Defiant Saracens reaffirm their status as Premiership favorites after beating Bristol

Billy Vunipola’s cameo arrived late on and, fittingly, Saracens finished the game on the back foot, Alex Goode denying Bristol with a last-gasp tackle on Noah Heward. Do Saracens have the pedigree to hold off the promising contenders and win another premiership? They sure love this kind of pregnancy.

Match details

The score: 5-0 try Batley, conversion 7-0 MacGinty, penalty 10-0 MacGinty, penalty 10-3 Farrell, penalty 13-3 MacGinty, 13-8 try Itoje, conversion 13-10 Farrell, penalty Daly 13-13, 13- 18 try Itoje, conversion 13-20 Daly, penalty 13-23 Daly, penalty Daly 13-26, try 18-26 Thacker, conversion 20-26 Williams, penalty Daly 20-29, 20-34 try Segun, 20-39 González try, 20-41 Daly Conversion
Pause: Bristol Bears 13 Saracens 23
Bristol Bears: M Malins; S Naulago (N Heward, 72), B Janse van Rensburg, J Williams, G Ibitoye; AJ MacGinty (Vakatawa, 48), H Randall (K Marmion, 60); E Genge (J Woolmore, 68), G Oghre (H Thacker, 53), K Sinckler (M Lahiff, 64), J Dun (J Caulfield, 57), J Batley, S Luatua, F Harding, M Bradbury
Unused Substitute: J Heenan
Saracens: It’s Daly; R Segun (A Goode, 76), L Cinti, N Tompkins, T Parton; O Farrell, I van Zyl (A Davies, 68); M Vunipola (E Mawi, 54), J George (T Dan, 54), M Riccioni (O Hoskins, 54), M Itoje (T McFarland, 61, H Tizard (N Isiekwe, 54), J Martín González, B Earl , T Willis (B Vunipola, 70)
Referee: Mr K Dickson
Yellow cards: Naulago 14; Itoje 51; Count 52