Bath secured their place in the Investec Champions Cup quarter-finals with a hard-fought 31-22 victory over a determined Saracens side at The Rec. The win sets up a home tie against Northampton next weekend for a chance to advance to the semi-finals.
Saracens, coming off a heavy defeat to Bath just two weeks prior, started strongly and took a deserved 10-0 lead into halftime. A converted try from scrum-half Charlie Bracken and a penalty from Owen Farrell gave the visitors early control, disrupting Bath's set-piece and rhythm throughout the first half.
However, Bath roared back after the break, with Henry Arundell stepping in off the left wing to score their first try. Joe Cokanasiga then gathered a clever pass from Ollie Lawrence to touch down under the posts, putting Bath ahead for the first time. The home side extended their lead with a spectacular length-of-the-pitch try from Ben Spencer, sparked by a Saracens handling error.
Saracens refused to fade, with Max Malins finishing a well-worked move to close the gap. Ollie Lawrence responded for Bath, scoring by the posts, but Noah Caluori's late try—superbly converted by Fergus Burke—reduced the deficit to just four points. In the final minute, Henry Arundell sealed the victory with his second try, ensuring Bath's progression.
The introduction of South African prop Thomas du Toit at halftime proved pivotal, shoring up Bath's forward pack and turning the tide in their favor.
Bath, playing a knockout tie at home in this competition for the first time since 2002, will now host Northampton in a highly anticipated quarter-final clash. Saracens, despite the loss, showed resilience after a challenging run of form, pushing Bath until the final whistle.