Saracens completed their second win over Bath in a week as they opened their LV Anglo Welsh Cup campaign with a 30-22 victory at Vicarage Road.

The visitors caused Sarries plenty of problems and scored three tries with a brace coming from Jonny Faamatuainu but the hosts did just enough for the win. Saracens attacked with real purpose and were rewarded with tries from Justin Melck and Richard Haughton and 20 points from the boot of Glen Jackson as they got the better of their Guinness Premiership rivals again.

Kevin Sorrell led out the side on his 300th appearance for the Men in Black as he formed an experienced partnership in the centre with Rodd Penney. Michael Tagicakibau was picked on the wing with Michael Horak at full back and Kevin Barrett at scrum-half. Hooker Ethienne Reynecke was brought into the side with Tom Mercey handed a start alongside him in the front row.

Good work by Ernst Joubert deep in the Bath half early on led to a penalty for the hosts and Jackson booted them in front. But the visitors stunned the Guinness Premiership leaders with a try out of nothing after ten minutes. Faamatuainu picked up the ball midway through the Saracens half from a visiting scrum and darted down the left wing to score and hand Bath the lead. Nicky Little missed the conversion for Steve Meehan’s outfit.

Saracens responded strongly and came agonisingly close to their own try with bursts to the edge of the line from Wikus van Heerden and Penney but Bath’s defence survived the pressure. The Men in Black did manage their second penalty after 21 minutes which Jackson converted to edge them one point in front.

The visitors added their second try in the 25th minute when Scott Hobson picked up the ball and raced over the line. Nicky Little added the conversion as Bath briefly took control of the contest.

Sarries stormed back up the length of the field and got off the mark with an excellent move. Referee Dean Richards played advantage after giving Sarries a penalty and Penney planted a superb crossfield kick into the path of Melck and he had all the time and space to touch the ball down. Marshall lashed a poor conversion wide of the target.

The hosts regained the lead five minutes before half-time when Jackson placed a close-range penalty between the posts. But Bath were handed a penalty after Sarries were caught offside and Little fired over the effort as they went back in front in this topsy turvy encounter. Another infringement at the scrum gifted the West Country side another chance but an entertaining half ended with Little missing the kick.

Venter made two changes at the break with wing James Short handed his debut in place of Tagicakibau and Richard Skuse replacing Mercey. The hosts came out of the traps quickly and it paid off as they scored their second try of the match. Horak offloaded the ball to Haughton and the wing raced clear to finish under the posts. Jackson’s conversion put Saracens 21-15 up.

The Men in Black extended their lead when Jackson kicked over another penalty and Venter gave Schalk Brits a rare opportunity in the back row when the dynamic South African replaced Joubert.

Bath kept themselves firmly in the contest with their third try as number eight Faamatuainu finished off an excellent move following a pass from Ben Williams. Ryan Davis kicked a superb conversion from the left touchine which brought them within two points off Sarries.

Another penalty from Jackson gave them a bit more breathing space against a resilient Bath side with less than 15 minutes remaining. The match ended scrappily with a late penalty converted by Jackson as Sarries secured the points.

Saracens: Horak (Goode, 60), Haughton, Penney, Sorrell, Tagicakbau, Jackson, Barrett (De Kock, 58); Aguero, Reynecke (Ongaro, 54), Mercey, Smith, Botha, Van Heerden, Melck, Joubert (Brits, 51)

Bath: Cuthbert, Stephenson, Cheeseman, Williams, Crane (Davis, 46), Little, Bemand (Baxter, 46); Barnes (Dixon, 65), Hawkins (Catt, 65), Jarvis (Lilley, 74), Hobson, Short, Browne (Beattie, 51), Ovens (Mercer, 55), Faamatuainu (Jackson, 76)

Scoring: 3-0, 3-5, 6-5, 6-10, 6-12, 11-12, 14-12, 14-15 HT 19-15, 21-15, 24-15, 24-20, 24-22, 27-22, 30-22

Referee: Dean Richards

Attendance: 6,654