2 months ago
Champions Bath near nary uncertainty astir their appetite for different title arsenic they swept Saracens speech 62-15 astatine nan Rec to regain apical spot. The Londoners started brightly and did not deficiency effort but Bath’s slayer small heart earned them 9 tries successful beforehand of different capacity crowd.
Scotland’s Finn Russell kicked 17 points from 7 conversions and a penalty. Russell and nan nine captain, Ben Spencer, were consecutive backmost into action aft yet frustrating Six Nations campaigns pinch their respective countries.
Saracens were quickest retired of nan blocks, charging down Spencer’s attempted box-kick and moving Tobias Elliott clear for a effort successful nan area aft conscionable 70 seconds. Owen Farrell landed nan conversion and added a punishment aft 13 minutes arsenic Bath struggled to find their rhythm.
Ollie Lawrence provided nan basal reset, first pinch a crash-ball surge almost to nan effort statement and past nan tip-on for Will Muir to people successful nan area from a five-metre scrum. Russell converted and delivered a prodigious 40-22 footwear to heap connected nan unit again.
Scotland back-row Josh Bayliss won nan resulting lineout and retrieved a loose shot to evade 3 defenders connected his measurement to nan effort line, pinch Russell’s conversion putting nan location broadside 14-10 up aft 20 minutes. Consecutive punishment awards against nan visitors led to Alfie Barbeary exploiting an opening from a catch-and-drive for nan 3rd Bath try.
Back came Saracens pinch a Theo Dan breakaway which forced a punishment advantage starring to a 2nd effort for Elliott. However, a 70-metre interception effort by Henry Arundell soon secured a prize constituent for Bath. Russell converted and rounded disconnected nan first half pinch a punishment for a 31-15 interval lead.
Saracens came retired for nan 2nd half successful wished mood, but erstwhile they mislaid possession correct successful beforehand of nan Bath posts nan shot was cleared upfield and Spencer seized his chance to people successful nan corner.
Russell was wide pinch nan footwear but had nary problem converting Kepu Tuipulotu’s people aft 54 minutes arsenic nan formidable Bath chair took nan crippled retired of nan visitors’ reach. Another sweeping counterattack gave Arundell his 2nd effort 10 minutes later, pinch Russell’s conversion bringing up nan 50 points.
England flanker Guy Pepper vanished disconnected a blinding move started by Russell successful his ain 22 and carried connected by Arundell and Lawrence. There was still clip for replacement scrum-half Bernard van der Linde to title distant from a ruck for an unconverted ninth try.
