Schalk Brits came off the bench and scored his first try for the club as Saracens went top of the Guinness Premiership after a 19-16 win over Gloucester.

Sarries are the only side left in the competition with a 100 per cent record after they secured their fourth consecutive win in their first match at Vicarage Road this season. The Men in Black overcame a shocking start when they conceded a third-minute try and their sheer persistence proved the difference as South African Brits burst through to score the 68th minute winner. It was a far from convincing performance but the doggedness of Sarries carried them through to another tense victory.

The home side made four changes to the team which posted a rare away win at Harlequins last weekend. Steve Borthwick was passed fit to play after recovering from a rib injury and he started alongside full debutant Mouritz Botha. Glen Jackson was recalled in place of Derick Hougaard at fly-half and Wikus van Heerden returned at flanker at the expense of Michael Owen. Fabio Ongaro also made his first start of the season with Brits settling for a place on the bench.

The Men in Black suffered a horrendous start to the match when they conceded the first try after only three minutes. Saracens clumsily lost their own lineout by the five-metre line and scrum-half Rory Lawson danced his way through the defence to score. Nicky Robinson added the conversion to give the Cherry and Whites an early advantage.

But Sarries responded quickly by adding two penalties from the boot of Glen Jackson which reduced the deficit to just one point. The hosts lost their skipper Borthwick after 13 minutes when he went off with a blood injury, after an alleged stamp by Olivier Azam, and was replaced by Hugh Vyvyan.

The visitors were given their first penalty of the game midway through the half and Welsh international Robinson kicked over the three points. Saracens again narrowed the margin to a point after 29 minutes when Jackson fired over a penalty on the right side of the pitch.

Saracens conceded another penalty five minutes before half-time and Robinson maintained his consistency by sending Gloucester into a 13-9 lead. The visitors were reduced to 14 men just before the break when they failed to heed the warning from the referee over ill-discipline. Lawson was sin-binned for killing the ball but Jackson’s penalty attempt sailed wide of the post.

The Men in Black made a decent start to the second half as Kiwi Jackson struck a drop goal between the Gloucester posts. But no sooner had that gone over the visitors regained the four-point lead through another Robinson penalty kick.

Saracens survived an almighty scare when the Cherry and Whites appeared odds on to score a second try. The visitors broke clear and Robinson had acres of space as he ran towards the line but Alex Goode made a remarkable last-ditch tackle to take the ball out of play. It was a great escape and proved to be a turning point in the contest.

Mark McCall, standing in for the absent Brendan Venter, who was in South Africa on a family commitment, brought on a new front row after 49 minutes introducing Brits, Matias Aguero and Richard Skuse in place of Rhys Gill, Ongaro and Carlos Nieto. Sarries had the chance to close the gap but Jackson’s patchy performance continued when he miscued his penalty attempt.

The home side were struggling to get many attacking moves going and wing Richard Haughton was introduced to the action with 16 minutes remaining in place of Noah Cato. And the changes paid off with replacement Brits rewarded with Sarries’crucial try. One of their few attacks was enough to get them off the mark with Brad Barritt bursting towards the line. The home pressure continued and the speed of hooker Brits took him past the defence and over for the crucial score. Jackson added the conversion as Saracens went in front for the first time in the match.

There was still time for the visitors but they wasted the chance to snatch a draw when Robinson sent a drop goal attempt wide with one minute remaining.

Saracens: Goode, Cato (Haughton, 64), Ratuvou, Barritt, Wyles, Jackson, De Kock (Marshall, 63); Gill (Aguero,49), Ongaro (Brits, 49), Nieto (Skuse, 49), Borthwick (Vyvyan, 13), Botha, Van Heerden, Saull (Owen, 64), Joubert

Gloucester: Voyce, Simpson-Daniel, Tindall, Fuimaono-Sapolu, Vainikolo, Robinson, Lawson; Dickinson, Azam (Lawson, 58), Doran-Jones (Capdeville, 53), Buxton, Brown, Strokosch, Qera (Hazell, 53), Eustace

Scoring: 0-5, 0-7, 3-7, 6-7, 6-10, 9-10, 9-13 HT 12-13, 12-16, 17-16, 19-16

Referee: Martin Fox

Attendance: 7,777