Sad Sarries can’t Mont a challenge
SARACENS’ Champions Cup hat-trick dream is hanging by a thread after they were handed a seventh successive defeat.
Owen Farrell’s team twice blew the lead to crash 24-21 at CLERMONT, beating the double European champions for the second time in six days.
The Londoners claimed the game’s only two tries, through Ben Spencer and Alex Lozowski, but defeat drops them to third in Pool 2, with only one club sure to qualify.
In the same pool, Harry Mallinder (below) bagged a try for NORTHAMPTON in Saints’ first game since sacking his dad Jim as team boss.
But it was not enough to save them from a 10th defeat in 11 games, 32-15 to OSPREYS in Swansea.
WASPS fared far better against Pool 1 leaders LA ROCHELLE, handing the French league leaders their first loss in the competition, 21-3 at the Ricoh.
But it came at a price with injuries to Jimmy Gopperth and Elliot Daly (above, left), who had earlier helped himself to two tries.
“The kid does not come off for much,” Wasps boss Dai Young said of Daly. “He would not come off, if it was an insignificant injury, but I would like to think it is not something too serious.
“Jimmy looks a bit more serious. It is a tweak of his knee so will need a scan.”
If Nathan Hughes-inspired Wasps were impressive, so too were BATH who avenged last week’s loss at TOULON with a 26-21 home win.
Star of the show, with two dazzling tries, was England full-back Anthony Watson.