Dan Frost scored a hat-trick as 10-try Bath Rugby overwhelmed Sale Sharks in PREM Rugby Cup Round 7 on Sunday 8th February.
Bath Rugby will go into their sold-out derby with Bristol Bears here at The Rec on the back of a 60-19 crushing of Sale Sharks. The Blue, Black & White will take on the Bears in PREM Rugby Cup Round 8 on Saturday 14th February | Photo © Richard Briggs
The Blue, Black & White – under academy lead coach Mark Lilley – romped to a 60-19 victory at the CorpAcq Stadium in Greater Manchester to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for next month’s semi-finals.
Bath, the cup holders, had the four-try bonus point sewn up by the interval, turning around 26-7 in front.
Although possession and territory were shared almost equally across the 80 minutes, the visitors entered the home 22 on 17 occasions – Sale got into the guests’ 22 only seven times – and gained 441 metres in attack, the Sharks gaining 166 metres.
Sale missed 25 tackles – the Blue, Black & White missed 16 – and conceded 14 penalties, the visitors giving away 11.
And the Northerners suffered a sin-binning, Sam Dugdale banished for infringing during the build-up to the visitors’ eighth try.
Bath – who gave debuts to Jack Harrison and, from the bench, guest Tyler Mason – opened the scoring in the 15th minute, when Arthur Green touched down under the posts. Will Roue converted.
Four minutes later, the Blue, Black & White scored their second try, Frost taking the honours from a line-out drive. Roue’s conversion attempt went wide.
Sale reduced the arrears when, in the 26th minute, Nathan Jibulu scored after breaking through two tackles and spinning out of another. Tom Curtis added the extras.
However, Bath bagged their third try when Frost peeled off the back of a line-out to score in the 32nd minute. Roue kicked the additional points and the travellers led 19-7.
The four-try bonus point was secured when, in the 35th minute, Charlie Griffin intercepted a pass from Joe Bedlow inside the Bath half, powered forward and dived over beneath the posts. Roue slotted over the conversion.
The Sharks made exactly the start to the second half that they needed, Jibulu going over from close range in the 45th minute following a tap penalty and Curtis booting the two points.
But the Blue, Black & White scored again in the 49th minute, Frost sealing his hat-trick from another line-out drive. Roue was timed out from the tee but Bath were 31-14 ahead.
The lead was stretched on the hour, Green crossing again. Roue majored.
And in the 66th minute, George Timmins – who had come off the bench only two minutes earlier – added five more points to the tally. Roue’s conversion attempt sailed wide.
With nine minutes to go, replacement Jasper Spandler touched down from a line-out drive – and Roue’s conversion took Bath 50-14 ahead.
Timmins grabbed his second try when he scored in the 74th minute. James Linegar, who had come on for Roue, missed the conversion.
And with two minutes to go, the Blue, Black & White completed their try haul, Will Muir setting up Mason to add five points. Again Linegar was unsuccessful from the tee.
The last word went to the Sharks, Albert Bradshaw scoring with the clock in the red. Curtis failed with the conversion attempt.
Bath starting XV: 1 Scott Kirk, 2 Dan Frost, 3 Kieran Verden, 4 Will Jeanes, 5 Harvey Cuckson, 6 Ethan Staddon, 7 Thompson Cowan, 8 Arthur Green, 9 Bernard van der Linde, 10 Will Roue, 11 Will Muir, 12 Will Butt, 13 Jack Harrison, 14 Charlie Griffin, 15 Austin Emens.
Bath replacements: 16 Jasper Spandler, 17 Ioan Emanuel, 18 Mikey Summerfield, 19 Jack Bennett, 20 George Timmins, 21 Neil le Roux, 22 James Linegar, 23 Tyler Mason.
Sale starting XV: 1 Tumy Onasanya, 2 Nathan Jibulu, 3 Tye Raymont, 4 Reuben Logan, 5 Tom Burrow, 6 Sam Dugdale, 7 Tristan Woodman, 8 Dan du Preez, 9 Dom Hanson, 10 Tom Curtis, 11 Alex Wills, 12 Reikiti Ma’asi-White, 13 Joe Bedlow, 14 Albert Bradshaw, 15 Luke James.
Sale replacements: 16 Tadgh McElroy, 17 Ralph McEachran, 18 Patreece Bell, 19 Ethan Caine, 20 Dylan Hodkinson, 21 Nye Thomas, 22 Sam Bedlow, 23 Sebi Krippner.
Bath’s PREM Rugby Cup Round 8 derby with Bristol Bears at The Rec on Saturday 14th February (2.30pm) has been declared a sellout.
The Blue, Black & White cruised to a 49-19 victory when the sides met at Ashton Gate Stadium in Round 5 on Friday 31st October.
Bristol have won only once in the competition and are bottom of the five-team Pool A.
Bath are in third spot, three points behind leaders Gloucester Rugby and two points adrift of second-placed Exeter Chiefs. However, the Devonians have played one match more than Bath and Gloucester.
