Leicester, two points behind Bath at the start of the day and the only side with a realistic chance of overhauling the leaders, have surely lost all hope. Two late penalties by Andy Lee contributed a total of 20 points to the Saracens efforts and gave them a thoroughly well-merited victory over opponents who were incapable of stringing two decent passes together.It was entirely appropriate that the kick which took Saracens ahead for the first time in the match with just seven minutes remaining should have resulted from Leicester’s rank indiscipline. Aadel Kardooni was blatantly offside 45 yards out, and Lee’s penalty hovered tantalisingly above the bar before dropping over. Another penalty, also for offside, on the stroke of time was purely cosmetic but ecstatically received by a delirious crowd.Throughout the match Saracens had been the more constructive side. Unlike their opposite numbers they had looked more comfortable with the ball in their hands and despite coming under intense pressure in the scrums had always carried the greater threat in attack. Peter Harries’ try which signalled Saracens rousing recovery came from crisp accurate passing performed at great speed.

Basic stuff but quite good enough to unhinge defences in these impoverished times.Without detracting from Saracens’ performance, Leicester were indescribably awful. After their opening score five minutes into the game when Steve Hackney sped over in the corner from the wreckage of a Saracens scrum, Leicester went into a spiralling decline. John Liley did succeed with three penalties but crucially missed two fairly straightforward ones.At fly-half, Niall Malone had neither the authority nor the tactical sense to channel Leicester’s possession which, despite the absence of Neil Back who was injured and Martin Johnson who was resting before next week’s international against South Africa, was in plentiful supply. Rory Underwood, who was playing but was conspicuous by his absence both in attack and in defence, also appeared to be resting.Even on reduced power, it seemed that Leicester would win when Steve Ravenscroft meandered into midfield before sending a fatally delayed pass into Richie Robinson’s path.

The centre intercepted easily and galloped over for a try to put the Tigers nine points clear. But then came the try by Harries and the two penalties by Lee which assured him of his place in the club’s history.It is the future, however, which concerns us now. Nigel Wray, the man who has invested some of his personal fortune into Saracens, insists that he wishes to retain the heart and soul of the club and that he is prepared in the short term to lose money. But at least he has got off to a winning start.Saracens: A Tunningley; M Gregory, J Buckton, S Ravenscroft, P Harries; A Lee, B Davies (capt); R Andrews, G Botterman, S Wilson, D Brain, C Yandell, J Green, R Hill, A Diprose.Leicester: J Liley; S Hackney, S Potter, R Robinson, R Underwood; N Mallone, A Kardooni; G Rowntree, R Cockerill, D Garforth, P Grant, M Poole, J Wells, W Drake-Lee, D Richards (capt).Referee: D Chapman (Yorkshire)..

Bath 34

West Hartlepool 22
IT WAS a day more suited to water polo than rugby, and the ball sometimes appeared to be auditioning for the next Imperial Leather ad. Even the usually fly-paper hands of Jeremy Guscott were seen to spill the ball.In these conditions, Bath against West Hartlepool was never going to be a classic The home team coasted to victory But to their credit, West Hartlepool never said die. Afterwards their captain Tim Stimpson even thought that his team had “turned the corner”.When Guscott danced over after a minute and a half, a cricket score looked on the cards, but the visitors fought throughout like West Hartlepool terriers. They never once allowed Bath to get out of sight.Indeed, they posted the last two scores of the game – tries from Owen Evans after a break by Paul Hodder, and No 8 Paul Evans breaking free from a melee of players.

In the process, West Hartlepool became the first team to score three tries against Bath this season. They are obviously grittily committed, but as they remain rooted to the bottom of League One with no points to their name, they looked in need of the flair that someone like Mark Ring – mooted as a potential coach – would bring.After Guscott’s early score, West Hartlepool laid siege to the home line after a canny kick by Hodder. From a tap penalty, the tight-head prop Mike Shelley bullocked over, oblivious to two defenders clamped to his back.After Jon Callard and Stimpson had exchanged penalties, Bath produced the handling movement of the day. Callard, who had an impressively secure afternoon under the high ball and also passed the 1,000-point mark for Bath during the match, fielded a West Hartlepool kick-through on his own 22. He fed Jon Sleightholme, whose head was bandaged up like a Russian roulette player from The Deer Hunter. The Bath left-wing sliced across the field to devastating effect and put in his opposite wing, Audley Lumsden.With Martin Haag, as always, showing up well in the loose and West Hartlepool’s brave forwards visibly tiring, Bath’s pack started the second half driving forward almost at will.