Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Rampant Bath blow away 14-man Saracens

BATH, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 28: Will Muir of Bath celebrates with team-mates after scoring a try during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between Bath Rugby and Saracens at Recreation Ground on December 28, 2024 in Bath, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

Bath will take a five-point lead at the top of the Gallagher Premiership into 2025 after inflicting a record 68-10 defeat on Saracens at a raucous Recreation Ground.

ADVERTISEMENT

Johann van Graan’s side were aided and abetted by a red card to Toby Knight and injuries to fellow flanker Theo McFarland and Tobias Elliott and the concession of a penalty try and a yellow card to Liam Williams – all inside the first 15 minutes – but they were ruthless in making the visitors pay.

Will Muir ran in a hat-trick and fellow winger Joe Cokanasiga scored a brace in a rampant display of finishing, which brought tries for four other players – Thomas du Toit, Cam Redpath, Sam Underhill and Ollie Lawrence.

It only took five minutes for Bath to register their first points when Finn Russell’s pinpoint crossfield kick, which was heading into the arms of Cokanasiga, was batted into touch by Williams. Referee Karl Dickson decided that a try would have otherwise been scored and awarded Bath a penalty try, whilst also sin-binning full-back Williams.

Shortly before Williams’ time on the sidelines had expired, Saracens lost Knight permanently, the openside making contact to the head of Ollie Lawrence, with force, to leave Dickson with no option but to send the openside from the field of play.

Ted Hill, <a href=
Tom Dunn, Bath Rugby, Saracens” width=”3633″ height=”2047″ /> BATH, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 28: Bath Rugby’s Ted Hill in action during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between Bath Rugby and Saracens at Recreation Ground on December 28, 2024 in Bath, England. (Photo by Bob Bradford – CameraSport via Getty Images)

Monstrous carries by Lawrence and Ted Hill put Bath five metres away from the Saracens try line once play resumed before Ben Spencer chose the perfect pass, as he did for the whole hour he was on the pitch against his former club, for du Toit to power over.

ADVERTISEMENT

A Fergus Burke penalty finally put Saracens on the board but that would remain their only points until replacement prop Kapeli Pifeleti charged through a weak Will Stuart tackle to score a consolation try with 14 minutes to go.

In between those scores, it was all Bath, with Spencer and Russell dovetailing perfectly as the half-back combination. Redpath cruised under the posts for try number three on 23 minutes after the forwards had done the hard yards before Muir finished off Spencer’s blindside run by galloping home from 30 metres.

22m Entries

Avg. Points Scored
4.5
15
Entries
Avg. Points Scored
1.2
8
Entries

Bath had the try bonus point in the bag by half-time and they continued where they left off in the second period, with Cokanasiga benefitting from Lawrence’s balanced running and wonderful sleight of hand for the fifth try of the match.

Muir collected his second and then Underhill reached out and scored shortly after coming on after good build-up play by back-row colleague Miles Reid.

ADVERTISEMENT

Pifeleti’s try didn’t dampen the mood and Bath finished the match in rousing fashion with Lawrence scoring a well-deserved try of his own and Muir getting his hat-trick in a frantic finale to a match that served further notice to the rest of the Premiership about Bath’s strength in depth.

Saracens ended the afternoon reeling from the worst reversal in their Premiership history, surpassing a 65-10 loss to Exeter in October 2023.

Related

Top 100

Rugby’s best of the best, ranked by experts. Check out our list of the Top 100 Men's Rugby Players and let us know what you think! 



ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

England A vs Ireland A

Boks Office | Episode 35 | Six Nations Round 2 Review

O2 Inside Line: This Rose | Episode 3 | France Week

Second round of the Men's Six Nations | Whistle Watch

Harlequins vs Bristol Bears | PWR 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Yokohama Canon Eagles vs Saitama Wildknights | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

The Dupont Ploy: How France went from underdogs to Olympic gods | The Report

Former rugby player is truly an NFL superstar | Walk the Talk | Jordan Mailata

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

H
Hindi Urdu 1 hour ago
Reds name 10 Wallabies in starting side for team’s season-opener

In the early months of 2025, I made a decision that would haunt me for weeks—a decision born out of greed and the allure of quick wealth. I invested 95,000 Bitcoin into an online platform that promised exponential returns. The website looked legitimate, the testimonials seemed convincing, and the numbers they presented were irresistible. But as the days passed, the platform went silent. My investment vanished, and I realized I had fallen victim to a sophisticated scam. I was devastated, feeling like I had lost everything.Desperate for help, I began searching for solutions online. That’s when I discovered *Galaxy Ethical Tech*, a company renowned for its expertise in blockchain forensics and digital asset recovery. Known for their ethical approach and cutting-edge technology, they had a track record of helping people like me recover lost funds. With nothing left to lose, I reached out to them, hoping for a miracle.The team at Galaxy Ethical Tech, led by a brilliant blockchain analyst named *Dr. Elena Voss*, responded immediately. Dr. Voss listened to my story with empathy and assured me they would do everything in their power to help. She explained that while the process would be complex and time-consuming, their advanced tools and expertise gave them a fighting chance.

