• [Daily Mirror Icon]
• Sport
• Rugby Union
• Saracens

Saracens told they can turn tables on Bath in the Champions Cup despite 62-point thrashing

Jim Hamilton believes his old club have too much talent for Saturday's clash to be another 'walkover' - just a fortnight after being battered by Bath

[Owen Farrell during the Gallagher PREM match between Bath Rugby and Saracens ]

View 2 Images

Owen Farrell during the Gallagher PREM match between Bath Rugby and Saracens (Image: 2026 CameraSport)

Saracens return to the Rec this weekend just a fortnight after shipping 62 points to Bath but former Scotland lock Jim Hamilton believes they should not be written off.

The heavy loss to the reigning Gallagher PREM champions, followed by a last-gasp home defeat to Northampton Saints at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, all but ended Sarries hopes in the league, with their priority now turning to the Investec Champions Cup.

That means a return to the West Country on Saturday to take on a Bath team that is purring, but Hamilton insists they retain an aura in the competition they won three times in the 2010s.

Ive been in Sarries team where that happened and we went on to win the double. I remember losing to Wasps by 60 points and we went on to win the double that year, said Hamilton, who will be part of the Premier Sports punditry team providing live coverage of Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup last 16 matches this weekend.

There have been a few bigger losses over the last couple of years, but it sharpens the mind more because you can go there and embarrass yourself if you put in the same performance with how good Bath are.

GRAND NATIONAL 2026: Get your indispensable 48-page guide for just 3.99

But I know these Saracens players and the coaches. Are they as good as Bath at the moment? No, they are not, with the player profile at Bath, the trajectory they are on, the current champions, they are the form team but with the players and proud men that Sarries have, Id be very surprised to see a repeat in terms of scoreline.

The performance wasnt as bad as the scoreline reflected, Sarries were chasing the game and offloading out of the tackle, on a dry day and with the team Bath have, full of confidence, with the talent they have not just in the starting XV but across their squad, they just punish teams. But I dont think it will be the same scoreline at the weekend, it means too much to this Saracens team.

[Jim Hamilton]

View 2 Images

Jim Hamilton

Hamilton was part of those successful Saracens teams that reigned in Europe, with Owen Farrell pulling the strings at fly-half, often alongside current Bath and England scrum-half Ben Spencer.

Spencers kicking game was a huge part of Sarries success, but while he will be lining up against them, Hamilton believes there is still more than enough quality for the visitors to give Bath a real battle.

He added: Saracens built that conservative, pragmatic approach with the kicking game, under Ben Spencer of all people. We had Ben Spencer at nine and Owen Farrell at 10, so they have got that in their locker.

Owen is a world-class 10, he understands how to win games, knows that if they go into the game the same way they did before, trying that offloading game and trying to play like the Harlem Globetrotters, then they can get into trouble. The game against Northampton at Tottenham Stadium, where they went 14-0 down, the worry was that it could be another high-scoring game but you saw them get back into a more controlled approach so its still within them to be able to put in a performance and manage a game that can really trouble Bath.

When you chat to players, Saracens still have this aura about them because of the history they have in the tournament. They have the England and British & Irish Lions captain, Maro Itoje, they have one of the form No.8s in the world in Tom Willis, they have one of the best back-rowers in Ben Earl, they have got Jamie George, they have got Theo Dan, they have Rhys Carr who blew up during the Six Nations.

"They have Owen Farrell at 10, they have Nick Tompkins, they have got two world-class Argentinian players (Lucio Cinti and Juan Martin Gonzalez), they have Elliot Daly who has just re-signed. So when you break it down individually and I know its a team sport but are you telling me that team cant win? I cant go there. Im not willing to say its going to be a walkover for Bath.

Knockout Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup rugby is live on Premier Sports this Easter weekend with quarter-final places at stake. Jim Hamilton is part of the Premier Sports team bringing every minute of the drama from the biggest international club rugby games live across the UK and Ireland. Visit premiersports.com to join in from just 11.99 a month @ PremSports.tv

Get 250 to switch to Virgin Media's sport packages

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

[Content Image]

from 52.99

Virgin Media

Get the deal here

Product Description

Virgin Media is paying new customers up to 250 as a bill credit when they switch to one of its TV and broadband packages, several which are packed with hundreds of channels including Sky Sports, Netflix and fibre broadband.

[Daily Mirror Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.