Gaffney hails free-flowing Bath

Saracens boss Alan Gaffney reckons Wasps could be the only team equipped to stop Bath's bid for Guinness Premiership title glory.

Saracens boss Alan Gaffney reckons Wasps could be the only team equipped to stop Bath's bid for Guinness Premiership title glory.

Bath stormed into the play-offs after crushing Saracens 66-21 on Saturday, scoring nine tries and seeing centre Olly Barkley amass 31 points.

Four of the touchdowns came in 18 minutes during a first-half when Bath were so dominant that Saracens ended it 45-0 adrift.

Gaffney admitted: “It is going to take a very good defensive side to hold them out.

“You have got to slow down their offload game – Bath are the best team in the Premiership at offloading in the tackle – although Wasps could possibly do that.

“But there is no doubt Bath are going to be in there with a shout. In all my coaching career, I don't think I've ever had 66 points scored against me.”

Heineken Cup semi-finalists Saracens have conceded 21 tries and 145 points in their last three Premiership games.

Gaffney added: “We allowed Bath to dominate.

“We let them play at a pace they wanted to, and we couldn't live with them.”

Barkley (2), Michael Lipman (2), Butch James, Joe Maddock, Daniel Browne, Andrew Higgins and Matt Banahan – his 10th Premiership try of the campaign – all breached Saracens' defence.

Barkley also landed 10 out of 10 goal-kicks, leaving him one short of the all-time Premiership record for one game – 32 – jointly held by Niall Woods and Tim Stimpson.

Victory over Gloucester at Kingsholm next Saturday would probably be enough to secure a home play-off for Bath, while the west country club also have a European Challenge Cup final against Worcester ahead of them.

Head coach Steve Meehan said: “It is very difficult to come out with the same sort of intensity in the second-half when you are 45 points up.

“When I was assistant coach at Stade Français, Nick Mallett used to say you could tell how motivated a side were by their defence.

“We wanted to test Saracens in defence, and this was always going to be a really big ask for them after their European semi-final just six days ago.” Meehan also paid tribute to another outstanding display by England flanker Lipman, who was a thorn in Saracens' side throughout the game.

Meehan added: “He made some bone-crunching tackles, and there is a real intensity about his game at the moment.

“We know he is good on the ground, and we know he is good over the ball. He is just an outstanding forward.”

Worcester ensured there was no victorious Memorial Stadium farewell for Bristol after a late Shane Drahm kick gave the Warriors a 22-21 success.

Bristol will play at Rodney Parade for the next two seasons while the Memorial Stadium undergoes extensive development work that will turn it into an 18,500-capacity venue.

Jason Strange kept Bristol in the hunt with seven penalties, but Worcester scored tries through Miles Benjamin, Sam Tuitupou and Rico Gear.

Worcester rugby director Mike Ruddock said: “There was some resolute defence, and we showed some passion and pride.

“We did that little bit extra when the chips were down and our backs were against the wall – that sort of character shone through.”

For Bristol boss Richard Hill, next season's planning is already well underway towards an ultimate aim of restoring Bristol's place at the top of English rugby.

Hill said: “The last five years has included the club finishing ninth in Division One and then champions, 11th in the Premiership and then third last season, which was our highest-ever finish and secured qualification for the Heineken Cup.

“I think we can say the rugby club is back now, and our next five years will be about getting the club back to the top of English rugby.

“We have two years at Newport before returning to an exciting new stadium.”