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This was definitely not Saracens’ performance of the season. It was, however, their best and most significant win. Forget the home victory against Toulouse or their history of nine straight wins against Bristol. This was effectively knockout rugby, do or die. Going into the match, Saracens knew nothing but four wins would do if they are to send Mark McCall to the Prem play-offs in his farewell season at the club he has served so superbly.
It was the win of the season because Bristol, until Saturday, had been unbeatable at Ashton Gate with six wins and 28 points picked up from six matches. Their only “home” defeat in the Prem was incurred at the Principality Stadium in Wales against lowly Harlequins. How the decision to take a game to the Welsh capital, for a few dollars more, could rebound come the end of the regular season.
The England captain Itoje was influential for SaracensDan Istitene/Getty Images
Bristol made their typical fast start at Ashton Gate. A fumbled high ball by Max Malins, a surge from Benhard Janse van Rensburg and the captain Fitz Harding forged over for the first try inside three minutes. Saracens’ response was immediate, ending in a penalty goal as the game settled down.
Playing at No12, outside fly half Tom Jordan, Janse van Rensburg quickly revealed the full repertoire of his attacking game. The sooner he is English qualified the better for Steve Borthwick (although the straight lines of Olly Hartley also caught the eye), who was present in Bristol. How England’s head coach must have hated the avalanche of first-half tries. Bristol missed 26 tackles in the first half. It wasn’t my cup of tea either.
Borthwick would have appreciated the patience of an 18th-minute Saracens lineout drive that the Bordeaux Bègles-bound Tom Willis converted into a try, followed almost immediately by another, this time Hugh Tizard the finisher. It is no exaggeration to say the try was inconceivable without a towering Noah Caluori catch.
Saracens’ eight-point lead was then trimmed to one; this time the home lineout drive was too much for McCall’s men as Harry Thacker darted over for the fourth try of the match in 25 minutes. Then Bristol decided not to defend as Saracens ran through a non-existent rearguard with Rotimi Segun and Ben Earl in support to score. Six tries and a 15-point Saracens lead didn’t last as Matias Moroni powered over.
Thacker’s try after 25 minutes was the fourth of the match in a frantic startBob Bradford – CameraSport via Getty Images
Seven tries in 33 minutes. There’s more to England’s dearth of Champions Cup winners in recent years than French financial power. Our clubs have forgotten how to tackle, no matter how sublime Jamie George’s slipped pass was, which resulted in Saracens fifth try and a 34-21 advantage at half-time.
Bristol upped the ante when they introduced Harry Randall at scrum half early in the second half, but Saracens were trying to take the hot air out of the game with Charlie Bracken, the Saracens No9, chipping kicks back into the corner where Bristol were struggling to unleash their attacking game.
Caluori, the Prem’s leading tryscorer, failed to get on the scoresheet — but six of his team-mates did the damage for the visiting sideDan Istitene/Getty Images
There were tackles made, territory sought, rugby from a less exciting but most familiar era from Saracens’ point of view. Theo McFarland was shown a yellow card at a close-range lineout but Saracens, with Maro Itoje influential, defended well. One particular penalty-winning 65th-minute tackle on the buzzing Randall had the Saracens management off their seats. Here was a man who has mastered the darker arts.
Moroni stretched over for Bristol’s third tryBob Bradford – CameraSport via Getty Images
The absence of any second-half tries as the game reached 70 minutes was testimony to Saracens’ ability to slow down Bristol and tighten up the game. Saracens showed the cynical side all great teams require.
In the end, Saracens were sucked infield and Janse van Rensburg weighted a cross-kick into the arms of Kalaveti Ravouvou. Itoje was sent to the sin-bin for more cynicism but the punishment could have been worse as the missed conversion kept the home side a crucial eight points adrift.
The match was ended as a contest with an intercept try from Tobias Elliott. It wasn’t a great performance but it was one hell of a win as Bristol’s hopes dipped and Saracens’ rose.
Scoring: Bristol Bears: Tries Harding (2min), Thacker (24), Moroni (32), Ravouvou (72). Cons Jordan 3. Saracens: Tries Willis (17), Tizard (19), Segun (26), Earl (29), Burke (36), Elliott (78). Cons Burke 3, Farrell. Pen Burke.
Bristol Bears N Heward; K Ravouvou (sin-bin 77), M Moroni, B Janse van Rensburg, G Ibitoye (J Bates 42); T Jordan, K Marmion (H Randall 51); E Genge (J Woolmore 56), H Thacker (T Gwilliam 56), G Kloska (M Lahiff 56), J Dun, J Batley, J Owen, F Harding, S Grondona.
Saracens M Malins; N Caluori, N Tompkins, O Hartley, R Segun (T Elliott 54); F Burke (O Farrell 54), C Bracken; E Mawi, J George (T Dan 54), M Street (A Clarey 39), M Itoje (sin-bin 73), H Tizard (T McFarland 57; sin-bin 62), N Isiekwe, B Earl, T Willis.