Shaky Saracens narrowly avoid Champions Cup shock in London

Saracens returned to the top table of European rugby with a hard-fought 30-26 Heineken Champions Cup win over Edinburgh at a freezing StoneX Stadium.

After missing two years of the competition through suspension, the three-time winners produced a rusty performance and it was not until late on that they were able to subdue a spirited Edinburgh.

Elliot Daly, Alex Lewington, Ben Earl and Tom Woolstencroft scored Saracens’ tries, with Owen Farrell adding two conversions and two penalties.

Luan de Bruin and Wes Goosen touched down for Edinburgh, with Emiliano Boffelli converting both tries and kicking four penalties.

Edinburgh took a fifth-minute lead when prop De Bruin forced his way over from close range but the hosts’ response was quick.

A speculative cross-field chip from Farrell was collected by Daly, who brushed aside a weak tackling attempt from Duhan van der Merwe to score. Farrell converted from the touchline to leave the scores level at the end of an evenly-contested first quarter.

Farrell missed a chance to put Saracens in front as his 45-metre penalty sailed wide with Boffelli then illustrating how it should be done by succeeding with a kick from similar range.

The Scottish side suffered a blow when try-scorer De Bruin was forced to leave the field with a shoulder injury. He was replaced by WP Nel but Edinburgh overcame that setback to extend their lead with another penalty from Boffelli.

From the restart, Edinburgh infringed for their opponents to capitalise when Earl finished off an unstoppable driving line-out.

Farrell’s conversion attempt hit a post before Boffelli kicked his third penalty to leave the visitors with a 16-12 interval lead.

Edinburgh centre Mark Bennett failed an HIA so was unable to return for the start of the second half and the away side soon suffered another blow when they conceded a third try.

A superbly-judged kick ahead from Daly saw Lewington collect and race over in the corner, although Farrell was unable to add the extras as he missed his third kick of the afternoon.

In contrast, Boffelli was on fire with his kicking and succeeded with his fourth penalty to put Edinburgh back in front.

Saracens were continually on the wrong side of Georgian referee Nika Amashukeli, who regularly penalised them at the breakdown and going into the final quarter, they were still trailing 19-17.

A repeat of last season’s European Challenge Cup victory at the StoneX looked a distinct possibility for Edinburgh but Farrell found his kicking boots to succeed with two penalties in quick succession.

The visitors then missed a gilt-edged chance to put Saracens back under pressure with time running out.

Replacement Damien Hoyland intercepted the ball on the halfway line but Daly got back to make his opponent turn inside. Hoyland dithered before passing, with the ball being moved wide where James Lang was held up over the line.

Edinburgh were crestfallen at their failure to score and were made to pay when Woolstencroft scored Saracens’ bonus-point try, with visiting hooker Stuart McNally sin-binned for a deliberate off-side.

Edinburgh would not lie down, though, and a break from Blair Kinghorn creating a try for Goosen before Nel was yellow-carded for a tip tackle, but they were still able to hang on to a deserved bonus point.