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Recap: Bath vs Saracens LIVE | Gallagher Premiership

Bath applaud Saracens off the pitch last March when the clubs last met at the Rec in the Premiership (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)

Follow all the action on the RugbyPass live blog from the Gallagher Premiership match between Bath and Saracens at the Rec.

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Keep up to date with the latest score, stats and join the conversation from anywhere in the world in our Live Match Centre (click here).

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall maintains there is a “good buzz in the group” as they continue their battle for Premiership survival after accepting a 35-point deduction and £5.36m fine for breaching salary cap regulations.

Despite returning to domestic action 26 points adrift of safety, and to a venue where they last won in 2016, McCall insists no-one is sitting around feeling sorry for themselves.

Sarries will be bolstered by the availability of a full England contingent. Having sat out the 44-3 Heineken Champions Cup victory over the Ospreys, national team captain Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje and Billy Vunipola have all been named in the starting XV.

(Continue reading below…)

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“Bath’s last couple of performances at the Rec have been good. They beat Northampton in their last game and played well against Ulster in a close game,” McCall said. “It will be a tough place for us to go, but there’s a good buzz in the group.”

McCall feels there are plenty of reasons to be positive for the challenges ahead. “On the field, this year has gone really well,” he said.

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“If the table was different we would be third with 13 points from the four games with a bucket load of players who couldn’t play because they were at the World Cup or senior players like Brad Barritt, Alex Goode and Michael Rhodes who were all injured.

“For us to win three out of four, and two away wins with that young side at Welford Road and Kingsholm, was fantastic. There are a lot of people who have been forced in there because of the injuries, like young Manu Vunipola.

“The seven weeks have gone really well and a lot of them know we are going to rotate extensively, so they are going to get perhaps more playing opportunities than they would have otherwise got.”

Bath will be out to produce a response following successive European defeats, beaten at Harlequins having been just edged out by Ulster. England winger Anthony Watson is expected to be out until the end of the year because of a knee injury picked up against Quins.

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Club captain Charlie Ewels, though, suffered more severe torn ligament damage during the game at Twickenham Stoop, and he could yet need surgery. Levi Davis has now rejoined the group after his stint on The X Factor: Celebrity came to an end.

Bath director of rugby Stuart Hooper feels everyone will be fully focused on the job in hand, with Francois Louw set to lead the team out. “Anything that is going on around the game, different motivations, whatever, will be irrelevant to those on the field,” Hooper said at a press conference.

“As a player, you have a huge focus on the moment in front of you and your ability to win that moment. Saracens will be doing that to us and we will be trying to do that to them.”

WATCH: Going Pro, the RugbyPass documentary on Saracens Women’s rugby team as they defend their Premiership title

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O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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