MATCH REPORT | Bristol Bears 26 - 41 Saracens Men (PREM R15)
Saracens held on to secure a vital five point victory after a thrilling contest at Ashton Gate. The Original Club of North London claimed a first half bonus point before surviving a tense final quarter in Bristol.
The game started at a relentless pace, with Bristol applying pressure early on. After Tom Jordan launched a difficult high ball into the Saracens backfield, the Bears capitalised on loose possession with a break deep into the Sarries 22. It did not take long for captain Fitz Harding to power over under the posts for the opening try inside three minutes.
A clever break from Olly Hartley immediately after the restart put Saracens back on the front foot, and a penalty soon followed in front of the posts which Fergus Burke converted to get the visitors on the board.
Repeated infringements from the home side gave Sarries the platform to strike again shortly after. Following a strong catch and drive deep inside the Bears 22, Tom Willis eventually forced his way over to put the North Londoners ahead.
Hugh Tizard was next to score after spotting a gap just inside the Bristol half. The second row powered over a few phases later as Saracens began to turn up the intensity.
Bristol responded well, earning a penalty that took them deep into the Saracens 22. From there, Harry Thacker broke away from a dominant driving maul to score unopposed.
Burke, who impressed throughout, helped create Saracens next try. His dummy from the line out opened up space for the fly half to surge through before offloading to Rotimi Segun, who crossed with ease.
Olly Hartley then produced a sharp step back inside to expose another gap in the Bristol defence before finding Max Malins in support. Malins flicked the ball inside to Ben Earl, who raced over for the bonus point score inside the opening 30 minutes.
Bristol hit back once again through Matias Moroni, who dived over to keep the hosts within touching distance heading into the closing stages of the half. However, Saracens had the final word before the break. Excellent handling from Jamie George close to the Bristol line created the opportunity for Burke to crash over in the corner for a deserved try.
The second half started brightly for the visitors, with Charlie Bracken nearly setting up Nick Tompkins in the opening five minutes before a smart interception from Moroni inside the 22 halted the attack.
The game then entered a period of stalemate, with neither side able to add to the scoreboard during the third quarter. However, a yellow card for Theo McFarland gave Bristol the opening they needed. After sustained pressure near the line, Van Rensburg produced a clever cross field kick for Ravouvou to finish in the corner. Maro Itoje was also shown a yellow card for an earlier infringement, compounding Saracens problems.
Ravouvou thought he had a second moments later, but the try was ruled out following a knock on in the build up. Saracens then managed to regain control, with Ravouvou himself sent to the sin bin for a challenge on Noah Caluori in the air.
Tobias Elliott eventually provided the decisive moment, intercepting a speculative Harry Randall pass on his own line before sprinting clear to score.
Saracens now return home for two huge play off deciding fixtures, beginning with Gloucester in seven days time. Tickets are available now for the clash in North London.
