Bath cemented their position as the team to catch in the Premiership race this season with an entertaining victory against their West Country rivals Gloucester. Assisted by the return of their chief playmaker, Finn Russell, after the Six Nations, the hosts scored six tries and, in a neat example of symmetry, are six points clear of the field with six regular-season fixtures to play.
It has already been a good month for Bath, who won the Premiership Cup last weekend to secure their first trophy for 17 years, and here was further evidence of the significant squad depth at their disposal.
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Gloucester were right in the contest for long periods, with Santi Carreras outstanding, but Bath’s superior forward power was reinforced by second-half tries off the bench for the England forwards Will Stuart and Sam Underhill.
It made for yet another breathless and frenetic Premiership contest with distinct echoes of the reverse fixture between these two sides at Kingsholm in October. On that occasion Gloucester started well and led 24-17, only to end up losing 55-31. This time they again attacked with real skill and intent at times only for Bath to pull clear in the last quarter.
There were eight tries in the first 40 minutes alone, some of them out of the top drawer. Initially Bath held the balance of power, dominating the aerial battle and the breakdown and forcing the first seven penalties of the game. Guy Pepper, Max Ojomoh and Thomas du Toit all crossed for tries to give the home team a 21-7 lead after just 24 minutes and despite the spectacular nature of Gloucester’s opening score, eventually finished by Jack Clement from Afo Fasogbon’s pass, it seemed Bath were set for a carefree afternoon.
Instead the Cherry and Whites struck back with two fine scores in as many minutes, the first from Tomos Williams and the second from the hooker Seb Blake after an initial break from Ruan Ackermann and excellent link play from Williams. It would have brought the visitors level had Will Muir not rushed out and charged down Carreras’s conversion attempt at point-blank range.
The first-half drama, though, was far from over. After Russell had scored via a cheeky quick tap from close range it seemed Gloucester had blown a late chance when Carreras mis-hit a kick to the corner after a penalty against Bath. Alfie Barbeary, thinking it was now half-time, put the ball dead only to discover to his horror there were still a few seconds on the clock and George Barton, courtesy of Carreras’s sublime pass, subsequently made him pay in the same left corner.
The depth of Bath’s bench reserves, though, were underlined by the arrival of England’s starting tighthead Stuart as Du Toit’s replacement and Gloucester, behind 28-26 at the break, knew a massive challenge still lay ahead.
As it turned out the visitors did not manage a single second-half point as Bath’s replacements, not for the first time this season, turned the screw. The second-placed Bristol remain in touch with Johann van Graan’s side but none of Bath’s Premiership rivals can match the reserves of forward power on tap beside the River Avon.
