Bristol Bears player ratings from Saracens defeat - 'Well shackled'

Bristol Bears were defeated in a critical game in the race for the top four in the Gallagher Premiership as they were outclassed by a fantastic Saracens team and lost 41-20.

The London team weathered an early storm of Bristol possession and grew into the game fantastically, as they were clinical in attack, as well as stout in defence, and they jumped to second in the table thanks to their bonus-point victory. Tries from Maro Itoje (2), Rotimi Segun and Juan Martin Gonzalez, as well as shared kicking duties from player-of-the-match Elliot Daly, who knocked over two conversions and four penalties, and Owen Farrell, with a conversion and penalty to his name, meant Saracens scored over 40 points.

Bristol, on the other hand, could not get a foothold into the game and did not fire on all cylinders as they missed the chance to enter the top four and put themselves in playoff contention. Joe Batley and Harry Thacker were able to cross the whitewash for the Bears, AJ MacGinty kicked two penalties and a conversion, and James Williams added a conversion too, but it was nowhere near enough to challenge.

READ MORE: Bristol Bears' semi-final hopes dented by defeat to inspired Saracens

Rugby reporter Olly D'Arcy takes a closer look at the individual performances from the Bristol Bears players...

15 Max Malins - 7

A fantastic presence under the high ball as always, making no mistakes in the process throughout the first half. However, he was nullified superbly by Saracens throughout the game, and the fullback did not see much of the ball in attack. In defence, clever kicks from Daly and Farrell meant he was continually stretched all game despite his best efforts.

14 Siva Naulago - 5

It was only the fourth start for the Fijian winger this season, but it started in the worst possible way after he was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on after 13 minutes, which led to Saracens' first points of the game through a penalty, but no penalty try. However, when he came back on, a couple of magical takes and offloads highlighted the threat he carries on that wing. But a costly spill in the second half squandered a great try-scoring opportunity, and that was the best opportunity Naulago got before he was replaced after 59 minutes.

13 Benhard Janse van Rensburg - 7

It has been a simply sublime season for the South African centre, and today started with a thumping hit on Saracens prop Marco Riccioni. His rugby brain was on full display with fantastic lines and inventive kicks. However, a tackle off the ball meant a penalty was shipped in defence, the story of the first half, which allowed Saracens to take a ten-point lead at halftime. He showed his power with some very handy carries in the second half, and he was the brightest spark in what was not the greatest showing from the Bears' backs.

12 James Williams - 6

The inside centre was almost invisible to defenders as he evaded Saracens tacklers to his left and right with some first-half runs. But there were very few tackles made by the 27-year-old, allowing Saracens to take control of the game. Williams then moved into fly-half after MacGinty was forced off, and he tried to make something work for Bristol, but Saracens were so imperious in attack that it was neon impossible to get anything going, despite handling the move from 12 to 10 nicely.

11 Gabriel Ibitoye - 6

Ibitoye may not have had some of the offloads and takes that Naulago showed in the first half, but the shifty winger was always dangerous and had bags of energy, highlighted by going from corner to corner on his own five-metre line in the first half to keep the ball in hand for the Bears. There were half-breaks and chances that the 26-year-old had, and he tried his best to change the game, but a resolute Saracens defence could not be moved by the winger.

10 AJ MacGinty - 6

MacGinty started the first half strong, going three-from-three from the tee with a conversion and two penalties. The first half also saw some fantastic carries from the fly-half that kept Bristol's relentless attack moving when in Saracens' half. However, the Bears then could not regain the grip they had in the first half as Saracens grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck. MacGinty then had to leave the field after 48 minutes for a HIA, and he did not return.

9 Harry Randall - 6

In attack, the scrum half matched the tempo of the game, allowing the Bears to play the game they wanted to while in Saracens half. He was unfortunate in getting in the wrong position at the breakdown to give away a penalty when meant Saracens clawed their way back into the game from 10-0 down to 13-13. Randall tried his best to inject some more pace into the attack to try and get the Bears back into the game, but he could only do that until 59 minutes until he was replaced.

