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Pool 1

Bad news, Munster: Saracens earn breathing space after comeback in Paris

Owen Farrell’s 10 penalties mean Rob Penney needs a miracle to finish top of the pool.

AFTER TRAILING RACING Metro 19-6 after the first quarter, Saracens looked en route to a hiding in France.

The Premiership side came back however, with 32 points from the boot of Owen Farrell give them a 28 – 37 win.

Saracens now stretch their lead at the top of Pool 1, their 18 points putting them five clear of Racing and seven ahead of Munster.

Barring an improbable victory for Edinburgh away to Saracens next week, Munster now cannot top the pool and so are left chasing a place as a best runner-up.

Farrell’s first of 10 penalties came wedged between tries at the other end from Luc Ducalcon and the superb Juan Imhoff. The Puma winger would soon ground his second score to leave the home side with an apparently unassailable 19 -6 lead after just 22 minutes.

From there, though, Sarries would steady the ship and Farrell would hit four penalties to Sebastien Descon’s two to put the English side within seven, 25-18 at half time.

And the comeback was complete within six minutes of the restart, Fullback Chris Wyles trotting over after finding a hole in the Top 14 defence.

Fluffed

Though Descons would draw them level again at 28-28, indiscipline continued to cost the home side, with Alain Rolland giving Sarries the edge at the breakdown and Farrell the kicking tee.

The England fly-half would get a chance to add his fourth of the half from over 40 metres, but only before Racing fly-half Juan Martin Hernandez fluffed a chance to pile pressure on the visitors.

Awarded a penalty from 40 metres, the Argentine attempted to drill the ball to the corner, but missed by a full 10 metres and the ball went dead behind the try-line.

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