Sarries can find a way to shade Bath

Saracens v Bath
BT Sport 1, 3pm Sunday

Champions Saracens can confirm they are over their wobble by beating Bath in the televised Premiership clash at Allianz Park.

A bet on the margin of victory being between one and 12 points looks best.

Third-placed Sarries, seeking a title treble, have not lost a league game at their Barnet base for a year and, after a three-game winless run in the competition, they beat Sale and Newcastle before the break for the Anglo-Welsh Cup semi-finals and final.

Bath have lost their last two league games against Wasps and Bristol and have not won away from the Rec in the Premiership since triumphing at Exeter in October. They have not prevailed in a match at a Saracens home venue for more than seven years.

However, Bath won the teams’ December meeting in the West Country 14-11 and Sarries have won the last two Allianz Park battles 19-13 and 34-24. Sarries also prevailed 28-16 in the 2015 Grand Final at Twickenham.

The teams look well matched in all areas of the pitch.

Saracens bring England men Owen Farrell, Jamie George, Maro Itoje and the Vunipola brothers back into their side and Alex Goode returns at full-back.

Bath cannot call upon 13 players because of injury but welcome back Anthony Watson, Jonathan Joseph, George Ford, Luke Charteris and Taulupe Faletau after their Six Nations exertions and Matt Banahan after a spell on the sidelines.

But there won’t be a breakdown battle between supreme South Africa flanker Francois Louw, on his 100th outing for Bath, and Sarries’ legendary Springbok backrower Schalk Burger as Burger is sidelined by a calf injury.

Recommendation
Saracens to win by one to 12 points
1pt 17-10 Betfair