1 Ellis Genge - 5

It was a quiet start to the first 40 minutes for the loosehead prop, but after 24 minutes, Genge was the victim of a costly knock-on that let Saracens back into the game. It was one-way traffic then on for most of the game, as Genge could not help the Bears stop a sublime Saracens outfit in both defence and attack before his game was done after 67 minutes.

2 Gabriel Oghre - 4

The hooker, who is usually so dynamic in both attack and defence, did not see much of the ball at all in the first half at all. Two mistakes in the lineout capped off a poor 40 minutes for Oghre. His lineout throwing improved in the second half, but his game was done after 52 minutes.

3 Kyle Sinckler - 6

The tighthead prop started in his final game at Ashton Gate before he moves to France. He won his first battle in the scrum against Mako Vunipola, but that was all the action the 31-year-old saw in the first 40 minutes, very rarely involved in the attack play like he usually can be. Bristol tried to incorporate him a bit more as the second half started, and there were a couple of out-the-back passes from the tighthead prop, but nothing came from them before he was substituted after 62 minutes.

4 James Dun - 5

Unlike his fellow teammate in the second row, it was a much quieter first half for Dun. The 24-year-old would have wanted to have been more prominent in stopping a clinical Saracens attack, who scored 20 unanswered points to take a 23-13 lead at halftime. The lineout improved in the second half after a poor first-half showing, but 57 minutes was when Dun's shift ended.

5 Joe Batley - 6

It was the perfect start to the game for the lock who got the first try of the game after five-and-a-half minutes on the clock after a few phases of crash-ball off the back of the lineout. However, after scoring that try early in the game, there was not a lot of action for Batley, and a very poor lineout and set piece for the Bears was the biggest problem in their loss today, which Batley was very influential in.

6 Steven Luatua - 5

The former captain will stay at Ashton Gate after this season, and he found himself out on the wing for the opening carries of the game. He was involved in a head-on-head collision that saw Maro Itoje go into the sin-bin, but there was very little defensive action from the experienced flanker which meant the Bears shipped 41 points at full-time.

7 Fitz Harding (captain) - 6

Harding has taken the captaincy on superbly this season, but the first half was very different to what we have seen from the 25-year-old. The flanker did not get the carries he would have liked in the first half, and overall it was a very quiet first 40. That continued into the next 40, and although there was a brief period of opportunity for the Bears during the two-man advantage, Harding could not galvanise the team and bring them back into contention. Still, he has some engine and was in the fight until the end.

8 Magnus Bradbury - 4

Like Sinckler, it was the last home for the number eight before he makes the move to Edinburgh for the next season. However, like the captain, it was a subdued 40 minutes from the Bears' top try scorer this season. Bradbury then gave away a killer penalty while Saracens were down to 13 men and allowed the London team to overcome the two-man disadvantage and lead themselves to victory.

Replacements

16 Harry Thacker - 7

The replacement only needed 30 seconds to get himself on the scoresheet as he bundled the ball over off the back of a lineout. He looked dangerous with every carry and shrugged off multiple tackles in the process, but there was only so much he could do when coming off the bench.

17 Jake Woolmore - 6

18 Max Lahiff - 6

19 Josh Caufield - 5

20 Jake Heenan - N/A

21 Kieran Marmion - 6

22 Virimi Vakatawa - 4

The centre came on after 48 minutes as a result of MacGinty's HIA. Some power and crash-ball would have been helpful to bring the Bears back into the game, but the Frenchman knocked the ball on in contact twice inside Saracens' 22 to relieve the pressure and squander fantastic opportunities that could have brought Bristol back into the game.

23 Noah Heward - 6

Heward came off the bench and looked very handy, finding gaps that others couldn't. He almost had a try to his name after crashing over one Saracens defender, but veteran Alex Goode did just enough to dislodge the ball from a charging Heward.