Malins double sees Saracens edge Bristol in thriller at Spurs’ stadium

Owen Farrell capped his first appearance since November with 12 points as Saracens squeezed past Bristol in an entertaining clash to cement their hold on second place in the table. The Bears thought they had won the match with a dramatic try in the final minute, but the last pass from the captain Joe Joyce to Jack Bates was adjudged to be forward and Saracens could breathe again.

It was the right decision by the referee Christophe Ridley but, ultimately, heart-breaking for Bristol, who stuck in the fight against a Saracens side who struggled to find top gear. They had their moments but will be pleased to get away with the victory and to have welcomed Farrell back for 70 minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

When he made way, Saracens had a four-point lead thanks to two tries from Max Malins, energised again after he was axed by Eddie Jones for England’s final Six Nations match against France. Farrell had survived a scare when a high tackle on Piers O’Conor was reviewed and his afternoon was cut short by a head injury assessment. His director of rugby, Mark McCall, will just be happy to see Farrell back on the field, however. Not to mention Jones.

Farrell’s left leg was heavily strapped and, though he took the kick-off, he took a little while to establish himself in the match. He was hesitant when receiving a high kick from Bristol and, before he had time to get rid of the cobwebs, Bristol were a try to the good. It was no less than Pat Lam’s side deserved, Antoine Frisch powering past Nick Tompkins a little too easily for McCall’s liking and dotting down under the posts.

Farrell was instrumental in Saracens’ swift response, however. He swivelled on a wayward pass expertly before shipping on to Ben Earl, who released