1 day ago
5
Gallagher Premiership
Bath (28) 68
Tries: Penalty, Du Toit, Redpath, Muir 3, Cokanasiga 2, Underhill, Lawrence Cons: Russell 8
Saracens (3) 10
Try: Pifeleti Con: Burke Pen: Burke
Bath opened a five-point gap at the top of the Premiership with a crushing 10-try victory against 14-man Saracens at the Recreation Ground.
The hosts were awarded an early penalty try, before Sarries saw flanker Toby Knight sent off for a high tackle on 14 minutes and gradually crumbled.
Will Muir then scored a hat-trick, alongside two from Joe Cokanasiga, as Bath did not relent to clinch a record Premiership victory against Saracens.
Thomas du Toit, Cameron Redpath, Sam Underhill and Ollie Lawrence also got on the scoreboard for Bath as they contained Saracens to just one try from Kapeli Pifeleti.
Bath have now won their past six Premiership matches and move 10 points clear of their opponents in fourth and five clear of second-placed Bristol to underline their credentials as title contenders at the halfway point of the campaign.
Defeat for Saracens is their third in five games away from home this season and the Londoners' trip to the Rec was compounded by a squad quickly knocked out of shape through injuries and indiscipline.
Within minutes, Bath's Alfie Barbeary chased his own kick to leave Saracens' defence scrambling and ceding possession within a sniff of their own line.
Russell eventually launched a pinpoint cross-field kick towards Joe Cokanasiga in the corner as the waves of Bath pressure continued, and with Saracens full-back Williams beaten in the air he knocked the ball into touch and was shown a yellow, with a penalty try awarded to the hosts.
Saracens woes continued as flanker Theo McFarland and winger Tobias Elliott hobbled off injured to force them into more early changes, and they saw a Ben Earl try scratched off due to Gareth Simpson's final pass going forward.
But the turning point came only 14 minutes in when flanker Knight was shown a straight red for a shoulder to head tackle on Ollie Lawrence.
Bath scored their second try immediately from the restart following three carries capped off by Du Toit, who powered over under the posts.
Burke kicked a penalty at the other end to put Saracens on the board, yet after another penalty went against them and Bath kicked to the corner, when the ball recycled wide Finn Russell's split-second delay before passing to compatriot Redpath opened a gap for the centre to dart over.
Muir added the bonus point before half-time, as Ben Spencer ran down the blindside from a scrum to catch Saracens unawares before passing to the winger to sprint over a tackle into the corner.
Bath were at their relentless best and a stylish behind the back pass from Lawrence set up Cokanasiga, who had acres of space to run into in the corner.
Muir then claimed their sixth, galloping again into the corner and after boss Johann van Graan rang the changes Underhill weaved left and right and stretched over for a seventh.
Saracens did eventually get over the Bath tryline on 66 minutes through Pifeleti but it was little consolation on an afternoon to forget for the visitors.
The win was sealed but Bath still had plenty in the tank as the clock ran down, as they charged down a kick and Lawrence chased it for an eighth, Muir clinched his hat-trick and Cokanasiga added a 10th try all within the final eight minutes to end Bath's 2024 on a soaring high.
Bath: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Redpath, Muir; Russell, Spencer (c); Obano, Dunn, Du Toit, Roux, Ewels, Hill, Pepper, Barbeary.
Replacements: Annett, Van Wyk, Stuart, Molony, Underhill, Schreuder, Ojomoh, Reid.
Saracens: Williams; Elliott, Lozowski, Hartley, Segun; Burke, Simpson; Brantingham, Dan, Balmain, Itoje (c), Isiekwe, McFarland, Knight, Earl.
Replacements: Pifeleti, Mawi, Clarey, Wilson, Michelow, Van Zyl, Spink, Hall.
Sin bin: Liam Williams (4 mins)
Red card: Toby Knight (14 mins)
Referee: Karl Dickson
