A downbeat Pat Lam branded his Bristol Bears side naïve to throw away a nine point lead with five minutes remaining to lose to a 83rd minute try from Saracens winger Francois Hougaard.
South African Hougaard rounded off a spell of relentless pressure that broke a resilient Bristol and claimed a 20-19 win at the StoneX Stadium for Saracens.
It was league leaders Saracens’ 12th Premiership win of the season, but Bristol remain rooted at the basement, having lost eight from their last 10 league games.
