Bath beat Gloucester in super derby but it’s too close for comfort

Bath Rugby and Gloucester Rugby served up a marvellous derby at Kingsholm Stadium on Friday 23rd January. But from a Blue, Black & White perspective, the outcome was far too close for comfort.

Bath Rugby secured a PREM double over Gloucester Rugby by winning here at Kingsholm Stadium on Friday 23rd January. But the Cherry & Whites gave Johann van Graan’s team a real run for their money | Photo © Richard Briggs

The Cherry & Whites went into the Gallagher PREM Round 10 match with only one league victory to their credit this season.

But they were clearly fired up for the game and left their visitors grateful for two late penalties from Finn Russell to secure a comeback win.

Bath led 7-0 early on but then found themselves 21-7 down and were still trailing until the 73rd minute.

Johann van Graan’s side squeezed home 30-26 to silence Gloucester’s vociferous fans and move back to the top of the table, albeit until Northampton Saints regained the initiative by overcoming Sale Sharks the following evening.

The Cherry & Whites had 55% of the possession but territory was shared at 50% each and Bath gained 494 metres in attack, whereas their hosts gained 339 metres.

But in defence, the Blue, Black & White were forced to make 179 tackles – Gloucester made 134 – and they missed 31, George Skivington’s team missing 28.

Van Graan, Bath’s head of rugby, later bemoaned his outfit’s line-out, which had a success rate of 67%. Gloucester’s line-out success rate was 93%.

However, the Blue, Black & White showed yet again that they can win without being at their best – and that is the sign of a very good team.

Bath made a dream start to the contest. Santi Carreras – playing against his old club – and Ben Spencer combined on the right to enable Louie Hennessey to run in from 15 metres and touch down behind the posts in the third minute. Russell slotted over the conversion.

But the home side soon tied the scores. Skipper Tomos Williams fed Val Rapava-Ruskin to force his way over from five metres to the left of the posts in the eighth minute and George Barton added the extras.

Then Gloucester took control for a spell.

Charlie Atkinson scored from close range under the posts in the 20th minute and Barton majored.

And worse was to come for Bath in the 25th minute as Seb Atkinson dived over from short range in the right corner following an offload by Lewis Ludlow to give Gloucester their third try. Barton was successful from the tee and the Cherry & Whites led by 14 points – a rather unbelievable scenario.

The Blue, Black & White hit back and reduced the deficit in the 32nd minute when Dan Frost touched down in the left corner from a line-out drive. Russell’s conversion attempt fell just short, the miss greeted by jeers from Gloucester supporters.

Matters threatened to turn ugly in the 34th minute when Quinn Roux and Ludlow tangled, but the situation calmed.

And Bath ensured they went into the break only two points adrift, replacement Guy Pepper touching down on the right from a line-out drive in the 38th minute and Russell booting the conversion.

However, Gloucester appeared to have nabbed the four-try bonus point through James Venter in the 46th minute, only for the score to be ruled out for obstruction by Rapava-Ruskin.

And seconds later, the Blue, Black & White were almost in front. Frost intercepted a pass from Venter and made a dash for the Gloucester try line, only to be brought down by Josiah Edwards Giraud five metres out.

Van Graan brought his five remaining replacement forwards off the bench in the 51st minute. But Bath conceded a fourth try almost immediately, Afo Fasogbon scoring from four metres in the left corner. Barton failed with the conversion and the hosts’ lead was 26-19.

The Blue, Black & White’s Sam Underhill touched down under the posts in the 62nd minute. But, with Russell ready to make the conversion attempt, the try was disallowed for a knock-on by Thomas du Toit in the build-up.

However, the guests added their fourth try three minutes later. Russell was the scorer, pouncing on the loose ball to slide over from short range on the left. But Russell was subjected to donkey noises from the home crowd when he sent his conversion attempt wide.

Pepper was yellow-carded in the 69th minute after bringing down Charlie Atkinson. The pendulum seemed to have swung firmly the home team’s way.

Bernard van der Linde came off the bench to make his Bath competitive debut in the 71st minute, replacing Spencer.

And the game became a 14-versus-14 affair when Gloucester’s Ciaran Knight was sin-binned two minutes later. Russell made no mistake with the resulting 12-metre penalty from just to the left of the posts and the Blue, Black & White were 27-26 in front, holding the lead for the first time in 53 minutes.

Williams then got shirty with van der Linde – the former Vodacom Bulls scrum-half later played down the incident – before, with three minutes to go, Russell kicked a superb 43-metre penalty from to the right of the posts to complete the comeback.

But after all of Gloucester’s problems this season, they could hold their heads high as they had taken the Blue, Black & White to the wire.

Bath starting XV: 1 Francois van Wyk, 2 Dan Frost, 3 Archie Griffin, 4 Ted Hill, 5 Quinn Roux, 6 Josh Bayliss, 7 Ethan Staddon, 8 Arthur Green, 9 Ben Spencer, 10 Finn Russell, 11 Will Muir, 12 Max Ojomoh, 13 Chris Harris, 14 Louie Hennessey, 15 Santi Carreras.

Bath replacements: 16 Kepu Tuipulotu, 17 Beno Obano, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Charlie Ewels, 20 Guy Pepper, 21 Bernard van der Linde, 22 Henry Arundell, 23 Sam Underhill.

Gloucester starting XV: 1 Val Rapava-Ruskin, 2 Will Crane, 3 Afo Fasogbon, 4 Deian Gwynne, 5 Matias Alemanno, 6 James Venter, 7 Lewis Ludlow, 8 Will Trenholm, 9 Tomos Williams, 10 Charlie Atkinson, 11 Ollie Thorley, 12 Seb Atkinson, 13 Josiah Edwards Giraud, 14 Josh Hathaway, 15 George Barton.

Gloucester replacements: 16 George Knowles, 17 Ciaran Knight, 18 Kirill Gotovtsev, 19 Cam Jordan, 20 Jack Mann, 21 Mikey Austin, 22 Ross Byrne, 23 Jack Cotgreave.

The Gallagher PREM now takes a break until late March, with Bath in second place, two points adrift of the Saints.

In the meantime, the Blue, Black & White’s attention turns to the PREM Rugby Cup, their Pool A campaign resuming with a visit to Sale in Round 7 on Sunday 8th February (3pm).

Tickets for the clash at the CorpAcq Stadium are available here.