Toe to Toe Encounter at the Rec....
By TheSaracens
April 8 2026
I was looking forward to this game, hoping after a good performance against Saints in the last fixture that Sarries could atone for the 62-15 drubbing we’d suffered at the Rec just two weeks before and although the odds of advancing to the last eight of the Champions Cup looked stacked against us, you never knew…. I wasn’t able to make the 320- mile trip down to Bath on this occasion, but was definitely there in spirit as I settled down in front of the 55 -inch telly I’d gifted myself as a moving-in present, with a large bowl of crisps and a selection of local beers to hand.
The match began with both sides looking to gain an early upper hand and Sarries, clearly buoyed by a much-improved performance against Saints, looked like their old selves, physical and well-organised as they held Bath at bay with good defensive work with some pretty – well, not actually that pretty, hits on the home side.
Inevitably, and like others I'm sure, my eye strayed to Alfie Barbeary, playing a second game against his future employers since the announcement of his impending move to step into the gigantic shoes of the Bordeaux-bound Tom Willis, and he was looking lively.
There was a sense of each side testing the other out at this point. In the 13th minute a Sarries scrum was well-worked and the always razor-sharp Bracken opened the scoring with a pick-and-go from the base to dart over. Farrell added the extras and we were off and running at 0-7.
Carré, never shy of making his considerable presence felt, seemed to have gained even more confidence after a much-lauded Six Nations and was dominating Bath in the scrums and winning penalties, Itoje was making a nuisance of himself and McFarland was looking sharper than I’ve see him in recent games.
Although Sarries had the edge on the scoreboard, it was a very close game even after Pepper had been shown a yellow card on 26 minutes following a dive through the ruck to execute the kind of header usually associated with 1970s centre forwards. Sarries kept working hard but couldn’t quite capitalise on their extra man, although Farrell did slot a penalty over on 37 minutes to take Sarries into a hard-earned 0-10 lead at tea and orange slice time.
Sarries were looking pretty good so far, however, and it was heartening to see the lads going toe to toe with Bath, the best side in the Prem (still dislike that offically adopted abbreviation…and the Champ sounds even more naff) in a thoroughly absorbing encounter.
We'd had change of referee at half time after the original man with the whistle had been accidentally chinned by a Bath player and appeared dazed (and indeed confused) afterwards, seeming to change his mind about a scrum call shortly after the incident.
Bath came back strongly at the start of the second half and within 3 minutes had reduced Sarries’ lead as Arundell bolted forward, and despite the best efforts of Noah Caluori went over for a try converted by Russell to take matters to 7-10. Bath were having more success in the scrum although Maro’s cousin Obano was shown a yellow card shortly after Arundell’s score, having received warnings in the first half.
Again, Sarries couldn’t capitalise on the extra man and indeed it was Bath who pinched the lead after a lovely spell of rugby set up Cokanasiga to cross the whitewash on 49 minutes, Russell planting the pill over the posts to edge the home side ahead 14-10.
The pivotal moment of the game, for me, came as the hour approached when a promising Sarries was stopped and Bath brilliantly turned defence into attack, Cokanasiga making a strong run away from Bath’s line, Barbeary then taking over to gain more ground and setting up Spencer to show that he’d lost none of his mobility to outpace Sarries’ defence and score for 19-10, Russell this time failing to convert.
Bath’s lead was cut not too long afterwards when Malins evaded the attention of two Bath defenders to score in the corner although Farrell’s conversion was missed to leave matters at 19-15 and with Sarries seeing a glimmer of hope.
The game continued to be hard-fought as Sarries worked hard to stay in the game, suffering a setback when Wilson was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle.
Moving into the last 10 minutes, the sides exchanged tries, with Lawrence going over from short range and Russell adding the two points for 26-15 and then 2 minutes later Caluori grabbed the score his hard work deserved to move Sarries to within four points after Burke’s conversion to set up what we hoped would be a dramatic last few minutes at 26-22.
Sadly, there was to be no grandstand ending for Sarries as it was Arundell who produced the last score of the match the match, the conversion being missed to leave a final score of 31-22 to see Bath advance into the last eight and with a very decent chance of going all the way. I can’t in all honestly say that I’d begrudge them that.
As for Sarries, this was a performance vastly improved after the mauling we’d suffered at the Rec just a couple of weeks back, backing up a good showing against Saints and holding out the promise of much better times ahead; to my thinking, we’re not too far behind the top two.
