By The Saracens
October 18 2021

A last minute reporting switch means that I am sat on my sofa to watch Sarries take on Bath at the Rec. There are of course lots of advantages to report writing from home: it’s warm and comfortable, you don’t have to battle the traffic to get there, you don’t have to squint at the big screen to see who gave that final pass; but I would far rather be there in the autumn sunshine down in Bath with my pad and pen. Still it’s not to be so BT Sport it is.

The return of Maro means that Sarries can field an all-international 15. Mark McCall, in his pre-match interview, feels this is the strongest side he has selected so far but stresses Sarries need to show the consistency which has been lacking so far this season. Bath give Danny Cipriani his home debut at the expense of Orlando Bailey in the hope he can inject some magic into their stuttering season.

Sarries get the best of some early aerial stuff which allows Faz an early 3 points. Sarries win a line out which is reassuring and sets up an attack for Loz and it isn’t long before a delicate little off load from Billy allows Maro to run in unopposed under the posts. Faz adds the extras for an excellent start 0-10.

Bath finally put some passes together allowing a good break from Joseph but the move breaks down. Bath have a penalty though which is plonked in the corner. Sarries defend but the referee feels it wasn’t legal so we go again. This time the throw is messy but Bath regain and go on the attack. Big carries don’t quite make it to the tryline but yet another penalty means they have another go at the catch and drive. This time the lineout malfunctions under the auspices of Itoje and Sarries can clear their lines. Once again the best defence in the Premiership holds firm.

A fabulous kick from Billy (yes Billy) gives Sarries a 50:22 lineout and another wonderful opportunity. From the throw, the ball goes down the line and some wonderful off-loading from Goode to Maitland finds Malins on the wing and he makes no mistake. Faz again lands the extras for 0-17 in even time.

Watson makes a good break for Bath. Once again the pass goes astray but Sarries are offside. Cipriani turns down the 3 once again and goes for touch. The lineout functions well but so does Sarries’ defence and the attack ends in a Bath knock on. We have our first scrum! And Bath get a penalty as Mako is penalized. So once again we have a Bath 5m lineout. Sarries seem to have saved the day with a great turnover from Earl but he muffs his lines with the clearance however Bath mess up again and we have another scrum to Sarries. This time the scrum penalty goes to Sarries and Faz pumps the ball over half way.

Handbags follow a mistimed tackle by Maitland on De Glanville. Somehow the referee decides that the penalty goes to Sarries though so another 5m lineout to the visitors and there is only ever going to be one outcome as the forwards trundle over the line and Jamie George scores number 3. Faz converts and Sarries lead 0-24. Bath restart and throw the ball around. Cipriani throws a very optimistic pass which Malins reads and intercepts from half way to score the bonus point try under the posts. Faz converts for 0-31 after half an hour.  (Brief pause to evict one cat and one mouse. Oh the joys of doing this from home!)

Riccioni goes off for an HIA (and doesn’t return) which brings Koch onto the field. Bath break through Ojomoh and Joseph. Sarries scramble back. Once again the defence holds and Sarries run the length of the field with only an uncharacteristic fumble from Tompkins preventing a 5^th score.  Another uncompleted scrum (Sarries free kick for early engagement). The reset produces a penalty advantage for Sarries but they don’t really need it as Earl scores when the entire Bath team stop for a non-existent knock on. Faz remain foot perfect from the touchline for 0-38 as we approach half time. Another scrum isn’t completed and Sarries win a penalty. The clock is red but Faz puts the ball in the corner anyway. Sarries pile on the agony and after a couple of pick and goes are defended, Jamie George scores his 2^nd and Saracens’ 6^th. The Rec is stunned into silence. Faz converts and the score is 0-45 at half time. Wow what a half! Sarries have been utterly clinical. This team is on a different planet to their opponents.  

We start again. Sarries are in control but somehow the ball goes loose when a kick is charged down and Bath must score. Incredibly Loz gets back to stop Underhill but De Glanville goes over instead. Cipriani converts for 7-45. Hopefully a wake-up call then. Sarries get a penalty and Faz goes for touch in the 22. Sarries attack but Bath get the turnover and clear to the 22. Sarries attack again but the Bath defence is far more robust and the attack breaks down when the ball hits the referee. Worryingly Maro departs with what looks like a shoulder injury. Sarries have a penalty in front but Davies taps it quickly. 2 more penalty advantages under the post as Malins almost gets his hat-trick. This time Billy taps and McNally turns it over. Sarries need to keep concentrating here. Maybe it would have been better to kick the definite 3 points just to slow things down.

