Bath beat Saracens 21-11 in a cracking Friday night Premiership tussle
Last Updated: 04/10/14 8:52am
Saracens’ 100 per-cent start to the Aviva Premiership season came to an end as Bath ran out 21-11 winners after a thrilling tussle at the Recreation Ground.
Bath have been in fine form themselves and bounced back from last week’s defeat to Northampton with a fine display, highlighted by a sensational second-half Kyle Eastmond try.
It was a first win over Saracens since 2010 for the hosts and took them to the top of the Premiership table.
Saracens had a chance to take an early lead but Charlie Hodgson hit the post with a penalty and Bath then broke the deadlock with the game’s first score in the 12th-minute.
The visitors made a terrible mess of dealing with a high kick from George Ford, allowing it to bounce and then fumbling it to Eastmond, who sent Jonathan Joseph racing over, with Ford adding the conversion.
Hodgson then got Saracens on the board with a penalty after a scrum collapsed and Ford hit the post with a three-point attempt at the other end before putting another one wide.
He eventually managed to make it 10-3 but Hodgson got Saracens back within four points after Bath dived in at a ruck.
Saracens then launched a fine counter-attack and might well have scored if Rob Webber had not intercepted a Hodgson pass.
But Bath produced a fine attack of their own just before half-time and Ford made it 13-6 at the interval with a penalty after Chris Ashton was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on.
The second-half began in breathless fashion, with Joseph well tackled by Sarries just short of the line after a break by Semesa Rokoduguni.
And Bath then scored a try to savour eight minutes after the break, following a scintillating attack from deep within their own half instigated by Ford.
Alafoti Fa'osiliva went on to make important ground and the impressive Joseph then charged down the left before passing inside for Eastmond to touch down.
Up against it 18-6 down, Saracens failed to cut their deficit when Alex Goode became the third kicker of the night to hit a post with a penalty.
But they managed a fine try in the 58th minute, battering their way through the phases in a sustained attack which ended when Chris Wyles powered his way over the line, taking a pair of defenders with him.
However, Ford was able to extend the Bath lead to 21-11 when Sarries were penalised for pulling a jumper down at a line-out.
Saracens tried to respond in the closing stages but Micky Young made a crucial clearance for the hosts and the game was up for Sarries when they allowed the ball to go loose in the Bath half on their next attack.