Saracens 29-36 Bath
Champions recover from 14-0 down in bonus-point win
In the battle of the X-factor wingers with England ambitions, fleetness of foot edged out the head for heights. Henry Arundell came out on top of a captivating duel with Noah Caluori to crown a fine individual showing with a second try and finally sink Saracens. That the Bath head coach offered comparisons with Bryan Habana is a demonstration of just how impressive Arundell’s performance was.
It may be reductive to condense such an absorbing, chaotic multifaceted contest into a singular head‑to‑head but the contest between Caluori and Arundell was thrilling. Saracens’ early ascendancy owed much to Caluori’s aerial skills – Owen Farrell kicked for him to chase four times in the opening eight minutes – while Bath’s revival from 14-3 down was sparked by an Arundell intercept that had Johann van Graan recalling Habana in his heyday. He finished off the decisive score four minutes from time and held up well in the face of Saracens’ aerial bombardment, with Caluori’s influence waning in the second half.
Arundell appeared for England only off the bench against Fiji in the autumn series but his defensive showing and blistering pace should make Steve Borthwick take notice. Habana made intercepts such as Arundell’s here his trademark and England would clearly benefit from such a potent weapon of their own.
