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Max Malins scored two tries as Saracens won their third game in a row in the Gallagher Premiership by narrowly defeating Bristol Bears 27-23 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The first rugby game at the venue was also the first game in four months after injuries to both ankles for Saracens and England captain Owen Farrell and he kicked twelve points before being forced off with a knock to the head after 70 minutes.
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The result did not come without a dramatic finish, however, as Bristol winger Jack Bates had what seemed a winning try disallowed in the dying stages. Bristol opened the scoring with just over three minutes gone when the forwards moved them to within metres of the line before Harry Randall’s pass allowed Antoine Frisch to charge through the middle to score.
Tiff Eden’s conversion was simple, but Saracens soon levelled, with a long pass by Farrell bouncing nicely for Ben Earl, who then sent Malins clear to score in the corner, with Farrell converting superbly from the touchline.
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The Bears then went ahead for a second time after an overthrown Sarries line-out when Eden’s lovely offload put Frisch into space and his pass sent Piers O’Conor scampering away down the left. Farrell then nudged Sarries ahead with two penalties in the space of five minutes, but Eden quickly ensured the Bears regained their advantage again with a kick of his own.
That lead was extended in the 37th minute when Eden gathered an overthrown Bristol line-out and send Frisch on a run that took him to within a metre of the line, with Eden following up to score off his offload.
Eden could not convert, however, and this proved important as Saracens levelled off the final play of a terrific first half. The ball went through the hands of Farrell and Alex Goode before Alex Lozowski burst away down the left before timing his pass to allow Elliot Daly to jink past the last defender, and Farrell converted well again.
That left things tied at 20-20 at half-time, but it did not take Saracens long to hit the front after the restart as Goode passed to Malins and the winger shrugged off an attempted tackle to score his second try.
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Sarries thought they had their bonus-point score when Nick Tompkins went through from Farrell’s offload but the ‘try’ was ruled out by a Billy Vunipola knock-on in the build-up. Replacement fly-half Callum Sheedy then pulled Bristol back to within four points with a penalty, following Farrell’s no-arms tackle on O’Conor.
The Bears looked to have snatched victory in the last minute when captain Joe Joyce went on a fantastic run before putting Bates in the clear, but the pass to him went forward and Saracens held on, just.
