Aviva Premiership round-up: Saracens maintain unbeaten start, as Bath get back to winning ways

Wasps 16-26 Saracens

Saracens maintained their unbeaten record to return to the top of the Aviva Premiership table with a 26-16 victory over Wasps at the Ricoh Arena.

After last week's impressive European Cup win over Bath, Wasps were hugely disappointing before a crowd of 24,053.

The hosts tried to play Saracens at their own kicking game but the tactic failed as their set-piece malfunctioned and they made a host of elementary errors.

Saracens did the basics far better with former Wasp Billy Vunipola their outstanding performer.

Wasps missed key players Nathan Hughes and George Smith, who were both injured, with Thomas Young and Guy Thompson replacing them in the back row.

Despite this, the hosts were still in contention at 9-9 at the end of the quarter but two tries in three minutes from Duncan Taylor and Owen Farrell turned the game the visitors' way.

Farrell converted both tries and kicked four penalties as Saracens took their winning run over their rivals to nine games.

Wasps could only manage a late try from Frank Halai, converted by Jimmy Gopperth, who kicked two penalties. Elliot Daly added another.

Bath 21-14 Worcester

Bath posted only a third Aviva Premiership win of the season - and their first since the beginning on November - by edging out Worcester 21-14 at the Recreation Ground.

Bath showed several changes from the side crushed 36-10 by Champions Cup opponents Wasps eight days ago - the club's heaviest European home defeat - as they looked to ignite a Premiership campaign that had barely flickered.

First-half tries by centre Ollie Devoto and wing Horacio Agulla underpinned Bath's success, although Worcester proved predictably dogged opponents during an often dour struggle.

Wales international fly-half Rhys Priestland kicked three penalties and a conversion, while Worcester replied through a Cooper Vuna try, plus two penalties from former Bath number ten Tom Heathcote and a long-range Ryan Mills strike.

Priestland, who was handed a rare start instead of England fly-half George Ford since his move from the Scarlets earlier this year, drove Bath to victory by cleverly mixing his running and kicking game.

He was the one player on show consistently capable of making right decisions under pressure.

And it was just what Bath required ahead of a gruelling run of fixtures; travelling to Newcastle at the weekend, which is followed by a European Champions Cup double header against Toulon. A meeting with Leinster in Dublin comes in the middle of those two clashes, before they then visit Premiership leaders Saracens on January 30.