SARAC
No.Name
15Alex Goode, FB
14Chris Ashton, W
13Marcelo Bosch, C
12Brad Barritt, C
11Sean Maitland, W
10Alex Lozowski, FH
T
3
3
9Richard Wigglesworth, SH
1Mako Vunipola, P
2Jamie George, H
T
3Petrus Du Plessis, P
4Maro Itoje, L
5George Kruis, L
6Jackson Wray, FL
7Schalk Burger, FL
T
8Billy Vunipola, N8
Replacements
16Schalk Brits, R
17Richard Barrington, R
18Juan Figallo, R
19Jim Hamilton, R
20Michael Rhodes, R
21Ben Spencer, R
T
22Duncan Taylor, R
23Mike Ellery, R

*Players currently on the pitch are shown in bold

Game Info

Venue: Twickenham
2:00 PM, September 3, 2016
All CommentaryKey Events

Match Commentary

81'35-3 End of second half
80'PEEP PEEP PEEP! That's the fulltime whistle and Saracens have run away with it. The opening 40 was very shaky, but the second period saw the champions play tougher rugby and earn that bonus point via Ben Spencer's late try. Worcester won't have been expecting much from this fixture. And rightly so, because they didn't get anything.
78'Twickenham is almost silent as the game edges towards... hold on! Saracens' Ben Spencer breaks the line, steps one tackler, steps another, then dives over for the bonus-point try. That'll wake them up in the stands!

78'35-3 Try - Ben Spencer , Saracens
72'Saracens put the ball through the phases on the halfway line as they await the final whistle. Worcester must be given credit for cracking on with the tackling, though.
71'Player substituted - GJ van Velze , Worcester Warriors
71'Substitute on - Phil Dowson , Worcester Warriors
69'Substitute on - Mike Ellery , Saracens
69'Player substituted - Brad Barritt , Saracens
68'Substitute on - Perry Humphreys , Worcester Warriors
68'Player substituted - Cooper Vuna , Worcester Warriors
67'Johnston is back on the field but you have to say this game is already gone for Worcester.
65'Saracens' possession and pressure is really suffocating Worcester in this second-half. They just can't get their hands on the ball.
64'Substitute on - Jim Hamilton , Saracens
64'Player substituted - George Kruis , Saracens
62'Player substituted - Jonny Arr , Worcester Warriors
62'Substitute on - Luke Baldwin , Worcester Warriors
61'With Johnston in the bin we've gone to uncontested scrums. This game is just waiting for a final whistle, and we've still go 20 minutes to go. Saracens must be aiming for a bonus point.
58'And that's the game. Schalk Burger barrels over for a try on his Saracens debut and Worcester look dead and buried.

58'Player substituted - Ryan Lamb , Worcester Warriors
58'Substitute on - Tom Heathcote , Worcester Warriors
58'30-3 Conversion - Alex Lozowski , Saracens
58'Player substituted - Marcelo Bosch , Saracens
58'Substitute on - Duncan Taylor , Saracens
58'Substitute on - Richard Barrington , Saracens
58'Player substituted - Mako Vunipola , Saracens
57'28-3 Try - Schalk Burger , Saracens
57'Substitute on - Ben Spencer , Saracens
57'Player substituted - Richard Wigglesworth , Saracens
56'Yellow card - James Johnston , Worcester Warriors
55'Worcester's James Johnston is off to the bin! The prop catches Sean Maitland with a swinging arm in the tackle and is immediately shown yellow. To be fair to the big man, he apologised immediately, but that could put Worcester to bed.

