Bath go top with thrilling late win at Saracens

Henry Arundell's second try of the match proved the winner for Bath

The Prem

Saracens (22) 29

Tries: Malins 2, Gonzalez 2 Cons: Farrell 3 Drop-goal: Farrell

Bath (17) 36

Tries: Arundell 2, Du Toit, Butt, Green Cons: Russell 4 Pens: Russell

Henry Arundell's late try edged a statement win for Bath at Saracens as the visitors moved top of The Prem.

The reigning champions scored 19 unanswered points as they came from behind to seal a victory that puts them three points clear after six games and leaves Saracens sixth.

Two tries from Max Malins either side of one from Juan Martin Gonzalez gave the hosts a five point lead at the break, with Arundell and Thomas du Toit responding for Bath.

Scores from Will Butt and Arthur Green gave the visitors the lead for the first time in the match before Gonzalez's second teed up a grandstand finish at 29-29.

But Arundell wrapped up the points with less than four minutes left on the clock.

Arthur Green was one of four Bath try scorers in a captivating win at StoneX Stadium

The home side made an excellent start to the match and led inside three minutes, with Lucio Cinti and Malins combining on the left after a nice pass from Elliot Daly, who was making his first club appearance of the season.

Bath struggled to get in the game and found themselves 14-0 down when Gonzalez finished off at the line after a fine Owen Farrell pass found Ben Earl to break through to set up the try.

But in a flash the lead was cut to four as Finn Russell's penalty was followed up immediately by Arundell stepping inside to intercept and sprint home all the way from his own 22.

Sarries lost Tom Willis to a hip injury on 20 minutes and Mark McCall was forced to send on Nick Isiekwe, with Earl moving from flanker to number eight.

Malins scored his second when Daly found him in all kinds of space after Theo Dun had gotten to the line, with Farrell kicking a drop-goal shortly after to open a 22-10 lead.

But Bath got their second try as Du Toit drove over in the corner at the back of the maul to close the gap to five at the break.

Juan Martin Gonzalez scored two of Saracens' four tries

Butt dived over into the corner from a tap-and-go on the line after Bath had won the penalty, with Russell missing the conversion attempt that would have given them the lead for the first time in the match.

They had their lead minutes later as Russell started off a move before he launched a long pass out wide, with Arundell kicking to put Ben Spencer through and Green applying the finish to secure their fourth try and a bonus point.

Saracens winger Noah Caluori had a try disallowed for a knock-on by Eroni Mawi but the hosts were awarded a penalty for offside against Russell, with Gonzalez eventually diving over the line after relentless pressure as they responded to Bath's 19 unanswered scored points.

Farrell converted to level the score at 29-29 with less than 20 minutes remaining and Bath rolling the dice and bringing on all seven substitutes at once.

Daly missed with a trademark long penalty attempt with seven minutes to go and with the match heading for a thrilling finale, Max Ojomoh showed all his acceleration to power forward and offload to Arundell and seal a big win.

'Our impacts made a big difference' - Van Graan

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall said:

"We played some really good rugby in the first-half, but at 14-0 ahead we conceded 10 soft points and we were 22-10 up and conceded softly after that as well.

"You just can't afford to do that against a team like Bath. Overall we went toe to toe with a really good team, but there were some small lapses of concentration which hurt us."

On Tom Willis' injury: "You don't want to lose someone who's been playing as well as him."

Bath director of rugby Johann van Graan told BBC Radio Bristol:

"They started fast, we came back just before half-time. [The message was] stick to our process as we always do, as we said before the start it wasn't going to be perfect tonight.

"Firstly they're a very good side and they showed that again. And then the second part is you've just got to keep a cool head and be us, and I thought we were us in that second half.

"Once it became 22-22 it became an impact game and our impacts made a big difference again in that last 20 [minutes]."

"A good team effort. Bay [Josh Bayliss] - every time he's started for us this season he's done realty well. And Arthur [Green], this was the biggest game for him yet and he did really well."

On Henry Arundell: "He's developed so much. There's a lot made about his aerial [ability] and today put it to bed.

Saracens: Daly; Caluori, Cinti, Tompkins, Malins; Farrell, Van Zyl; Carre, Dan, Riccioni, McFarland, Tizard, Gonzalez, Earl, Willis

Replacements: Hadfield, Mawi, Street, Wilson, Isiekwe, C Bracken, Burke, Hall

Bath: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Harris, Butt, Arundell; Russell, Spencer; Obano, Dunn, Du Toit, Roux, Ewels, Bayliss, Reid, Green

Replacements: Frost, Van Wyk, Stuart, Molony, Hill, Carr-Smith, Ojomoh, Redpath

Referee: Christope Ridley