BATH'S defensive coach Mike Ford accepted his side's shortcomings as a Charlie Hodgson-inspired Saracens cruised to a 22-0 Aviva Premiership win at a rain-soaked Rec today.

Fly-half Hodgson excelled with his kicking from the tee and out of hand in a 17-point display and also set up the crucial try for Richard Wigglesworth.

Ford said: "Obviously, we knew what Saracens would do. It's not rocket science the way they play and conditions probably suited them a bit more than us.

"Fair play to them, they gave us a lesson today. I think the killer blow was the try. Once you go 10 points down, especially in conditions like that against a team of Saracens' ilk, then it's very, very difficult to pull it back.

"Their defence is outstanding isn't it? Any time they were in our half, second half, they kicked three points. It's a good lesson for us about how to play the conditions, really."

He added: "I'm really disappointed with the try we let in. It was soft, just soft. We took the dummy off Charlie and he went through. That ultimately took the game away from us. He played brilliantly, Charlie. He was the difference really.

"Our kicking game was poor though. When you don't kick well, it's difficult to get any sort of platform to control the game."

On Bath's position at the halfway stage, with a difficult trip to Exeter to come next Saturday, Ford said: "We always said this game would show us where we are. We've got to learn from this and get better."

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall saluted Hodgson's display, saying: ""He was outstanding. He knew when to pass, he knew when to kick and when to keep the ball in front of his forwards. It was a masterclass. He made the crucial break for Wigglesworth's try.

"He (Wigglesworth) was also an outstanding player for us today. But I thought they got a great platform from our forwards. Defensively we were good. Our discipline was good. It was very clinical."

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