun and Dom Morris also scored.
Owen Farrell booted eight conversions and a penalty for a 19-point haul and Alex Goode kicked a late conversion.
Tom de Glanville, Tom Ellis and Will Muir notched Bath’s scores, but it was no consolation for the outclassed west country club in front of their own fans.
George, Mako Vunipola and Billy Vunipola were left out of England’s training squad last month.
Jones names his group on Monday for the Nations Series against Tonga, Australia and South Africa and McCall expects his trio to be involved.
“If Eddie wanted to see if they had the motivation and desire to still play for England, then they showed that today,” he said.
“I thought Billy was unreal. Mako as well. The two of them were to the fore in the defensive sets.
“There is a new squad tomorrow [Monday], and I expect to have a lot more players back in it. They deserve to be there after the way they played.”
London Irish failed to secure their first victory of the season as they dominated Gloucester, but had to settle for a 25-25 draw.
Trailing by eight points at half-time, Gloucester scored three tries in less than 15 minutes after the interval.
Ben Morgan claimed two of them and Louis Rees-Zammit got the other, with Adam Hastings kicking two penalties and two conversions.
Agustin Creevy, Isaac Curtis-Harris and Matt Rogerson scored tries for Irish, with Paddy Jackson adding two conversions and two penalties.
Scores and scorers:
Bath 17-71 Saracens
For Bath
Tries: De Glanville, Ellis, Muir
Con: Cipriani
For Saracens:
Tries: Itoje, Malins 3, George 2, Earl, Mawi, Segun, Morris
Cons: Farrell 7, George, Goode
Pen: Farrell
London Irish 25-25 Gloucester
For London Irish:
Tries: Creevy, Curtis-Harris, Rogerson
Pens: Jackson 2
Cons: Jackson 2
Gloucester:
Tries: Morgan 2, Rees-Zammit
Pens: Hastings 2
Cons: Hastings 2
