Bath (17) 26
Tries: Abendanon, Fearns Cons: Vesty, Roberts Pens: Vesty 4
Saracens (13) 28
Tries: Short Cons: Farrell Pens: Farrell 7

Bath will feel hard done by to only get a losing bonus point after outscoring Sarries by two tries to one

Owen Farrell gave Saracens victory at Bath with the last kick of the game in a tight Premiership encounter.

The visitors scored the opening try when James Short stepped in off his wing to go over.

Bath hit back when a kick through was collected by Nick Abendanon to score, before Ben Skirving released Carl Fearns for a second Bath try.

Penalties were exchanged in the second half before Farrell's final kick hit both posts before dropping over.

Bath, without injured skipper Stuart Hooper, took an early lead through a Sam Vesty penalty.

But the champions hit back, with only a timely Michael Claassens tackle denying Short.

Farrell scored the first of his seven penalties before Short took advantage of a mix-up in the Bath defence to stroll over unopposed.

Abendanon collected Vesty's grubber kick to run over from 20 yards for the hosts' first try.

A fine Bath break up the left involving Dan Hipkiss and Claassens resulted in Fearns galloping 40 yards to give Bath the interval lead.

The see-saw scoring continued after the break through penalties, until Farrell's remarkable final kick clinched victory, and a first win of the season, for the Premiership champions.

Bath coach Brad Davis:

"We went toe-to-toe with arguably the best team in the Premiership.

"At the same time we have to temper that with feeling bitterly disappointed that we couldn't control the match at the end and allowed the opposition into our half and to win that penalty.

"But what was pleasing from our perspective was that we showed a level of performance and a level of intensity that is up there with the best. In fact, but for a dubious 50-50 call at the end I thought we shaded it."

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall:

"We've got the season up and running, which is important.

"It was a disappointing start last weekend against Wasps.

"We won eight or nine of our Premiership away games last year, which proves that our players don't pick and choose when they get up for games.

"They just get up for it every week and they prepare well, whether it's at Twickenham or wherever."

Bath: Abendanon, Carraro, Hipkiss, Williams, Biggs, Vesty, Claassens, Flatman, Dixon, Palma-Newport, Attwood, Caldwell, Skirving, Fearns, Taylor.

Replacements: Catt for Flatman (61), Batty for Dixon (74), Bell for Palma-Newport (61), Mercer for Taylor (62).

Saracens: Goode, Strettle, Powell, Barritt, Short, Farrell, de Kock, Gill, Brits, Nieto, Borthwick, Botha, Melck, Saull, Joubert.

Replacements: Hodgson for Powell (51), Maddock for Short (51), Carstens for Gill (62), George for Brits (66), Vunipola for Nieto (66), Kruis for Botha (51), Fraser for Melck (71).

Sin Bin: Saull (65).

Att: 10,085

Ref: Greg Garner (RFU).

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