Saracens secured their first Zurich Premiership victory in three games thanks
to the boot of their fly-half Luke Smith who kicked 20 points.
Opposite number Shane Drahm was also on form with his 17 points.
Bristol took an early lead with a try under the posts from openside flanker
Adam Vander after he took a short pass from skipper Jason Little.
Fly-half Drahm added the conversion and, a couple of minutes later, a 20-metre
penalty.
But the visitors were soon back on the attack, scoring a try which started
from an excellent 15-metre rolling maul from their line-out on the 22.
Skipper Kyran Bracken was held up on the line but from the scrum a long pass
found full-back Adryan Winnan in space to dash to the line.
Fly-half Luke Smith added the conversion and, on the half hour, levelled the
scores with a 30-metre penalty from in front of the posts.
But Drahm landed penalties from 40, 35 and 43 metres to two from 25 metres by
Smith which gave the home side a 19-16 interval lead.
Saracens took the lead for the first time early in the second half after Smith
landed two more long-range penalties only for Drahm, the former Queensland Reds
number 10, to level the scores from 40 metres.
On the hour Bristol lock Andrew Sheridan, in for the suspended Garath Archer,
had a try disallowed when touch judge Tony Spreadbury noticed number eight Ben
Sturnham taking a player out off the ball.
Saracens were quickly back up the other end, with hooker Matt Cairns stopped
just short of the line by Little before lock Khalid Benazzi was held up over the
line.
With Bristol on the back foot Vander was penalised close to his own line and
Smith landed his sixth penalty.
Teams:
Bristol: Best, Rees, Christophers,
Little, Nabaro, Drahm,
van Zyl, Johnstone, McCarthy, White, Sheridan, A. Brown, Short,
Vander, Sturnham.
Replacements: S. Brown for Nabaro (54), Blake for van Zyl (79),
Nelson for McCarthy (77), Brownrigg for Sturnham (77).
Not Used: Crompton, Lipman, Carrington.
Tries: Vander.
Cons: Drahm.
Pens: Drahm 5.
Saracens: Winnan, Sparg, Johnston,
Sorrell, O'Mahony, Smith,
Bracken, Harbut, Cairns, Phillips, K. Benazzi, Murray, Roche,
Roques, Cole.
Replacements: Hill for Roche (73).
Not Used: Flatman, Parkes, A. Benazzi, Walshe, Haughton, Arasa.
Tries: Winnan.
Cons: Smith.
Pens: Smith 6.
Att: 4,450
Ref: Ashley Rowden (RFU).
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