Maro Itoje scored two tries as Saracens took a big step towards qualifying for the Premiership play-offs with a 41-20 win over Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate on Saturday.
The visiting team overcame an early 10-0 deficit and yellow cards for Itoje and Ben Earl to run out strong winners and put Bristol's chances of progressing beyond the regular season in serious jeopardy.
As mentioned, Itoje scored two tries, Rotimi Segun and Juan Martin Gonzalez were also on the try score sheet, and man of the match Elliot Daly scored two conversions and four penalties. . Owen Farrell added a penalty and a conversion.
Joe Buttley and Harry Tucker scored tries for Bristol, while AJ McGinty converted two penalties and a conversion. James Williams also added a conversion.
Click here for scorers
Bristol began to take the lead in the fifth minute. Saracens gave the hosts an attacking platform by conceding two penalties in quick succession, from which Harry Randall darted down the line, which Buttley collected and scored.
After Earl was penalized for a deliberate knock-on, McGinty converted and added a penalty, but Saracens were soon given a penalty by Farrell as Bristol's Siva Naulago was shown a yellow card for another deliberate knock-on. They counterattacked with a penalty.
It was debatable whether a penalty try should have been awarded, but referee Carl Dixon and his support staff thought otherwise.
Despite Naurago's absence, the Bears were next on the scoreboard with McGinty's second direct penalty.
Naurago was still in the sin box when Saracens reduced the arrears. Bristol prop Ellis Genge dropped the ball on 22 balls and was made to pay for his mistake when Itoje and Gonzalez combined neatly for a try.
After Farrell's goal, Daley added a penalty to equalize in the 27th minute.
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Four minutes later Saracens took the lead for the first time. Farrell's superb touchfinding gave his team a position inside the opposition 22, and Itoje took advantage when he forced his way in from close range to score his second try.
Daly kicked the penalty from the conversion, giving the visitors a 23-13 interval lead.
In desperate need of the first goal of the second half, Bristol started the game in impressive style and were able to keep London at their own 22 points during sustained pressure.
The home side rejected three kickable penalties in favor of more attacking options, but somehow Saracens kept their lines intact and collapsed to score another with Daley's third penalty. did.
Bristol's woes continued when McGinty left the field after failing an HIA, but received a big boost with back-to-back sins from Itoje and Earl. Itoje aimed a high shot at Stephen Luatua and Earl was intentionally offside.
The hosts brought on Tucker, whose first job was to score a driving line out, but Daly's penalty produced a surprising response despite the opponents playing with just 13 men.
Itoje did not return and Theo McFarland was introduced to put his team up to 14 points, arriving in time for Segun to finish off a fine possession.
Earl returned to watch as Daley and Lucio Cinti tore the Bristol defense to shreds before the scoring pass to Gonzalez sealed Saracens' premiership victory with the best try of the afternoon.
team
Bristol Bears: 15 Max Mullins, 14 Siva Naurago, 13 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 12 James Williams, 11 Gabriel Ibitoy, 10 AJ McGinty, 9 Harry Randall, 8 Magnus Bradbury, 7 Fitz Harding ( c), 6 Stephen Ruatua, 5 Joe Batley, 4 James Dunn, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Gabriel Oga, 1 Ellis Genge
Replacement: 16 Harry Tucker, 17 Jake Woolmore, 18 Max Reicheff, 19 Josh Caulfield, 20 Jake Heenan, 21 Kieran Marmion, 22 Virimi Vakatawa, 23 Noah Hiward
Saracens: 15 Elliot Daly, 14 Rotimi Segun, 13 Lucio Cinti, 12 Nick Tompkins, 11 Tom Parton, 10 Owen Farrell (c), 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Tom Willis, 7 Ben Earl, 6 Juan Martin Gonzalez, 5 Hugh Tizard, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Marco Riccioni, 2 Jamie George, 1 Mako Vunipola
Replacement: 16 Theo Dunne, 17 Eloni Mawi, 18 Ollie Hoskins, 19 Nick Isiekwe, 20 Theo McFarland, 21 Billy Vunipola, 22 Aled Davies, 23 Alex Goode
Referee: carl dixon
Assistant referee: Luke Pearce, Gareth Holsgrove
TMO: andrew jackson
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