The recovery process began with a deep dive into the blockchain. Using sophisticated algorithms, Galaxy Ethical Tech traced the movement of my Bitcoin. They identified the wallets where my funds had been transferred and uncovered a network of interconnected accounts designed to obscure the trail. The scammers had used multiple layers of transactions to launder the funds, but Dr. Voss and her team were relentless.Weeks turned into months, and the team kept me updated every step of the way. They worked tirelessly, navigating the labyrinth of the blockchain and collaborating with international authorities to freeze suspicious accounts. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I received the news I had been praying for: Galaxy Ethical Tech had successfully recovered *85,000 Bitcoin* of my lost funds. The remaining amount had been irretrievably laundered, but recovering the majority felt like a miracle.When the funds were securely returned to my wallet, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. Dr. Voss and her team didn’t just recover my Bitcoin—they restored my faith in the possibility of justice in the digital world. They also provided me with invaluable advice on how to protect my assets in the future, emphasizing the importance of due diligence and secure storage solutions.Galaxy Ethical Tech didn’t just save me from financial ruin; they gave me a second chance. Their commitment to ethical practices, combined with their unparalleled expertise, made them true heroes in my eyes. From that day forward, I became an advocate for their work, sharing my story as a cautionary tale and a testament to the power of technology used for good. Thanks to Galaxy Ethical Tech, what began as a nightmare ended with hope and a renewed sense of security. contact them via Email: galaxyethicaltech@mail.com Whatsapp: +15072712442 Telegram: Galaxy_ethical_tech

1 Go to comments
H
Hindi Urdu 1 hour ago
England explain their backing for Marcus Smith to stay on the kicks

In the early months of 2025, I made a decision that would haunt me for weeks—a decision born out of greed and the allure of quick wealth. I invested 95,000 Bitcoin into an online platform that promised exponential returns. The website looked legitimate, the testimonials seemed convincing, and the numbers they presented were irresistible. But as the days passed, the platform went silent. My investment vanished, and I realized I had fallen victim to a sophisticated scam. I was devastated, feeling like I had lost everything.Desperate for help, I began searching for solutions online. That’s when I discovered *Galaxy Ethical Tech*, a company renowned for its expertise in blockchain forensics and digital asset recovery. Known for their ethical approach and cutting-edge technology, they had a track record of helping people like me recover lost funds. With nothing left to lose, I reached out to them, hoping for a miracle.The team at Galaxy Ethical Tech, led by a brilliant blockchain analyst named *Dr. Elena Voss*, responded immediately. Dr. Voss listened to my story with empathy and assured me they would do everything in their power to help. She explained that while the process would be complex and time-consuming, their advanced tools and expertise gave them a fighting chance.

The recovery process began with a deep dive into the blockchain. Using sophisticated algorithms, Galaxy Ethical Tech traced the movement of my Bitcoin. They identified the wallets where my funds had been transferred and uncovered a network of interconnected accounts designed to obscure the trail. The scammers had used multiple layers of transactions to launder the funds, but Dr. Voss and her team were relentless.Weeks turned into months, and the team kept me updated every step of the way. They worked tirelessly, navigating the labyrinth of the blockchain and collaborating with international authorities to freeze suspicious accounts. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I received the news I had been praying for: Galaxy Ethical Tech had successfully recovered *85,000 Bitcoin* of my lost funds. The remaining amount had been irretrievably laundered, but recovering the majority felt like a miracle.When the funds were securely returned to my wallet, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. Dr. Voss and her team didn’t just recover my Bitcoin—they restored my faith in the possibility of justice in the digital world. They also provided me with invaluable advice on how to protect my assets in the future, emphasizing the importance of due diligence and secure storage solutions.Galaxy Ethical Tech didn’t just save me from financial ruin; they gave me a second chance. Their commitment to ethical practices, combined with their unparalleled expertise, made them true heroes in my eyes. From that day forward, I became an advocate for their work, sharing my story as a cautionary tale and a testament to the power of technology used for good. Thanks to Galaxy Ethical Tech, what began as a nightmare ended with hope and a renewed sense of security. contact them via Email: galaxyethicaltech@mail.com Whatsapp: +15072712442 Telegram: Galaxy_ethical_tech

0 Go to comments
C
CV 2 hours ago
Where is the new breed of All Black 10?

Yeah I know. Holland is from the area I live in. Him and his brother were at the rugby academy North West over here. You enter an academy here as soon as you go to high school (12) where you train 8 to 10 hours per week. They keep playing for their club on the weekends though, rugby is too small for club academies. Not enough players and money. Good thing is that you stay with your club so they don’t lose players. Top talent usually gets picked up by French clubs. The best of the rest go to the national training centre in Amsterdam where they have a professional set up.


Like everywhere in Europe, seasons run August to May and it’s all club driven. School sports don’t really exist like in NZ or the UK. Even the U7s and us oldies playing walking rugby play a full season. We just have more weeks off because of school holidays, or when the pitch is frozen. Like elsewhere in Europe, the league is a pyramid, so every club can make it to the top tier. Top clubs are semi-pro. Some clubs are part of the development programmes of French pro clubs, next to the six academies (for boys and girls) the union runs. It won’t surprise you that of the Dutch rep teams, about half of those groups play in France. It raised the bar. Players that don’t make it improve the level of the local league when they come back and the ones that do improve the national team. They beat Chile last November and are still in with a chance to make it to the WC in Australia. Women are in the WXV. Still tough because other REC countries, like Spain, Portugal and Belgium are getting better because they have similar setups as Holland does. Look up the REC game highlights on youtube, the level is pretty good.

114 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ High stakes as Scotland seek historic fifth straight Calcutta Cup win High stakes as Scotland seek historic fifth straight Calcutta Cup win
Search