Bath Rugby and Saracens served up a magnificent spectacle for a capacity crowd at the StoneX Stadium and the legions of fans watching on both subscription and freeview television.
Bath Rugby will return to The Rec on Saturday 6th December following victory in a magnificent match at Saracens on Sunday 30th November | Photo © Richard Briggs
In what could easily end up being the most thrilling game of the Blue, Black & White’s Gallagher PREM campaign, Johann van Graan’s side found themselves under the cosh for much of the first half.
They faced 14-0 and 22-10 deficits, turned around only five points down and blitzed their hosts in the second period to emerge 36-29 winners on Sunday 30th November.
With the teams gaining almost 1,100 metres between them, it was a great way for the PREM’s Round 6 weekend to end – and the result lifted Bath three points clear at the top of the table as the league goes into another break while the Investec Champions Cup takes centre stage.
Sarries shaded possession 52% to 48% but each side had 50% of the territory. The hosts gained 509 metres but Bath managed 551 on an afternoon when both teams secured a try-scoring bonus point, Bath touching down five times and Saracens doing so on four occasions.
On the artificial pitch in Hendon, North London, Saracens opened the scoring in the third minute, Max Malins going over on the left after receiving a pass from Lucio Cinti 22 metres out. Owen Farrell converted.
The situation became even better for the home side in the 14th minute, when they added their second try. Juan Martin Gonzalez crossed from short range on the right, Farrell booted the extras and Sarries led 14-0, bringing back memories of Bath’s early 12-0 deficit across the capital – at Harlequins – in Round 1 two months earlier. But as at Twickenham Stoop Stadium, the Blue, Black & White ended up with the spoils.
Bath’s first points came when Finn Russell landed an 18-metre penalty from in front of the posts in the 18th minute.
And the arrears were cut to only four points when, almost immediately, Henry Arundell intercepted a Saracens pass just short of his own 22, dashed 80 metres down the left and crossed for a score that Russell converted.
Sarries could feel rightly disappointed that their deserved advantage had almost evaporated. But they gave themselves some more daylight when, following a spell of heavy pressure, Malins touched down from five metres on the left in the 33rd minute. Farrell’s conversion attempt went wide – but he made amends by booting a 40-metre drop goal in the 36th minute to leave the home side 22-10 up.
However, like at Harlequins in September, Bath went a long way to wiping out the deficit by scoring a converted try just before the interval. This time it came courtesy of Thomas du Toit, who pounced to score from a rolling maul on the right, and Russell’s success from the tee, ensuring the visitors were only 22-17 down.
Bath produced some scintillating rugby in the third quarter to go 29-22 in front.
They tied the scores when Will Butt touched down on the left from five metres in the 49th minute after a tap penalty, Russell’s conversion kick sailing just wide of the right post.
And in the 53rd minute the guests took the lead for the first time. Arundell chipped the ball to ex-Saracens star Ben Spencer who was brought down just short of the line. But Arthur Green was in support and he crossed under the posts, Russell slotting over the two points to see Bath leading by seven.
Sarries were by no means finished. And on the hour, Noah Caluori got on to a high ball to seemingly score in the right corner. But after a long delay for the television match official to review matters, the try was disallowed following a knock on in the build-up.
But with Russell having been offside, the hosts had a penalty – and they made it count, pressure on the Bath line resulting in Gonzalez going over from close range on the right and Farrell converting to see matters level again in the 62nd minute.
Van Graan quickly made seven changes to his XV to give Bath plenty of fresh legs.
But Elliot Daly had a chance to edge Saracens back in front in the 73rd minute, only for his 50-metre penalty from in front of the posts to sail wide of the left stick.
And Bath won the game with a superb try three minutes later. Replacement Max Ojomoh made a great run on the left and offloaded to Arundell who scored in the corner. Russell converted and the Blue, Black & White had proved once again that they should never be written off.
Bath starting XV: 1 Beno Obano, 2 Tom Dunn, 3 Thomas du Toit, 4 Quinn Roux, 5 Charlie Ewels, 6 Josh Bayliss, 7 Miles Reid, 8 Arthur Green, 9 Ben Spencer, 10 Finn Russell, 11 Henry Arundell, 12 Will Butt, 13 Chris Harris, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 15 Tom de Glanville.
Bath replacements: 16 Dan Frost, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Ross Molony, 20 Ted Hill, 21 Tom Carr-Smith, 22 Max Ojomoh, 23 Cameron Redpath.
Saracens starting XV: 1 Rhys Carre, 2 Theo Dan, 3 Marco Riccioni, 4 Theo McFarland, 5 Hugh Tizard, 6 Juan Martin Gonzalez, 7 Ben Earl, 8 Tom Willis, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 10 Owen Farrell, 11 Max Malins, 12 Nick Tompkins, 13 Lucio Cinti, 14 Noah Caluori, 15 Elliot Daly.
Saracens replacements: 16 James Hadfield, 17 Eroni Mawi, 18 Marcus Street, 19 Harry Wilson, 20 Nick Isiekwe, 21 Charlie Bracken, 22 Fergus Burke, 23 Angus Hall.
Gallagher PREM Round 7 should – on paper at least – see Bath clock up another five points as they will visit winless Newcastle Red Bulls on Sunday 21st December.
But prior to that for the Blue, Black & White are two massive fixtures in the Investec Champions Cup – against Ireland’s Munster, van Graan’s former club, at The Rec on Saturday 6th December and away to French side Toulon on Sunday 14th December.