55'Substitute on - Na'ama Leleimalefaga , Worcester Warriors
55'Player substituted - Val Rapava-Ruskin , Worcester Warriors
52'Player substituted - Jackson Wray , Saracens
52'Substitute on - Michael Rhodes , Saracens
52'Player substituted - Jamie George , Saracens
52'Substitute on - Schalk Brits , Saracens
52'23-3 Conversion - Alex Lozowski , Saracens
51'Floodgates about to open? Saracens have their second try after Billy V does the damage to put his side in an excellent position inside the Worcester 5m line. The ball finds its way to Alex Lozowski, who coasts in to put the champions comfortably ahead.
51'21-3 Try - Alex Lozowski , Saracens
51'Substitute on - Schalk Brits , Saracens
51'Player substituted - Niall Annett , Worcester Warriors
51'Substitute on - Jaba Bregvadze , Worcester Warriors
51'Player substituted - Phil Dowson , Worcester Warriors
51'Substitute on - Christian Scotland-Williamson , Worcester Warriors
51'Substitute on - Alafoti Faosiliva , Worcester Warriors
51'Player substituted - Tevita Cavubati , Worcester Warriors
50'POST! Sarries' Alex Goode shoes a penalty from the left but can only find the right stick.
46'16-3 Conversion - Alex Lozowski , Saracens
45'Well it wasn't pretty but Saracens have the first try of their title defence. Worcester give away a sloppy penalty, which Sarries kick to the corner. Jamie George through in, George Kruis sets up the maul, and George joins in to flop down over the line. A nice way to mark his 150th fist team appearance.
45'14-3 Try - Jamie George , Saracens
43'9-3 Penalty goal - Alex Lozowski , Saracens
42'We're back underway at Twickenham and, unfortunately, it's rather more of the same. Little in the way of electricity or invention on the field so far.
41'Player substituted - Petrus Du Plessis , Saracens
41'Substitute on - Juan Figallo , Saracens
41'+26-3 End of first half
41'+26-3 Penalty goal - Alex Lozowski , Saracens
40'
40'Well it's hardly been a blockbuster first-half at Twickenham as Saracens take a 6-3 lead into the break. Perhaps the classic encounter between Gloucester and Leicester on Friday evening used up all the excitement rugby had to offer this weekend. We can only hope for a better second 40.
40'6-3 Start of second half
38'Worcester's Cooper Vuna is penalised for failing to allow Sean Maitland to get up after the tackle. Lozowski has another shot at goal from the left touchline... and he gets it.
38'The absence of Owen Farrell is being felt as Saracens' stand-in fly-half Alex Lozowski misses a second kick of the afternoon. Sarries should be 9-3 up by now.
36'Ashton is furious as Saracens see the ball roll into touch after an unnecessarily fussy passage of passing comes to nothing in the Worcester 22.
33'
32'You can't hold Saracens back for long! The black jerseys go swarming forward and Billy Vunipola punches a hole in the Worcester line. Alex Goode recycles out to Chris Ashton on the wing. He's held up, George Kruis collects the loose ball and goes piling forward, but a TMO referral shows he hasn't quite made the tryline. No score, but the best moment of the match by far.
27'
27'Finally the game breaks down and we have some running rugby. Alex Goode throws a lovely pass off the left hand as Saracens break, but Lozowski is then penalised for holding onto the ball on the deck. Worcester have a welcome defensive penalty.
26'3-3 Penalty goal - Ryan Lamb , Worcester Warriors
25'Not a bad start from the minnows Worcester. Ryan Lamb boots a penalty to put them 3-3 with the champions after 25 minutes.

It hasn't been a thriller, but it's effective if you're a Warriors fan.
24'Substitute on - James Johnston , Worcester Warriors
24'Player substituted - Nic Schonert , Worcester Warriors
22'
20'Oh dear! Lozowski misses his second attempt at the posts, from a similar position as his first kick. That won't help any nerves the new man might be feeling.
16'Ben Te'o retrieves the ball from Worcester's kickoff and hurtles down the right wing with Saracens' Alex Goode in hot pursuit. The Sarries fullback puts in a crunching tackle to halt the Warriors signing on the touchline.
16'3-0 Penalty goal - Alex Lozowski , Saracens
15'Finally a shot at the posts. Worcester are pinged for going in off their feet and Saracens new boy Alex Lozowski kicks a clean penalty between the sticks.
13'The Twickenham crowd is currently subdued, to say the least. Come on fellas, show them some attacking rugby!
10'The game's being played almost exclusively on the halfway line at the moment. Saracens boot a penalty towards the Worcester 22 for an attacking lineout.
4'
3'Little in the way of attacking opportunities to be had in a cagey opening, but both sides are playing some good rugby. Neither can establish any territory, though.
1'
1'Hello and welcome to ESPN's live coverage of the first chapter in today's London double-header.

Saracens kick off their title defence against minnows Worcester at Twickenham this afternoon, but have an unfamiliar look to their backline as new face Alex Lozowski comes in at fly-half. With Charlie Hodgson retired and Owen Farrell unavailable, 23-year-old Lozowski has been thrown in at the deep end.

After Sarries vs. Warriors, stay with us for commentary from Harlequins vs. Bristol as the first Aviva Premiership Saturday of the season gets underway in style.
1'0-0 Start of first half