Heineken Champions Cup: Saracens 30-26 Edinburgh - hosts come from behind to win
- Published
Alex Lewington scored the pick of Saracens' four tries in the win over Edinburgh
Heineken Champions Cup: Saracens v Edinburgh |
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Saracens (12) 30 |
Tries: Daly, Earl, Lewington, Woolstencroft Cons: Farrell 2 Pens: Farrell 2 |
Edinburgh (16) 26 |
Tries: De Bruin, Goosen Cons: Boffelli 2 Pens: Boffelli 4 |
Saracens battled hard to overturn a half-time deficit and earn a 30-26 bonus-point win over Edinburgh in their Heineken Champions Cup opener.
Edinburgh scored the opening try through Luan de Bruin, before Elliot Daly crossed for the hosts.
Ben Earl added a second try before the break but the boot of Emiliano Boffelli meant Edinburgh led 16-12 at half time.
Alex Lewington and Tom Woolstencroft sealed the bonus point but a Wes Goosen score earned Edinburgh a losing bonus.
Premiership leaders Sarries came into the game in form having won their opening nine league matches, but it was the visitors who took the early initiative at StoneX Stadium.
The visitors played with intent and were rewarded for choosing to kick for touch instead of the posts when De Bruin powered over from the resulting line-out.
Daly got the hosts up and running as he gathered Owen Farrell's crossfield kick to beat his defender and score Sarries' first try, before Earl caught an attacking line-out and was driven over the line by his team-mates for the second.
Boffelli's four penalties edged the visitors in front at the break but then Lewington scored the try of the game as Daly turned from scorer to provider with a pin-point kick through for his winger to catch and dot down.
Farrell stretched the hosts' lead by six points with two penalties before nearly gifting Edinburgh the lead.
Damien Hoyland intercepted Farrell's pass to run clear, only to be hauled down metres from the Sarries line. The ball was recycled but Farrell, aided by team-mate Nick Tompkins, held it up to deny the visitors.
Then, after turning defence into attack, Tom Woolstencroft powered over from close range to seal the victory and the bonus point, before Edinburgh claimed a deserved losing bonus point as Goosen dotted down late on.
Line-ups
Saracens: Daly; Lewington, Lozowski, Tomkins Maitland; Farrell, Van Zyl; M Vunipola, George, Riccioni, Itoje, Tizard, McFarland, Earl, B Vunipola.
Replacements: Woolstencroft, Mawi, Clarey, Hunter-Hill, Christie, Wray, Davies, Goode.
Edinburgh: Boffelli; Goosen, Bennett, Lang, Van der Merwe; Kinghorn, Vellacott; Schoeman, McInally, De Bruin, Hodgson, Gilchrist, Ritchie, Crosbie, Mata.
Replacements: Harrison, Venter, Nel, Sykes, Muncaster, Shiel, Savala, Hoyland.