Hill inspires Saracens to leave Bristol on the brink

Saracens 17 Bristol 16

Bristol rugby – professional rugby, at any rate – may well be in its death throes, for whispers of an imminent merger with neighbouring Bath have turned into deafening roars. According to insiders, the story goes something like this: Malcolm Pearce, the local businessman who saved Bristol from bankruptcy five years ago, is keen to revive his old interest in Bath by replacing the disaffected Andrew Brownsword as principal investor. While Premiership games would be split between the two cities, the new club would be an awful lot of Bath, with a tiny piece of Bristol thrown in.

As ever in uncertain times, the poor bloody infantry have been subjected to the "mushroom philosophy" of man-management; kept in the dark and treated only to an occasional sprinkling of manure, the players must be wondering why the hell they bother. But they bothered last night. Faced with a nasty relegation scrap against Saracens at Vicarage Road they went after their hosts up front and gave a very decent account of themselves, given that at least half of them are in discussions with other clubs.

Unfortunately for the visitors, they allowed Saracens two sucker-punch scores in 12 minutes and spent the rest of the evening playing catch-up. It looked as though God might be in his West Country heaven when Andrew Sheridan, coming on a storm at loose-head prop, scrambled around the front of a close-range line-out for an opening try on nine minutes. But when Michael Lipman was caught on the hop by Kevin Sorrell's snap 22 drop-out and failed to prevent Darragh O'Mahony making big ground down the left, Richard Haughton was able to beat Daryl Gibson's cover tackle and level it up in the opposite corner.

Twenty-four minutes in, Saracens were in better shape than they could have hoped. Haughton, quick and full of beans after his run with the England sevens, threatened Bristol's defence again, and after Joe Ross had barrelled his way up the right, Andy Goode hit a long cross-field punt to centre Ben Johnston who fed O'Mahony for the try. Goode also pressed the right buttons with a drop goal from half-way, although the home advantage was kept within manageable proportions by Shane Drahm, the Bristol full-back, who kicked penalties either side of the interval.

The second half was as edgy as anticipated, given the standings of the teams, but Goode should have opened up a seven-point gap on 69 minutes when David Rees body-checked Richard Hill. He had suffered a scratchy evening with his place-kicking, however, and his latest miss seemed more serious still when Drahm cut the difference to a point with his third penalty after fine work from Gibson and Sheridan.

Saracens were always the more threatening outside, though, and they just about controlled the last knockings as Hill, back after injury but not entirely fit, coaxed the best from a none-too-special forward pack. Stuart Hooper, bound for Leeds next term, almost drove over for the decisive try, and with the great Tim Horan mightily reassuring at the back, there was just enough calm amid the storm of paranoia.

Deep in injury time, Bristol worked their way into drop-goal territory, but Saul Nelson messed up the crucial ruck by stamping on Johnny Marsters and conceding a penalty. They have two games left to save their season, the first of them this weekend against Bath, of all the clubs on earth. There will be a big crowd and an even bigger atmosphere. But in the long run, will it matter?

Saracens: Tries Haughton, O'Mahony; Conversions Goode 2; Drop goal Goode. Bristol: Try Sheridan; Conversion: Drahm; Penalties Drahm 3.

Saracens: T Horan; R Haughton, B Johnston (T Shanklin 73), K Sorrell, D O'Mahony; A Goode, K Bracken (capt); J Ross (J Marsters 83), M Cairns (R Russell 73), M Storey, C Yandell (A Benazzi 19), S Hooper, A Roques, R Hill, K Chesney (B Skirving 54).

Bristol: S Drahm; B Daniel (M Carrington 73), P Christophers, D Gibson, J Williams (D Rees h-t); F Contepomi, A Pichot; A Sheridan, P Johnstone (S Nelson 70), E Bergamaschi (R Skuse h-t), G Archer (capt), A Brown, M Salter (C Short 55), M Lipman, R Oakley.

Referee: A Spreadbury (Somerset).