Bristol signed Fred Davies from Doncaster Knights as emergency cover to boost their beleagured squad but they drew first blood when captain Harding burst over from a line-out on the right to cross over near the posts.

Saracens responded with a Burke penalty before Willis touched down from a rolling maul following a line-out to give them an 8-7 lead.

Tizard extended Saracens’ advantage on 20 minutes when he pirouetted over for a try before Thacker popped out at the back of a maul to run round and make it 15-12.

Bristol then went to sleep, racking up 15 missed tackles, as Burke made the break far too easily before feeding Segun to score a simple try.

Three minutes later Earl went over for Sarries’ fourth and bonus-point try and they were threatening to win by a wide margin.

But then it was their turn to switch off and Argentinian Moroni took advantage to touch down and make it 29-19.

Back came Saracens and the visitors scored their fifth try of the match three minutes before half-time when prop Jamie George produced an outrageous pass for Burke to score.

The second half was subdued compared to the try-fest in the first and Bristol sensed an opportunity when Theo McFarland was sin-binned for pulling a maul down near the line.

Joe Batley was fortunate not to be red-carded for a head-on-head clash with Maro Itoje and Bristol took full advantage when Kalaveti Ravouvou went over on the left to cut the deficit to 34-26 with just seven minutes remaining.

Itoje was shown a yellow card and Ravouvou had a second try chalked off for a knock-on during a nervy finale.

But then Ravouvou was sin-binned and Saracens’ Elliott intercepted the ball as Bristol tried to run out from inside their own 22 to seal a win which keeps them firmly in the hunt for a play-off place.

Bristol: Heward; Ravouvou, Moroni, Janse van Rensburg, Ibitoye; Jordan, Marmion; Genge, Thacker, Kloska, Dun, Batley, Owen, Harding (capt), Grondona.

(29 apps).

Replacements: Gwilliam, Woolmore, ⁠⁠Lahiff, ⁠⁠Taylor, Cripps, ⁠⁠Randall, Williams, Bates.

Saracens: Malins; Caluori, Tompkins, Hartley, Segun; Burke, Bracken; Mawi, George, Street, Itoje (capt), Tizard, Isiekwe, Earl, Willis.

Replacements: Dan, Carre, Clarey, McFarland, Michelow, van Zyl, Farrell, Elliott.

Referee: Christophe Ridley

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