Saracens keep alive play-off push with crushing win over Newcastle

Saracens kept alive their hopes of claiming a play-off spot by crushing Gallagher Premiership bottom club Newcastle 75-28 at the Allianz Stadium.

Newcastle stunned Saracens back in November with a 17-12 win at Kingston Park but a fully-loaded Saracens, with their three newly-selected Lions in the starting line-up, exacted full revenge.

However, that surprise defeat to the Falcons could still prove costly as the London club may still have to beat both Bath and Northampton in their remaining fixtures to guarantee a play-off spot.

Saracens ran in 11 tries with Juan Martin Gonzalez scoring a hat-trick, Ben Earl adding two and Theo Dan, Ivan van Zyl, Maro Itoje, Charlie Bracken, Tom Willis and Jamie George scoring the others. Fergus Burke kicked seven conversion and Louie Johnson three.

Sam Stuart scored two tries for Newcastle with Freddie Lockwood and Ben Stevenson also on the scoresheet to earn a bonus point. Brett Connon converted all four tries.

Alex Goode led out Saracens for his 400th appearance for the club and his side were soon ahead when Gonzalez forced his way over to reward a period of sustained pressure.

Falcons conceded four penalties in the opening eight minutes and as a result were soon back under the cosh with Dan finishing off a driving line-out.

Newcastle responded with an excellent try. A well-timed pass from Connon sent Alex Hearle through a gap with the wing running 30 metres before providing Stuart with the scoring pass.

However, the respite was short-lived as Earl celebrated his Lions call-up by picking up from a scrum before brushing aside weak tackles from Stuart and Max Clark to score.

Saracens' bonus-point try duly arrived in the 23rd minute and it was one of their best. Burke and Nick Tompkins combined neatly to send Tobias Elliott haring down the right flank. The wing was alert to see Van Zyl up in support on his inside to leave the scrum-half with an easy run-in.

New Lions captain Itoje was the next to celebrate his selection for this summer's tour to Australia by finishing off a driving line-out before Lockwood rewarded Newcastle's best period of the match with their second try.

Within 90 seconds of the restart, Gonzalez scored the best individual try of the afternoon by racing in from near halfway before repeating the dose minutes later to complete his-hat-trick.

The flanker was then replaced before the lively Stuart darted over from a scrum for his second but replacement hooker George soon took Sarries past fifty points.

Stevenson ran powerfully down the left flank to earn Newcastle a bonus point but late tries from Bracken, Willis and Earl ensured Saracens had the final say.

PA