Rugby-Saracens near Premiership return with 60-0 win in playoff first leg

REUTERS: Former Premiership champions Saracens crushed Ealing Trailfinders 60-0 in the first leg of the second tier Championship playoff final on Sunday to put one foot back in the top flight.

Saracens, four-times Premiership champions and three-times European Cup winners in the last five years, were relegated last season as a punishment for multiple salary cap breaches.

England internationals Maro Itoje and Jamie George went over in the first half, as did former Wales scrumhalf Aled Davies to give Saracens a comfortable 27-0 lead at halftime.

Billy Vunipola crossed for two tries and Owen Farrell scored 18 points from six conversions and two penalties. Nick Tompkins also scored a try and Sean Maitland completed the rout in the final minute.

The second leg will be played on June 20.

(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)