In a stunning display of dominance, Bath inflicted a record-breaking 68-10 defeat on Saracens in their Premiership rugby clash at the Recreation Ground. Will Muir grabbed a scintillating hat-trick as the hosts ran riot, exposing glaring defensive frailties in the usually resolute Saracens side.
Bath Unleash First Half Onslaught
The tone was set early when Saracens fullback Liam Williams saw yellow just 4 minutes in for cynically batting a Finn Russell cross-kick into touch with Joe Cokanasiga lurking. The resulting penalty try gave Bath a dream start, and they never looked back.
Things went from bad to worse for the visitors when openside Toby Knight was sent off on 14 minutes for a high tackle on Ollie Lawrence. Down to 13 men, Saracens were powerless to stop the blue onslaught.
Prop Thomas du Toit barged over from close range before Cameron Redpath sliced through for Bath’s third. The bonus point was secured before halftime when a beautiful dummy from scrumhalf Ben Spencer allowed Muir to race over untouched.
Muir’s Magic, Spencer Pulls Strings
The second half continued in the same vein, with Lawrence’s exquisite offload sending Cokanasiga under the posts. Muir soon had his second after a searing break, before Sam Underhill and Lawrence added further scores.
Will Muir was on fire today, his pure pace and energy lifted the whole team. And Ben Spencer was outstanding, constantly keeping Sarries on the back foot with his distribution and kicking game.
Bath Head Coach Johann van Graan
Replacement prop Francois van Wyk was denied a try by his own knock-on, but it mattered little as Cokanasiga claimed his second and Muir completed his treble late on. Fergus Burke’s early penalty was all Saracens could muster in reply.
Bath’s Biggest Ever Win Over Saracens
The 68-10 scoreline marks Bath’s largest ever margin of victory over Saracens, surpassing their previous best of 37-2 in 1996. It’s also Saracens’ heaviest Premiership defeat, eclipsing a 60-10 loss to Wasps in 2016.
- Bath leapfrog Saracens to go top of the Premiership table at the halfway stage
- Will Muir’s hat-trick takes him to 8 tries for the season, joint-top in the Premiership
- 68 points conceded is the most Saracens have ever shipped in a Premiership match
While one result doesn’t define a season, the manner of this record-breaking win suggests Bath are genuine title contenders under Johann van Graan. For Saracens, it’s an alarming wake-up call that even their famed defense can be ruthlessly exposed on an off-day.
