Sarries make statement with Bears hammering
PREMIERSHIP REPORT: Saracens made a big statement about their survival in the top flight.
Saracens laid down a marker as they cruised to a 47-13 victory over Bristol Bears with Max Malins and Nick Tompkins scoring two tries apiece.
Despite still being at the foot of the table – the result of their 35-point penalty for a salary cap breach – they have now won five games straight and are fast closing the gap on relegation candidates like Bath, Wasps and Leicester Tigers.
* Did you miss any of the action? To recap all the drama, CLICK HERE!
The Bears led heading into the closing stages of the first half, but Malins’ try right on half-time shifted the momentum of the game entirely.
From there, Saracens ran in five unanswered second-half scores, clinching a bonus point in the process.
Luke Morahan’s try had got Bristol in front early on, only for Mako Vunipola to respond in kind.
While Callum Sheedy pushed Bristol 13-7 up, Malins’ score flipped the game on its head, with Brad Barritt and Ben Earl also going over in the second half in additions to Malins and Tompkins.
Mark McCall Saracens Director of Rugby said: “We are not counting points; well I am certainly not looking at the table.
“We don’t think we’ve been playing as well as we could have been playing.
“I’m actually really pleased with the way we defended in the last 15 minutes because the game was done and won, and I thought we had an appetite not to concede during that period which was really encouraging.
“I thought we played really well in the first half to be honest, it just wasn’t reflected on the scoreboard.
“A few of their points came from a few unlucky things we tried to do.
“What I am really pleased about is that we could have been frustrated with the scoreboard after 30 minutes but we stuck to task and kept going and I think all of the points that we scored in the second half were as a result of some of the really good work done in the first half.
“Max Malins at fullback just looked like a great player
“He reminds me a little bit of a young Beauden Barrett who wanted to be a fly-half but played 15 in his early years for the Hurricanes and the All Blacks.”
Pat Lam Bristol Bears director of rugby said: “The ten minutes after half time were the worst ten minutes we have played all year.
“The thing we said about Sarries is that you just cannot give them any in’s into the game, you have got to go toe to toe and stay in the fight.
“Because if they get two scores on you, their machine gets going and it is very difficult to stop.
“Unfortunately, we conceded soft tries after half time, missing high balls, silly penalties, little knock-on’s all of these things gave them field position and then they just rolled and started to go.
“Then we were just playing catch up and that’s why I got some of the key boys off for next week, but I can’t fault the effort.
“We knew when you play a quality team like this it is just like playing a final because they are desperate to win these games and they are a good side and they have built that over 11 years.
“But I think the big thing is that we were right in this game probably right up until five minutes before half time there were some pretty key moments then. We were unbelievable on defence holding them out.”
The scorers
For Saracens:
Tries: M Vunipola, Malins 2, Tompkins 2, Earl, Barritt’
Cons: Farrell 5, Daly
For Bristol Bears:
Try: Morahan
Con: Sheedy
Pens: Sheedy
Yellow card: Harry Thacker (Bristol Bears, 50)
Teams:
Saracens: 15 Max Malins, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Nick Tompkins, 12 Brad Barritt (captain), 11 Elliot Daly, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Ben Spencer, 8 Billy Vunipola, 7 Ben Earl, 6 Nick Isiekwe, 5 George Kruis, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Jamie George, 1 Mako Vunipola.
Replacements: 16 Jack Singleton, 17 Rhys Carre, 18 Titi Lamositele, 19 Will Skelton, 20 Jackson Wray, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 Duncan Taylor, 23 Alex Lewington.
Bristol Bears: 15 Charles Piutau, 14 Luke Morahan, 13 Piers O’Conor, 12 Sam Bedlow, 11 Toby Fricker, 10 Callum Sheedy, 9 Andy Uren, 8 Nathan Hughes, 7 Jake Heenan, 6 Steven Luatua (captain), 5 Chris Vui, 4 Joe Joyce, 3 John Afoa, 2 Harry Thacker, 1 Jake Woolmore.
Replacements: 16 Will Capon, 17 James Lay, 18 Max Lahiff, 19 Ed Holmes, 20 Luke Hamilton, 21 Harry Randall, 22 Ioan Lloyd, 23 Alapati Leiua.
Referee: Tom Foley
Assistant referees: Michael Hudson & Roy Maybank
TMO: Graham Hughes
Report by @premrugby
