Bath beat Saracens 31-22 at The Rec to secure a place in the Champions Cup quarter-finals, scoring five tries after trailing 10-0 at half-time. Bath will play Northampton next weekend for a place in the semi-finals.

The hosts were playing a knockout tie at home in the competition for the first time since 2002, but Saracens — who had not won any of their five games prior to the trip, including a 62-15 loss to Bath at the same ground two weeks earlier — took control of the first half. Charlie Bracken scored the opening try after collecting the ball from a ruck and gliding past Joe Cokanasiga, with Owen Farrell adding the conversion. Farrell kicked a penalty goal shortly before half-time to give Saracens a 10-0 lead at the interval.

Bath received yellow cards for Ben Pepper in the 25th minute and Beno Obano in the 45th. Georgian referee Nika Amashukeli was injured after colliding with Josh Bayliss during the first half and was replaced at the break by assistant referee Ben Connor.

Bath introduced South African Test prop Thomas du Toit at half-time. Henry Arundell scored a try just after the restart. Cokanasiga then crossed under the posts after gathering a back-of-the-hand pass from Ollie Lawrence, and Finn Russell added the conversion.

Spencer scored a length-of-the-pitch try after Andy Onyeama-Christie dropped the ball. Saracens responded through Max Malins, who scored following a move involving Noah Caluori, Farrell and Nick Tompkins. Lawrence scored by barging through three Saracens defenders, with Russell converting.

Saracens replacement Harry Wilson was sin-binned in the 70th minute for a shoulder-to-head challenge. Caluori scored a try in the corner for Saracens that was converted by Fergus Burke, but Arundell sealed the result with his second try in the final minute.

Russell kicked three conversions in total for Bath, while Farrell and Burke each kicked one conversion for Saracens.

Bath's starting XV featured Santiago Carreras, Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Orlando Ojomoh, Arundell, Russell, Ben Spencer as captain, Obano, Tom Dunn, Will Griffin, Mike-Daniel Roux, Charlie Ewels, Bayliss, Pepper and Alfie Barbeary, with replacements including du Toit and Sam Underhill. Saracens started Elliot Daly, Caluori, Tompkins, Farrell, Tobias Elliott, Burke, Bracken, Rob Carre, Jamie George, Alec Street, Maro Itoje as captain, Max Tizard, Michael McFarland, Onyeama-Christie and Jack Willis, with Malins and Wilson among the replacements.