SARACENS stand on the verge of a Millennium Stadium semi-final after securing a bonus point 45-15 EDF Energy Cup triumph over Bristol at Vicarage Road this afternoon (Sunday).

The hosts, now top of Pool D, led 19-8 at the break thanks to Kameli Ratuvou's first try of the season and 14 points from the boot of in-form fly-half Gordon Ross. Two second half scores in rapid succession from Hugh Vyvyan and David Seymour, both converted by replacement Glen Jackson put them in control at 33-8 before Bristol hooker David Blaney crossed the line for a second time with 12 minutes remaining.

Sarries secured a bonus point in the competition for the second week running when Ratuvou crossed on the left with three minutes on the clock.

To cap a marvelous display, replacement hooker Andy Kyriacou barged over in the dying seconds.

Sarries boss Alan Gaffney was forced to make one change to his starting line-up with Edd Thrower coming in at full-back in place of Richard Haughton who suffered an injury in the pre-match warm up.

Ross gave Saracens a sixth minute lead with an easy penalty after Bristol were caught crossing to thwart an attack started by Ross's show and go. Bristol fly-half Jason Strange missed a fairly straight forward three pointer minutes later before Ross again showed him how it is done from 25 yards.

Rob Higgitt and David Hill combined to put in wing Tom Arscott n in Bristol's first meaningful foray forward, but his chip and chase was recovered by the beavering Ross.

Kevin Sorrell then drove Arscott back with a wheel barrow tackle before Sarries withstood some intense pressure on their own try line. However, Bristol kept their composure and with Sarries a man down after second row Hugh Vyvyan was sent to the cooler for infringing, hooker David Blaney crashed over from a driving maul. Strange somehow contrived to miss the easy conversion.

On the half hour, Ross extended the gap to 9-5 with his third penalty of the afternoon before the Men in Black conjured up their first try - and how well-worked it was.

Spotting an overlap on the left, Nick Lloyd flung the ball out for fellow prop Cencus Johnston and the Samoan giant skinned a stunned Arscott with his deceptive pace before offloading to the onrushing Thrower inside him. The former Wasps man was stopped by Higgitt two metres short but Ratuvou was there to scoop up and score on his return to club duty.

Ross added the extras and nailed a fourth penalty before Strange finally discovered his shooting boots with a goal of his own to reduce the gap to 19-8 at the interval.

Strange missed his second penalty early into the restart and Arscott went close soon after Bristol stole lineout ball as Richard Hill's men looked to set their stall out.

Scrum-half Brian ORiordan was then shown yellow on 58 minutes for deliberately slowing down play as Sarries foraged for an opening.

And it duly arrived when Vyvyan took a quick free kick and piled over himself from five metres. Glen Jackson, on for Ross, added the two points and did so again a minute later when flanker David Seymour crossed unchallenged under the posts after Jackson combined with fellow replacement Neil de Kock.

With their tails well and truly up, the Men in Black probed for a bonus point but switched off to allow Blaney to cross the whitewash for his second try, converted this time, in the 68th minute.

But the Men in Black continued to press and it was Fiji wing Ratuvou who secured the bonus point after collecting Jackson's superb miss-pass.

Replacement hooker Andy Kyriacou capped a superb team display with the side's fifth score in what was the last action of a thoroughly absorbing cup tie.

Saracens: Thrower, Penney, Sorrell (cpt), Farrell (Powell, 68), Ratuvou, Ross (de Kock, 59), Rauluni (Jackson, 59); Lloyd, Cairns (Kyriacou, 68), Johnston (Mercey, 74), Ryder, Vyvyan (Chesney, 72), Gustard, Seymour (Saull, 63), Skirving.

Attendance: 5,827.

Referee: Tim Wigglesworth.