Saracens player ratings live from Ashton Gate: Mark McCall’s Londoners travelled hoping that lightning would strike twice in Bristol in the space of 23 weeks… and it did in the most bonkers fashion as an 83rd-minute penalty kick from Alex Lozowski clinched an incredible 37-35 win in front of a partisan 18,167 attendance.
Saracens looked set to be agonisingly beaten by a single point following a Lam-ball home team performance illuminated by a Fitz Harding hat-trick and a linebreak count of 16-5 in favour of the hosts. However, McCall’s side demonstrated fantastic pluck to force two late penalties – one to get them up the pitch and then the second to shoot for the posts.
It was a classic, tension-filled drama compared to May 11 when they were last in Bears country, puncturing Lam’s six-match winning run with a 41-20 round 17 win that ultimately squeezed the hosts out of the play-off picture when the qualifiers were confirmed the following weekend.
Bristol came into this round five encounter on top of the pile, their comeback win at Exeter nudging them a point clear of Saracens who suffered their first setback of the campaign with their derby loss at Harlequins.
With injuries an influence in ruling out the likes of Andy Onyeama-Christie, Juan Martin Gonzalez, ben Earl and Fergus Burke, McCall changed seven of his starters for the family day double bill which kicked off with Saracens defeating Bristol 41-24 in the Premiership Women’s Rugby.
Attack 
189m
Post Contact Metres
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Their men eventually followed suit despite enduring poor, try-conceding starts to both halves and being behind on the scoreboard for a whopping total of 71 minutes. They were frustratingly sloppy with the ball at times but their Elliot Daly-inspired effort ambushed Bristol at the death.
Unlike on the road, where they have won their last eight in the league, Ashton Gate has been a bit of an issue for the Bears as they had lost three of their last six, including their only home fixture this season versus Gloucester prior the visit of Saracens.
You can now make that four home losses in their last seven in BS3 after Lozowski, one of seven McCall players named in Steve Borthwick’s England squad for the Autumn Nations Series, competed his 100 per cent record off the kicking tee with the decisive penalty. Here are the Saracens player ratings:
15. Elliot Daly – 9
The England pick exhibited a bristling don’t die wondering attitude. Was tripped for the Gabriel Ibitoye yellow card, gave a try-assist pass to Rotimi Segun, and then scored two second-half tries. His only blotted copy moment was tossing away possession that led to Harry Randall’s first half score.
14. Tobias Elliott – 7.5
The 21-year-old sure is enjoying his debut season and his energy is effervescent. Demonstrated genuine pace on the break that reversed the game’s early Bristol momentum but he is understandably still defensively raw, falling off a halfway line tackle on Benjamin Elizalde in the Randall try.
13. Alex Lozowski – 9
Was left sweating when referee Anthony Woodthorpe spent ample time reviewing a second-half tackle on Gabriel Oghre. It came to nought, leaving the midfielder to decide the result with a nerveless kick to a chorus of boos from home fans. That left him with 17 points, seven from seven off the tee, and heading to Spain next week with England with a magical spring in his step.
12. Josh Hallett – 6.5
Just the second-ever Premiership start for the 24-year-old, his 70 minutes against a voracious Bristol attack was an immense learning curve that will stand to him greatly in the long run.
11. Rotimi Segun – 7
Shaky start with a knock on and a penalty-conceding carry with Saracens already a try down, but he showed his class when blasting in with a lovely, deceptive run to score on 25 minutes. Defensively played his part after that.
? You just can’t count @Saracens out!
? Elliot Daly finishes off a superb and clinical effort to get the away side back to within one score!#BRIvSAR | #GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/1UY7NFmggT
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) October 19, 2024
10. Alex Goode – 7.5
With new signing Burke hamstrung, McCall moved Goode in from full-back. An early second-half yellow card for a deliberate knock-on should have hurt his team but their fight was immense in that period and he returned to play his part in the compelling comeback. Some slick first-half handling was epitomised by the loop he ran to help put winger Elliott away at 0-8 and spark life in the Londoners.
