Premiership: Bristol 10-25 Saracens - Leaders grind out eighth straight win

Max Malins scored his eighth try of the season for Saracens

Saracens overcame Bristol 25-10 in an attritional contest to extend their perfect Premiership start with an eighth straight win.

Max Malins lit up a dour first half with a super try before two penalties from Alex Goode gave Sarries a 13-0 lead at the break.

Goode added two more penalties before Harry Thacker drove over to get Bristol up and running.

Two more kicks took Goode to 20 points before Jono Benz-Salomon's consolation.

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It was only the second time this season that Saracens failed to claim a try bonus-point, but it was more than enough to beat a below-par Bears and restore their 10-point cushion to second-placed Sale.

A pre-match downpour and a host of changes may have hindered both sides as the opening half-hour saw plenty of kicking tennis, but very little rugby and no opportunities for points.

Missing a big contingent on international duty, Saracens made five changes, while centre Joe Jenkins became Bristol's youngest-ever Premiership starter, making his debut alongside fellow academy player Deago Bailey.

A backs-to-the-wall Bears defence held out Sarries on their own line as a game finally broke out, before a moment of brilliance put the visitors ahead after 33 minutes.

Spotting space, Malins chipped a kick behind the Bristol defence, chased it down and kicked ahead before outpacing the chasers for his eighth Premiership try of the season.

Having barely got out of first gear, the Saracens lead began to grow ominously, courtesy of Goode's boot, against an uncharacteristically defensive display from Bears.

Goode completed a hat-trick of penalties early in the second half, via both posts, and pressure from Sarries pack at the scrum gave him a fourth shot at goal.

The home fans were finally given something to cheer when Thacker drove over from a maul for his third try in two games, moments after having a try chalked off for crossing.

But Sarries continued to grind and Goode completed a perfect evening off the tee with two more penalties.

The visitors had kept Bristol out of good attacking field position, but had the final word when Benz-Salomon went over from close-range.

Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam told BBC Radio Bristol:

"We're disappointed we lost, but we knew with the conditions, playing Saracens that we had to play a certain style, similar to when we beat them before, so there was a lot more kicking, we needed a lot more effort off the ball which I got.

"I was really pleased with the effort, but ultimately it's going to come down to little margins and Max does a Max Malins thing and then we gave two penalties straightaway. Suddenly we go from 0-0 with nine minutes to go to 13-0.

"We talked at half-time, 'don't get bored, stay patient and we're going to have to get the little things right', whether it's the quality of the breakdown, our lifting, our lineouts, scrums.

"Unfortunately we've come down on the wrong side of a high penalty count of 15-5 or 15-6."

Saracens lock Callum Hunter-Hill:

"If you were a spectator then I expect you thought that the game wasn't very pretty.

"The weather was tough as it was really miserable out there and a bit of a culture shock as we expected it to clear up.

"It was still hammering down when we went out and they kept us waiting in the rain for the kick-off, which didn't help.

"However, I thought we were pretty dominant throughout with our front row really stepping up to the mark for us, and they won us the game."

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Bristol: Morahan, Bailey, Jenkins, Bedlow, Ibitoye, Sheedy, Porter; Thomas, Byrne, Tyack, Holmes, Batley, Bradbury, Heenan, Harding.

Replacements: Thacker, Woolmore, Benz-Salomon, Hawkins, Thomas, Uren, Lloyd, Bates.

Saracens: Malins, Lewington, Daly, Lozowski, Maitland, Goode, van Zyl, Hislop, Dan, Riccioni, Hunter-Hill, Tizard, Christie, Earl, Wray.

Replacements: Lewis, Flynn, Clarey, Kitchener, Knight, Simpson, Hallett, Howe.

Referee: Jack Makepeace (RFU).