What a comeback. Trailing 10-0 after an indifferent opening few minutes, Bath Rugby recovered in sensational style to blitz Saracens, return to the top of the Gallagher PREM and send out a message to their title rivals.
Bath Rugby resumed Gallagher PREM action with a statement win over Saracens here at The Rec on Friday 20th March | Photo © Richard Briggs
Johann van Graan’s side scored more than a point a minute during an hour-long spell in which the North London side managed only an unconverted touchdown.
The Blue, Black & White’s nine-try display earned them a 62-15 victory in the Round 11 clash at The Rec on Friday 20th March.
The first few minutes apart, Bath made a scintillating performance that was made even more impressive by the fact their group had not been together for nearly two months due to the Guinness Six Nations depriving them of a host of big names.
Put simply, the Blue, Black & White’s display was their best at The Rec this season.
But as in the match against Sarries at the StoneX Stadium in November, Bath found themselves facing a double-figure deficit early on.
The guests’ first try last Friday was so early in the match that the smoke from the pre-match fireworks had not cleared when Lucio Cinti released Tobias Elliot to go over in the right corner from 22 metres, Owen Farrell booting the extras.
And Saracens extended their advantage to 10-0 when Farrell kicked a 23-metre penalty from just to the right of the posts in the 13th minute.
But, in front of another capacity crowd of 14,509, Bath wiped out the arrears within eight minutes.
First, Ollie Lawrence set up Will Muir for a close-range try in the left corner in the 16th minute, Ben Spencer having slung the ball wide following a five-metre scrum. Finn Russell converted.
And then the hugely impressive Josh Bayliss bulldozed his way over from 20 metres on the left for a 21st-minute try. Again Russell obliged from the tee – the ball seemed to be heading wide but curled back and sailed between the posts – and the home team led 14-10.
Alfie Barbeary scored Bath’s third try, touching down on the right following a line-out drive in the 25th minute against the club he will join this summer. Russell majored.
Sarries’ final points of the game came in the 29th minute, Elliot scoring in the right corner following a lofted pass by Farrell, whose conversion attempt went wide.
But Bath found themselves 31-15 up by the break.
A 70-metre interception try under the posts by Henry Arundell in the 38th minute earned them a bonus point, Russell kicking the extras.
And with the clock in the red, Russell landed a 19-metre penalty from just to the right of the posts.
With the Blue, Black & White pursuing a second successive PREM championship, it was fitting that two very special guests at the game were Matt Weston and Tabby Stoecker, the Bath-based skeleton stars who struck gold for Team GB at this year’s Winter Olympics in Italy. The duo were interviewed on the pitch at half-time.
The interval gave Saracens a chance to catch their breath before the Bath onslaught continued.
The home club extended their lead in the 50th minute, when skipper Spencer seized the loose ball and surged 48 metres before touching down in the right corner. Russell’s conversion attempt drifted wide of the left post.
Spencer hurt his shoulder when scoring – but at Bath’s post-match press conference, head of rugby van Graan said: “His shoulder twisted a bit. He’s a bit uncomfortable but I don’t think it’s something we’re really worried about.”
Van Graan brought on seven of his replacements in the 53rd minute. And one of them, Kepu Tuipulotu, charged through from 10 metres from a maul for a try on the right within two minutes of his arrival.
However, before Russell could take the conversion – his kick made the score 43-15 – another of the replacements, Francois van Wyk, was helped off after suffering a cut leg that sent him to hospital, van Graan confirming “he’ll be OK”.
The closest Saracens came to further points was when Eroni Mawi was held up two minutes later. But they were reduced to 14 men in the 62nd minute, when Theo Dan was sent to the sin bin.
Bath took advantage to take their points tally to 50 shortly afterwards, Max Ojomoh releasing Arundell 40 metres out for a sprint to the line down the left in the 65th minute and Russell slotting over the extras.
The Blue, Black & White’s penultimate try came in the 73rd minute – and it was another cracker. Russell took possession just short of the Bath 22 and dashed along the right, releasing Arundell 12 metres into Saracens’ half. Arundell made 20 metres before hoisting the ball to Lawrence. And with the try line at his mercy, Lawrence selflessly slipped the ball to Guy Pepper to dot down by the posts from short range. Russell converted.
It was left to Bernard van der Linde to complete Bath’s try-scoring. The replacement scrum-half grabbed the loose ball just inside the Bath half, hurtled upfield and dived over in the right corner, Russell sending the conversion wide of the left post.
Bayliss was named both the Gallagher PREM man of the match and the winner of the Pol Roger Performance of the Match award.
Bath starting XV: 1 Beno Obano, 2 Tom Dunn, 3 Archie Griffin, 4 Quinn Roux, 5 Charlie Ewels, 6 Josh Bayliss, 7 Miles Reid, 8 Alfie Barbeary, 9 Ben Spencer, 10 Finn Russell, 11 Will Muir, 12 Max Ojomoh, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 14 Henry Arundell, 15 Tom de Glanville.
Bath replacements: 16 Kepu Tuipulotu, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Ted Hill, 20 Guy Pepper, 21 Bernard van der Linde, 22 Santi Carreras, 23 Sam Underhill.
Saracens starting XV: 1 Eroni Mawi, 2 Theo Dan, 3 Marcus Street, 4 Nick Isiekwe, 5 Hugh Tizard, 6 Theo McFarland, 7 Juan Martin Gonzalez, 8 Tom Willis, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 10 Owen Farrell, 11 Rotimi Segun, 12 Nick Tompkins, 13 Lucio Cinti, 14 Tobias Elliot, 15 Elliot Daly.
Saracens replacements: 16 James Hadfield, 17 Alex O’Connell, 18 Marco Riccioni, 19 Andy Onyeama-Christie, 20 Ben Earl, 21 Gareth Simpson, 22 Fergus Burke, 23 Max Malins.
The Blue, Black & White will take on Sale Sharks at the CorpAcq Stadium in Round 12 on Sunday 29th March (3pm).
Tickets are available here.
Bath will go to the North West back in second place in the table as Northampton Saints returned to the summit by beating Newcastle Red Bulls on Saturday 21st March.
