- Saracens 37-23 Newcastle
- Hosts recover from 17-3 deficit to earn bonus point victory
There was a moment midway through the first half where it seemed as if Saracens’ homecoming would be spoiled. Playing in front of a crowd on their own turf in a top-flight game for the first time since March 2020, the men in black were disjointed, disconnected and staring at a 17-3 deficit against a team they had beaten in each of their last 18 encounters.
And then Dom Morris flattened Ben Stevenson. Minutes earlier, the Saracens outside centre had been shrugged off by his opposite number who scored Newcastle’s second try in the corner. This time Morris made the hit that forced a turnover. The resulting scrum resulted in a penalty which was hoofed upfield by Owen Farrell. And though the subsequent lineout came to nothing, Saracens stayed camped inside Falcons territory and would only leave once their maul had secured a penalty try and Newcastle hooker George McGuigan was shown a yellow for cynical play.