Blue, Black & White destroy Newcastle – and Walcot are big winners in Counties 1.
Walcot on the attack during their 46-0 rout of Corsham in Counties 1 Tribute Ale Southern South on Saturday 20th December | Photo © Jon Taylor
Bath Rugby bounced back from their Investec Champions Cup setback at RC Toulon to trounce Newcastle Red Bulls in Gallagher PREM Round 7.
The Blue, Black & White led the bottom-of-the-table Red Bulls only 19-14 at the interval but scored 31 unanswered points in the second half.
And the 50-14 success on the artificial pitch at Kingston Park Stadium on Sunday 21st December means Bath go into Christmas three points clear at the top of the table.
The visitors had 56% of the possession and 57% of the territory. But the gulf between the teams was shown emphatically by the number of metres gained – 457 for Bath and 178 for Newcastle.
The Red Bulls bagged the first points of the afternoon when Ollie Leatherbarrow ran in from 10 metres and touched down on the right. Brett Connon converted.
Bath responded when Dan Frost scored from a lineout drive on the left in the 12th minute. And they went ahead in the 23rd minute, when Frost burst away from a ruck 21 metres out and touched down on the right, Santi Carreras adding the extras to see Bath 12-7 up.
But the game swung back Newcastle’s way when, in the 27th minute, Amanaki Mafi peeled off the back of a rolling maul and dived over on the right and Connon majored.
However, that was the end of the Red Bulls’ scoring and Bath managed to sneak into an interval lead when Charlie Griffin muscled over from five metres on the left in the 32nd minute and Carreras converted.
Not for the first time this season, the Blue, Black & White raised their game phenomenally in the second period – and that left Newcastle blitzed.
Francois van Wyk went over from short range just to the left of the posts in the 43rd minute and Carreras was successful from the tee to stretch the advantage to 26-14.
The Red Bulls’ Sammy Arnold was yellow-carded in the 52nd minute for killing the ball – and straight away Will Butt went over from close range, Carreras kicked the conversion and Bath led 33-14.
Guests’ head of rugby Johann Van Graan then brought on all of his replacements in one go. And one of the new arrivals, Ben Spencer, made a lovely long pass to Tom de Glanville, who touched down in the left corner in the 67th minute.
Spencer added his own try in the 69th minute, scoring on the right after a pass from Joe Cokanasiga to cap a superb Bath attack that started well inside their own 22.
The Blue, Black & White’s final try came in the 79th minute, Ted Hill crashing over on the right. Carreras booted the two points.
Van Graan said: “It was a big battle, specifically the first 40, and a real 23-man effort.
“We got some momentum and we won that second half 31-0, so I’m very happy with the five points.
“It’s a third year in a row we’re top at Christmas. You don’t get an award for it but it shows that we’ve become a consistent team and we’re still a team that wants to get better.
“The other pleasing thing is how we gel. Multiple changes [from the side that played Toulon on Sunday 14th December]. We’ve got a really good squad of players here.”
Bath starting XV: 1 Francois van Wyk, 2 Dan Frost, 3 Archie Griffin, 4 Ewan Richards, 5 Ross Molony, 6 Josh Bayliss, 7 Ethan Staddon, 8 Miles Reid, 9 Tom Carr-Smith, 10 Santi Carreras, 11 Louie Hennessey, 12 Will Butt, 13 Chris Harris, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 15 Tom de Glanville.
Bath replacements: 16 Tom Dunn, 17 Beno Obano, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Ted Hill, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Ben Spencer, 22 Cameron Redpath, 23 Alfie Barbeary.
Newcastle starting XV: 1 Adam Brocklebank, 2 George McGuigan, 3 Murray McCallum, 4 Oscar Usher, 5 Seb de Chaves, 6 Ollie Leatherbarrow, 7 Tom Christie, 8 Amanaki Mafi, 9 Simón Benítez Cruz, 10 Brett Connon, 11 Elliott Obatoyinbo, 12 Sammy Arnold, 13 Alex Hearle, 14 Oli Spencer, 15 Ethan Grayson.
Newcastle replacements: 16 Ollie Fletcher, 17 Connor Hancock, 18 Richard Palframan, 19 Finn Baker, 20 Tom Gordon, 21 James Elliott, 22 Boeta Chamberlain, 23 Max Clark.
Bath will take on Northampton Saints at The Rec in PREM Round 8 on Saturday 27th December (5.30pm).
Walcot remain just one point behind Counties 1 Tribute Ale Southern South leaders Swanage & Wareham after routing guests Corsham 46-0 on Saturday 20th December.
Victory was as good as assured in the opening 15 minutes, when the home side scored four tries.
Ben McMullen handed-off his opposite number to open the account after some spirited running and passing by Adam Wilton and Ethan McLellan.
Next, Cameron Hamer went over after Gabe Moore made a surging run from his own 22.
Mark McAlonan scored the third try – and then, from a flowing three-quarter move, Wilton touched down for the fourth Walcot score.
All four tries were converted – and a Hamer penalty extended the advantage to 31-0.
Hamer then added a converted try to leave the hosts well in control at 38-0 at half-time.
A flurry of yellow cards followed in the second half, which produced only one more try.
McLellan thumped the ball downfield – and Moore chased, collected and touched down.
Local teams’ results for Saturday 20th December:
Counties 1 Tribute Ale Southern South: Walcot 46 Corsham 0.
Counties 2 Tribute Ale Dorset & Wilts North: Royal Wootton Bassett 3rd XV 14 Combe Down 35.
Counties 2 Tribute Ale Somerset: Keynsham 2nd XV v Avon – postponed, Rebels Rugby 21 Oldfield Old Boys 38.
Counties 3 Tribute Ale Dorset & Wilts Central: Combe Down 2nd XV v Salisbury 2nd XV – postponed, Melksham 3rd XV 7 Avonvale 99.
Counties 3 Tribute Ale Somerset North: Old Sulians 35 Winscombe 2nd XV 45.
Counties 4 Tribute Ale Somerset North: Yatton 2nd XV walkover v Walcot 2nd XV.
