Alex Lozowski kicked 21 points as promoted Saracens won at Bristol Bears on their return to the Premiership.

Bristol fly-half Callum Sheedy and Lozowski traded penalties to leave the match poised at 9-9 at half-time.

Lozowski punished the Bears as their penalty count mounted, and then set up Alex Lewington for the game’s only try.

Saracens won five Premiership titles and three European Champions Cups but had to navigate a truncated campaign in the Championship as punishment for their persistent breaches of spending rules.

Yet Mark McCall’s men settled back into life in the Premiership despite being without their British & Irish Lions contingent on the opening night of the new season.

The first half proved to be a kick-fest, with a combined 49 from open play – although neither side landed a successful 50:22 kick following its introduction among several new laws for 2021-22.

Bristol played an attacking brand of rugby on their way to top spot – and a semi-final defeat by Harlequins – last season but there was little Bears flair on show as the visiting defence frustrated the Ashton Gate side.

Sheedy had missed a penalty to make it 12-3 just before the half-hour mark, but Saracens never looked back when two penalties in three minutes gave them a six-point cushion after 47 minutes.

After adding two more penalties Lozowski, who spent last season on loan in France with Montpellier, put a grubber kick behind the Bears defence for Lewington to finish in the corner with 10 minutes remaining.

Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam told BBC Radio Bristol:

“We started well and there was a lot of effort and endeavour, and it could have been 12-3.

“Our discipline cost us. Then it is suddenly 18-9 and you are chasing the game.

“They are such a strong team in shutting games down. We wanted to be ahead and ultimately we made mistakes.

“Fair play, it was a good win for them.”

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall told BBC Radio 5 Live:

“It is a great result for us and I thought we grew into the game.

“We weren’t great for the first 20 minutes and were second-best at most things. After that, we regrouped well on the field.

“We went in at half-time with a bit of momentum and carried that into the second half. The defensive performance in the second half was superb.

“I am pleased with how we managed some of the set-backs, and I think we will get stronger as the year goes on.”

Bristol: Piutau; Adeolokun, O’Conor, Leiua, Lloyd; Sheedy, Uren; Woolmore, Thacker, Lahiff, Holmes, Vui, Luatua (capt), D Thomas, Hughes.

Replacements: Capon, Y Thomas, Armstrong, Attwood, Heenan, Randall, Bedlow, Bates.

Saracens: Obatoyinbo; Lewington, Morris, Tompkins, Segun; Lozowski, Davies; Adams-Hale, Woolstencroft, Riccioni, Isiekwe, Swinson, Wray (capt), Earl, B Vunipola.

Replacements: Pifeleti, Barrington, Clarey, Hunter-Hill, Reffell, Simpson, Manu Vunipola, Harris.

Referee: Wayne Barnes.

Attendance: 19,003.