9. Ivan van Zyl – 6
The league’s busiest passer this season coming into round five, his influence was sweet when shifting lineout ball in Saracens’ opening try. Opposite number Randall was quite the nipper, though, and the better of the two starting scrum-halves. Exited on 53 minutes.
1. Rhys Carre – 6.5
It’s great to see him back at Saracens and getting his career back up to speed following his uneasy time at home in Wales. The scrum penalty inside his own 22 which Max Lahiff was done for illegal scrummaging just after the Londoners had gone 14-13 up was a confidence booster.
2. Theo Dan – 6
Rotated to start with England skipper Jamie George in reserve, his head-to-head with Oghre, the third hooker on the national team’s summer tour, didn’t go his way. Can’t be happy with getting held up over the line on 22 minutes. It was also his possession lost at a breakdown that resulted in Toby Fricker’s breakaway try. Departed on 50.
3. Marco Riccioni – 6.5
As with Carre, he was good value in his hour’s involvement. Wasn’t flustered by Ellis Genge at the scrum and he got himself around the park to help the Saracens scramble in the face of continuous Bristol onslaught.
Nothing but love ??
A special moment as today’s @Saracens squad notice @AndyChristie43 in the crowd ?
Watch live on @rugbyontnt ?#GallagherPrem | #BRIvSAR pic.twitter.com/C4xF91t9fW
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) October 19, 2024
4. Maro Itoje – 8
Scored twice at Ashton Gate in May, he was less evident in attack here but his defensive work, where he joint-topped his team’s tackle count with 16, was critical. Needed treatment on 50 minutes but he recovered to go the full duration. The way he led the team was emblematic of the fresh Saracens spirit in 2024/25.
5. Hugh Tizard – 7
A try scorer off the bench at Harlequins, there was one particular first-half moment of excellent athleticism here with his catching of a Theo McFarland deflection and then cantering all the way from his 22 to the Bristol 10-metre line. It was this type of defiance that kept Saracens alive when they could have been blown away.
6. Theo McFarland – 6
Named in place of the injured Gonzalez, it wasn’t his best afternoon and he exited just 10 minutes into the second half. Deserves kudos for blocking that first-half AJ MacGinty kick in behind as a score in the corner looked on.
7. Toby Knight – 9
A raw 22-year-old, he was excellent when finishing his 16th-minute try. His engine was gigantic, joining Itoje as top tackler and registering a double-figure carry tally. The fact that he was the sole starting back-rower to go the distance was a superb recognition from McCall for the industry the youngster showed.
8. Tom Willis – 8.5
It does sound daft he played so well even though his opposition number Harding scored a hat-trick, but he was excellent in keeping Saracens clinging on. His performance, where he managed 16 carries and 15 tackles, showed why he was the player most unlucky across the Premiership not to make Borthwick’s England squad.
? “Tizzard’s off like a runaway camel!” ?
? @Saracens turn defence into attack and Rotimi Segun squares up the defender to breeze into the corner!#BRIvSAR | #GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/uZsuBqCLxy
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) October 19, 2024
Replacements: 19. Nick Isiekwe – 8 (for McFarland), Jamie George – 8 (for Dan, both 50); 21. Gareth Simpson – 6 (for van Zyl, 53); 17. Phil Brantingham – 6 (for Carre), 18. Alec Clarey – 6 (for Riccioni), 23. Brandon Jackson – 7 (for Elliott, all 60); 22. Tom Parton – 6 (for Hallett, 70); 20. Nathan Michelow – 6 (for Willis, 72).
The major hat-tip must go to Isiekwe, who was credited with a dozen tackles on his 150th club appearance even though he only entered the fray on 50 minutes. He was a class act, and England skipper George was also in the thick of it but it a different way. Collectively, the Saracens bench deserves praise for the successful comeback, but a special word goes to Brandon Jackson for his role in Daly’s second try.
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