Sarries ring the changes. Jamie George and Mako depart along with Davies (replaced by Van Zyl). Danny Boy leaves the pitch too, having contributed almost nothing, for the promising Orlando Bailey. The outcome is a scrum penalty for Bath. Sarries nick the lineout and launch another attack: a lovely show and go from Faz and Mawi the replacement prop scores the 7^th try which Faz converts to go over the half century, 7-52.  In no time we are back with a lineout on the Bath 5m line. The red tide is unstoppable, the forwards tie in the defence and it is Malins who scores his Hat-trick on the left wing. Faz get the conversion. Of course he does! An hour gone and Sarries lead 7-59 with 8 tries.

Christie gets himself in trouble with a mis-timed tackle in the air but gets away with a penalty when the officials accept he tried to bring his opponent down safely. Sadly Anthony Watson, one of the few Bath players to look decent, is not so lucky and limps off with what looks like a damaged knee. Faz departs with 9/9 kicks – 95% for the season - for Morris which brings Alex Goode to Fly Half (what luxuries to have a choice of 3 replacements!) and Segun replaces Loz. Another penalty, another attacking lineout. Another penalty – surely a card must be coming after so many infringements. The referee has been kind to Bath. Back to the line out and the drive and the penalty. This is like a broken record. Not so Billy – he taps out to Segun who goes over in the corner for number 9. Goodey can’t quite emulate Faz with the touchline conversion but it hardly matters. 12 minutes remain and Sarries lead 7-64.

The penalty count against Bath continues – one can only assume Mr Makepeace left his cards in the Changing Room. Maitland escapes the clutches of the Bath defence and puts Morris over for number 10. Another tricky kick for Goode but this time he lands it to take the score to 7-71. As we enter the last 5 minutes Bath finally get over the line again from a lineout maul by Tom Ellis. Bailey makes an awful hash of the conversion.

To give them their due, Bath aren’t lying down. Understandably Sarries are already back in the Changing Room. Bailey secures a 50:22 which leads to a 3^rd try for Bath by Will Muir on the wing. Again Bailey misses with the kick but extraordinarily, Bath could yet get a point out of this! Sarries tap a penalty with a minute to go but Man of the Match Malins can’t hold on and the ball goes into touch. Malins puts an end to the Bath misery by kicking the ball out as the clock goes red and the score finishes with a strangely symmetrical 17-71.

The return of Maro was the instigation of this performance but everyone played their part. Goode has to start, his vision and his touch are pure magic. Malins showcased his talent in front of Eddie. Jamie George was superb once more and Billy at times makes me speechless (that kick was outrageous!) Faz did what Faz does. He is rapidly taking over Brad’s role as the rock on which everything else is founded. – and his metronomic kicking right now is unbelievable. I could go on – the entire squad deserve the plaudits.

Stuart Barnes wrote a piece in the Times this morning suggesting that while other Premiership teams have moved on to playing flowing attacking rugby, Saracens “are not playing it for thrills”. He went on to say Saracens “Parsimonious” “with their footprint in their highly successful past” “are not always going to be bailed out by the boot of Owen Farrell”. Eat your words Mr Cockwomble. That was something else. 10 tries speak for themselves. This was Bath’s biggest ever home defeat. When this team clicks they are very, very special. Let’s hope Maro’s injury is nothing serious (Kelly Brown intimated that “he’s tough, he’ll be fine”). The win takes Sarries up to 3^rd (with a game in hand on leaders Leicester). The wagon is back rolling – and hey, the Boys are Back in Town.

Bath

De Glanville, Watson (Green), Joseph (McConnachie), Ojomoh, Muir, Cipriani (Bailey), Fox (Green); Obano (Boyce), Dunn (Du Toit), Stuart (Rae), McNally, Ewels (Williams), Reid (Ellis), Underhill, Bayliss 

Saracens

Goode, Maitland, Lozowski (Segun), Tompkins, Malins, Farrell (Morris), Davies (Van Zyl); M Vunipola (Mawi), George (Woolstencroft), Riccioni (Koch), Itoje (Christie), Swinson, Isiekwe, Earl (Reffell), B Vunipola 

SCORERS:

Bath (17):  Tries: De Glanville, Ellis, Muir; Conv: Cipriani

Saracens (71):  Tries: Itoje, Malins (3) George (2), Earl, Mawi, Segun, Morris; Conv: Farrell (8), Goode; Pen: Farrell

Referee: Jack Makepeace