Best limps off to sour Bath's day
Bath 25 Saracens 3
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Your support makes all the difference.It is the best of times for Bath. Out of the detritus of a scrappy match they salvaged their sixth successive victory and opened up an eight-point gap at the top of the Zurich Premiership table.
Sadly, though, it is looking the worst of times for Lee Best. The Bath right wing limped out of the action early in the second half with a suspected ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.
"He has a scan tomorrow, but if the initial diagnosis is confirmed then it could mean he is out for the rest of the season," said Bath head coach John Connolly gloomily. He has five backs at the World Cup and now has three out injured, while South African Robbie Fleck is not expected in this country for another week or so.
Things are not great at Saracens either. Thomas Castaignède, their French back, finds out today if his left wrist is fractured. If it is broken it could keep him out for a few weeks.
They also lost rugged left wing Nathan McAvoy with a suspected hamstring injury. What with the casualties and Andy Goode's off-day with the boot, the stand-off missed four out of five penalties, it just was not a great day for Saracens.
This defeat leaves them bogged down just off the bottom of the table and unless some structure comes to their game they will stay there. They continue to struggle at the line-out - Bath's first try came when the long throw found Michael Lipman late in the first half and the Bath openside flanker was driven over.
The set-piece was no picnic either, while their midfield, in attack and defence, was at times woeful. Bath's second try owed as much to Saracens' ineptitude at plugging gaps as it did to Alex Crockett's sharpness.
The rest of the home team's points came from the boot of inside centre Ollie Barkley, who landed all five penalties, missing one conversion. He did finish the game with a gashed shin but is not expected to miss this weekend's visit to Newcastle.
Bath: Tries Lipman, Crockett; Penalties Barkley 5. Saracens: Penalty Goode.
Bath: M Perry; L Best (G Knox, 50), A Higgins (A Crockett, 72), O Barkley, B Daniel; C Malone, M Wood (H Martens, 80+1); D Flatman (D Bell, 79), J Humphreys (capt; L Mears, 46), D Bell (M Stevens, 66), S Borthwick, R Fidler, A Beattie (S Gray, 80+1), I Feaunati, M Lipman (J Scaysbrook, 61-68; 80).
Saracens: T Castaignède (A Wynnan, 36); R Haughton, B Johnston, M Bartholomeusz, N McAvoy (D O'Mahony, 48); A Goode, P Phibbs (D Kirton, 72); S Sparks (A Kershaw, 48), J Ross, E Bergamaschi (J Marsters, 80+3), S Raiwalui (capt), K Chesney, T Roques (R Peacey, 80+1), T Randell, B Russell.
Referee: A Rowden (Reading).
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