Champions Cup: Saracens handle stormy conditions to overpower Bulls

Champions Cup: Saracens handle stormy conditions to overpower Bulls

Saracens delivered a commanding second-half performance to defeat the Bulls 27-5 in a storm-affected Champions Cup encounter at a blustery London venue.

Storm Darragh's impact brought challenging conditions, but the home side capitalised on their experience to secure a bonus-point victory.

The Bulls began brightly, with Sebastian De Klerk scoring a try in the 11th minute, assisted by Willie le Roux, giving the visitors an early lead.

However, Saracens responded through Marco Riccioni's try after sustained pressure. Fergus Burke's penalty conversion in the 36th minute gave Saracens a slender 8-5 lead at half-time, despite an earlier miss that rattled the upright.

The second half belonged to Saracens. Their clinical execution saw Jamie George score from a driving maul, followed by a powerful try from Tom Willis, set up by Eroni Mawi's incisive run.

Ben Earl sealed the bonus point with a dazzling finish in the corner, fending off multiple defenders.

Burke's accurate kicking added two conversions in tricky conditions, underscoring Saracens' dominance.

The Bulls struggled to maintain discipline, with Jannes Kirsten receiving a yellow card for a head-on-head collision and De Klerk sin-binned for repeated infringements.

Reduced to 13 men, the visitors failed to build on their promising start and were unable to add to their first-half tally.

Saracens' key players shone, with Riccioni, Burke, and Earl playing pivotal roles. For the Bulls, De Klerk's early try and Kirsten's defensive effort against Maro Itoje were rare highlights. 

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