Heroic against Munster last week Saracens were humiliated by Bath this afternoon, conceding an avalanche of tries at The Rec to demonstrate why they remain the greatest enigma in European rugby.

Showing scant trace of the grit, gumption and skill that characterised their famous win over Ospreys and their gallant defeat to Munster, the Men in Black shipped six tries in the first 40 minutes and another three in the second to crash to a 66-21 defeat against a Bath side who played a quarter of the match with 14 men.

It was an anguished day for followers of the Men in Black for whom the end of the season cannot come quick enough.

Although departing director of rugby Alan Gaffney made eight changes to the side who came with an ace of reaching the final of the Heineken Cup - including one just before the match after Richard Haughton pulled a groin in the warm up - he would not have expected his side to go down with such a whimper and wave the white flag.

Eddie Jones, the incoming director of rugby, has a real task on his hands to get this team to perform on a consistent basis.

How Jones would love to be able to call upon a player of Olly Barkley's quality. Barkley scored two tries, kicked all nine conversions and a penalty on a flawless afternoon that brought him 31 points.

Barkley signalled Bath's positive intent by kicking their first penalty to touch. From there, they launched a patient 14-phase move that led to a penalty underneath the posts which Barkley nailed.

Jackson carelessly kicked the restart straight out and from the resulting scrum, Joe Maddock splintered the Sarries' defence, allowing Michael Lipman and Nick Abendanon to send Daniel Browne rampaging over the line. Sarries had hardly touched the ball after the first eight minutes and found themselves ten points behind.

Indeed the portents were starting to look ominous when Fabio Ongaro picked out Lipman with his first line-out throw.

Bath were enjoying a monopoly on possession and scored try number two on 17 minutes when Barkley exploited the gap between Iain Fullarton and Ongaro to score by the posts. Barkley scored the straight-forward conversion to put the home side 17 points to the good after as many breathless minutes.

It got worse on 22 minutes when a long-busting break from Lee Mears led to Abendanon sending the oustanding Lipman over for try number three. Bath were rampant and only a last-ditch covering tackle from Kameli Ratuvou denied Butch James a try in the corner.

However, The Rec faithful did not have to wait too long for the fourth, bonus-point clinching try.

A one-paced attack from the visitors was spoilt by Lee Mears who hacked the ball clear. Dan Scarbrough was turned over far too easily and Bath pounced, Fa'amatuainu putting Maddock over in the corner.

While Moses Rauluni was limping off the field, Barkley kicked the conversion in off the post to establish a 31-0 lead for Bath.

It was all far to too easy for an irresistable Bath side and they helped themselves to a fifth try just two minutes later when Barkley's intelligent grubber kick allowed James to saunter over, sending the Bath crowd into raptures.

The home crowd were out of their seats once more when Mat Banahan sprinted virtually the length of the field, leaving Paul Gustard for dead and Francis Leonelli on the seat of his pants to score a sizzling breakway try.

The try prompted director of rugby Alan Gaffney to leave his seat in the stands and he is unlikely to have minced his words during the interval.

Michael Claassens earned a yellow card on the stroke of half-time for killing a rare Sarries attack on his own try-line, but that was the only blot on the home side's copy book during one of the most one-sided halves of rugby since the advent of professionalism.

Gaffney reacted to the first-half whitewash by introducing Matt Cairns for Ongaro and Dave Seymour for Fullarton, and would have been relieved to see his side register their first points on 48 minutes when Adam Powell telegraphed a pass from James to sprint half-the-length of the field.

Powell was poleaxed by a late tackle from James on 52 minutes, a hit that left the centre needing treatment and led to a yellow card for the Springbok. Sarries capitalised on their numerical advantage when Kevin Yates barrelled his way after a short pass from Dickens.

But normal service was resumed on 57 minutes when Lipman poached a try from close-range following more intelligent work from Barkley, who had a sizzling game at outside centre.

Following a brief lull in proceedings, Barkley turned executioner on 71 minutes, picking a delightful line to latch on to an inviting pass from James to bisect the posts for his second try of wonderful afternoon for the Gloucester bound back.

Ratuvou, one of the few Sarries players to emerge with any credit, scorched over on 76 minutes to help lift some of the gloom, but Bath administered the final nail in Sarries' coffin when he crashed through some some paper-thin tackling to score Bath's ninth try.

Bath: Abendanon (Berne 40), Maddock, Crockett, Barkley, Banahan (Higgins 69), James, Claassens (Walsh 62) ;Barnes (Bell, 26), Mears (Dixon 40), Stevens, Borthwick (c), Grewcock, Fa'amatuainu (Feau'nati 55), Browne (Short 62).

Tries: Browne, Barkley (2), Lipman (2), Maddock, James, Banahan.

Cons: Barkley (9).

Pens: Barkley Saracens: Leonelli, Scarbrough, Powell, Sorrell (c), Ratuvou, Jackson (Ross 58), Rauluni (Dickens 32),Yates, Ongaro (Cairns 40), Johnston (Mercy 74), Ryder, Fullarton (Seymour 40), Chesney, Barrell (Saul 74), Gustard.

Tries: Powell, Yates, Ratuvou.

Cons: Jackson (3).

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