Saracens 58 (27)
Tries: Brits 2, Saull, Cato, Joubert 2, Haughton Cons: Jackson 7 Pens: Jackson 3
Newcastle 15 (12)
Pens: Gopperth 4 Drop: Gopperth

Brits breaks clear to score one of his two tries against Newcastle

South African hooker Schalk Brits scored two first-half tries as Saracens ended a run of four successive defeats with a seven-try mauling of Newcastle.

Brits powered past three defenders to go under the posts for his first try before Adam Powell broke through two tackles to set up his second.

Andy Saull scored a third Sarries try before the break from a stolen lineout.

Noah Cato galloped over from halfway before late Ernst Joubert and Richard Haughton's tries made it 58-15.

Jimmy Gopperth had kicked the Falcons into a 6-0 lead early on with a drop-goal and a penalty, but Jackson kicked the first of his seven conversions after Brits rumbled over to put Sarries into the lead.

Gopperth exchanged penalties with Jackson before Brits' second try, made by Powell, put some daylight between the teams despite Jackson missing three penalties in a 10-minute period.

However, Sarries forced a turnover from a lineout near the Falcons line and Jackson found Saull with an inside pass and the flanker touched down under the posts to put the home side 22-12 up.

Jackson converted and kicked his second penalty of the game to make it 27-12 at half-time.

Cato made the game safe on the hour after picking up a loose Newcastle pass and sprinting clear to secure a bonus point before Joubert intercepted a pass on the Falcons 22 to go over unchallenged.

A quick lineout led to Haughton crossing for the sixth try of the afternoon and there was still time for captain Joubert to jump out of the base of a five-metre scrum and cross for another converted try.

Saracens director of rugby Brendan Venter:
"The guys really got stuck in.

"We went to Brighton for two days, and it's amazing what that kind of time together can do. We had a great night out and this happens.

"All the coaching doesn't work, then we go have a few beers and score seven tries.

"Okay, just a joke. But that break did us a lot of good."

Newcastle director of rugby Steve Bates:
"The guys are hurting because they know they were well below par.

"It wasn't good enough by any stretch, but you have to take your hat off to Saracens because they've got the resources to build this kind of team and they made their class tell.

"It's going to be a fight to the finish now, but we still believe we're a good team and that we can bounce back."

Saracens: Goode, Penney, Powell, Barrett, Cato, Jackson, de Kock, Gill, Brits, Du Plessis, Vyvyan, Botha, Burger, Saull, Joubert.
Replacements: Haughton for Penney (60), Hougaard for Powell (67), Rauluni for de Kock (68), Aguero for Gill (55), Ongaro for Brits (66), Skuse for Du Plessis (66), Ryder for Botha (60), Melck for Burger (61).

Newcastle: A. Tait, Williams, Bobo, Tu'ipulotu, Amesbury, Gopperth, Young, Golding, Vickers, Hayman, Hudson, Swinson, Levi, B. Wilson, Browne.
Replacements: Vickerman for Tu'ipulotu (56), Catterick for Gopperth (68), Charlton for Young (67), Ward for Golding (63), Walker for Vickers (61), Brooks for Hayman (67), Sorenson for Swinson (55), Afu for Browne (41).

Att: 8,565

Ref: Chris White (RFU)

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