Bristol clinch victory against Saracens after dramatic finish to tense match

• Bristol Bears 16 Saracens 12

One wonders what Semi Radradra must have made of it all. With just four minutes remaining the Fijian superstar, the highest profile recruit of all the Premiership lockdown signings, had found himself a bit-part figure in a rain-soaked contest that appeared to be grinding to a gritty Saracens’ victory.

Yet if the action in the previous 76 minutes had been largely mundane, with Alex Goode kicking four penalties to three by Callum Sheedy, Radradra was to discover that more often than the Premiership can be the most exacting of competitions, with games capable of being won and lost in just a handful of minutes.

And so it proved as the return of the Premiership after five months served up its first real drama, as Pat Lam’s side snatched a victory in a compelling and controversial final three minutes, with Radradra making the most unlikely of contributions.

The decision moment came after Goode, who had only moments earlier landed his fourth penalty, had been penalised for playing the ball in an offside position after Rotimi Segun had knocked the ball forward from a box kick.

From the line-out, Bristol drove to the line with Radradra, whose attacking prowess had been ominous in the challenging conditions, instead choosing the race from the midfield to join a 12-man maul that drove over the Saracens line.

Siale Piutau appeared to have grounded the ball over the line and although the review showed his foot had gone into touch, Jamie George was adjudged to have come in from the side and referee Matthew Carley awarded a penalty try, with the England hooker earning a yellow card.

Yet there was still time for more drama as Saracens, despite already knowing their fate in this league following their relegation for their salary cap breaches, responded with vigour and came agonisingly close to snatching the result.

Saracens won a penalty from an attack from a scrum and kicked to the corner on three occasions as they attempted to maul their way over the line after hitting Maro Itoje. On the second occasion Max Lahiff was sent to the sin bin, with Saracens frustrated that they were not awarded a penalty try when the maul was brought down. But their hopes were dashed when Itoje could not hold the third throw and it was left to England prop Kyle Sinckler, making his Bristol debut from the bench, to smash the ball into touch on the half-volley to seal the win.

“These are tough games to play and if we want to be the team we want to win we have to win in different styles,” said Lam, who may well look back on those final four minutes at the business end of the league and come to cherish their significance.

“It was a game that was going to go to the death with the way the teams were playing and the conditions. The boys took it nicely.

“We didn't have enough time on the ball, but our defence was massive. There was a lot of heart in that and good teams when they need to defend, they defend. Everyone knows us for our attack - but we want to get our defence right too.”

Piutau, who also delivered an impressive defensive display, claimed the manner of the victory was indicative of the character of the side.

"We were up for this match and knew it would be an arm wrestle and come down to the last minute,” said Piutau. "It came down to the error at the end and we were quite fortunate to take that win. We are in a good place - out culture is based on love and we are showing a lot of love for each other."

Saracens showed that despite knowing their fate that will continue to be ferociously competitive as they build towards their Champions Cup quarter-final against Leinster in September. "It's always frustrating to come out the wrong side, but it was a game that could have gone either way,” said Mark McCall, the Saracens director of rugby. “Our attitude was good, out physicality and energy was good.

"But our set piece wasn't good enough and we had countless chances 5m from their line and their scrum wasn't up the level I expect.”

Match details

Scoring sequence: 0-3, Goode pen; 0-6, Goode pen; 3-6, Sheedy pen, 6-6, Sheedy pen; 6-9, Goode pen, 9-9, Sheedy pen; 9-12, Goode pen; 16-12, pen try.

Bristol Bears: C Piutau; L Morahan, S Radradra, S Piutau, H Purdy; C Sheedy, H Randall (A Uren 66); J Woolmore (M Lahiff 58) B Byrne (H Thacker 46), J Afoa (K Sinckler 46), D Attwood (E Holmes 58), C Vui, S Luatua, D Thomas, N Hughes (B Earls 41).

Replacements: Thacker, Lahiff, Sinckler, Holmes, Earl, Uren, Lloyd, Leiua.

Saracens: S Maitland; A Lewington (Woolstencroft 78), D Morris, J P Socino, R Segun; A Goode, R Wigglesworth (A Davies 66); M Vunipola (E Mawi 71), J George, V Koch (A Clarey 58), M Itoje, Hunter-Hill, Rhodes, Wray (S Reffell 69), B Vunipola.

Referee: M Carley (RFU)