There was much promise in the performances of the players who will hold Sarries’ future in their hands, with Caluori showing that he’s rapidly gaining a bit of game nous to match his undoubted talents, and Charlie Bracken looks increasingly likely to follow his dad into the England squad.
I have to also mention an opposition player, Alfie Barbeary who, while not quite possessing the brute force of Tom Willis, will bring his own kind of mayhem to StoneX and I believe he’ll be a great succss in the black and red.
TEAMS:
Bath: Carreras; Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Ojomoh, Arundell; Russell, Spencer (capt); Obano, Dunn, Griffin, Roux, Ewels, Bayliss, Pepper, Barbeary.
Replacements: Tuipulotu, Van Wyk, Du Toit, Hill, Underhill, Van der Linde, Redpath, Reid.
Yellow cards: Pepper (25), Obano (45)
Saracens: Daly; Caluori, Tompkins, Farrell, Elliott; Burke, Bracken; Carre, George, Street, Itoje (capt), Tizard, McFarland, Onyeama-Christie, Willis.
Replacements: Dan, Mawi, Riccioni, Wilson, Michelow, Van Zyl, Lozowski, Malins.
Yellow cards: Wilson (70)
Match officials
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia) – went off injured to be replaced by Ben Connor
Assistant referees: Ben Connor (Wales), Shota Tevzadze (Georgia)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026:04:21:17:40:34 by Darraghgirl.
A bit like Saints feels like a game we could have won.
It was 100% an improvement and lots of the play and the attitude in particular was encouraging.
What happens next will be interesting. Nothing to play for other than development. Will we back the same team that has played the last three game or try something new.
I'd like to see something like.
Carre, Dan, Street
Itoje, Tizard
McFarland, Earl, Willis
Bracken, Burke
Hartley, Cinti
Elliot, Malins, Caluori
Mawi, George, Riccioni
Onyeama-Christie, ?
Van-Zyl, Tompkins, Segun.
Not sure about bench lock.
Because it's Sale and they are traditionally very good in the air although I know we beat them there in the last fixture I'd start those two wings with Segun to come on later. I'd also not be averse to seeing a back three of Segun, Elliot, Caluori but would like to see Burke and Malins get a run together.
If our attack ever advances beyond its current incarnation then Bracken, Burke/Young 10, J Bracken, Hartley, Hall, Caluori, Elliot looks mouth-watering for the near future. Real pace, great aerially, some physicality and lots of skill.
Marry that with a pack of Carre, Dan, Street, Itoje(c) Martin, JMG, Earl, Barbeary and "go forward" shouldn't be an issue.
Looks like we were very fortunate that Smith had to go off early. Saints play some great rugby. Bath such a horribly cynical if effective team.
Wasn't there a game of ours where both lifters got cards?
Barbeary was excellent again.
Quote:MarkCol7
Another man of the match for Barbeary, are people still doubting his signing?
I wasn't at all sold at the time we announced him but at that stage he had mostly been indifferent for Bath for almost two seasons and could barely do more than 50 minutes. To be fair at that stage he had already strung together three or four good games but I'll be honest I wasn't expecting it to last.
Since then he's backed up those performances and that he is playing so physically and not getting injured is a real plus as that record was one of my concerns.
It will be interesting to see how we use him. He's still a way off the player that was at Wasps in terms of attack so potentially more to come from him too.
Quote:TommyKentish
Bath very lucky with the home town reffing in the last two matches.
100%.
Quote:saracensfan62
I don't see Toulon standing a chance at the Aviva unfortunately. Leinster probably the only British side I would want to see lose to a french team.
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Quote:saracensfan62
I don't see Toulon standing a chance at the Aviva unfortunately
I'd have said the same about their chances v Glasgow who are a much better side this season than Leinster.
Top4 in the Top 4 still in theory possible but playing two great European games might be a more realistic way to silverware this season.
The scoreline against a Sale side missing a host of players was pretty flattering to Leinster in the end. Not much between the sides at half time and they've been pretty flaky this season.
Quote:Very much in the opposite camp. There is no English team I’d want to see beat a French team other than us!saracensfan62
I don't see Toulon standing a chance at the Aviva unfortunately. Leinster probably the only British side I would want to see lose to a french team.
Never been a fan of Leinster nor their fans, had a couple of unsavoury experiences with them both at the 2019 final in newcastle and at a game more recently (can't remember when exactly it was now). IMO they are becoming the arsenal of the rugby world, always so close and yet so far from winning the champions cup.