Bath beat Saracens 31-22 In Champions Cup
Joe Cokanasiga was one of the try scorer for Bath
©Steve Haag
Bath 31-22 Saracens, The Rec
Bath booked their place in the Investec Champions Cup quarter-finals with a 31-22 victory over Saracens after a fierce and dramatic contest at The Rec.
Saracens led 10-0 at halftime and looked in control for long stretches of the opening period, but Bath produced a powerful second-half turnaround to knock them out of Europe and keep their own campaign alive.
The first half was physical, tight and full of defensive intensity. Bath had early pressure but could not turn it into points as Saracens’ line held firm under repeated pressure.
It was Saracens who struck first when Charlie Bracken broke from the base of a scrum and ran in untouched, with Owen Farrell adding the conversion.
Farrell later kicked a penalty to extend the lead as the visitors took a 10-0 advantage into the break. Guy Pepper was also shown a yellow card in the first half after diving into a ruck, adding to Bath’s frustrations before halftime.
Bath Hit Back Early In The Second Half
Bath came out with far greater urgency after the restart and quickly changed the mood of the game. Henry Arundell sliced through the Saracens defence for Bath’s opening try, with Finn Russell converting to cut the deficit to three points.
The home side kept pushing and found another breakthrough through Joe Cokanasiga, who finished after a sharp broken-play move despite Bath having earlier lost Beno Obano to a yellow card.
Bath then produced one of the key moments of the match. After surviving intense pressure near their own line, they turned the ball over and launched a counterattack that went the length of the field, ending with Ben Spencer scoring.
That gave Bath real momentum, but Saracens stayed alive when Max Malins crossed in the corner to keep the gap tight.
Late Tries Keep The Match Alive
The contest remained on edge entering the closing stages. Ollie Lawrence crashed over from close range for Bath, but Saracens responded almost immediately through Noah Caluori, whose try cut the deficit and kept the visitors within striking distance. With windy conditions making exits difficult and the match still in the balance, Saracens pushed hard for one final opening.
Bath had the final word. On the 80th minute, Arundell finished in the corner for his second try of the afternoon, sealing a 31-22 victory and sending Bath through to the quarter-finals.
