Bath Rugby powered into the PREM Rugby Cup semi-finals by overcoming Gloucester Rugby at The Rec on Saturday 28th February.
Bath Rugby scored six tries as they defeated Gloucester Rugby in a superb derby here at The Rec on Saturday 28th February to book a place in the PREM Rugby Cup semi-finals | Photo © Richard Briggs
Either side could have joined Exeter Chiefs in progressing from Pool A – but the Blue, Black & White produced an excellent performance, albeit with a much stronger side than they had fielded previously in the competition this season, to win a superb match 38-26 and secure second place in the mini league.
Bath’s victory in front of a sellout crowd of 14,509 set up a semi-final away to Leicester Tigers, the Pool B winners, on Sunday 8th March (4pm).
The other last-four encounter will be between the Chiefs and Northampton Saints at Sandy Park the same afternoon (1.30pm).
The Blue, Black & White – who won the cup last season – were great value for their success in a superb 10-try derby.
The visitors made a bright start. But after that, only when the hosts had Francois van Wyk yellow-carded in the 52nd minute and Gloucester scored a try almost immediately to reduce the arrears to 26-19 was there any suggestion that the Kingsholm outfit might emerge with a win.
A potential recovery was quickly killed off by Bath as they surged 38-19 ahead by the hour, rendering the Cherry & Whites’ fourth and final touchdown – with three minutes to go – a case of too little too late.
The hosts finished two points adrift of table-toppers Exeter in Pool A.
Gloucester ended up third, a point behind Bath who posted a vastly superior points-difference.
Bath had 59% of the possession and 58% of the territory against the Cherry & Whites, who were forced to make 186 tackles – the Blue, Black & White made 114 tackles.
But the guests gained 411 metres in attack and entered the home 22 on 11 occasions, whereas the Blue, Black & White gained 364 metres and made 10 visits to the Gloucester 22.
Indeed the Cherry & Whites were close to scoring two early tries.
Arthur Clark was held up in the left corner in the 11th minute. And a minute later, Seb Blake released Seb Atkinson, who was tackled on the Bath five-metre line by Joe Cokanasiga.
But it was lot long before Bath were in front.
In the 16th minute, captain Will Butt burst forward and set up Tom Carr-Smith to run in from 20 metres and touch down just to the left of the posts. Tom de Glanville converted.
A second try arrived for Bath in the 21st minute, Kepueli Tuipulotu scoring on the right following a line-out drive. With de Glanville’s conversion attempt bouncing off the right post, the home team led 12-0.
Gloucester full-back Ben Redshaw knocked on just short of the line in the right corner in the 26th minute.
But the Cherry & Whites bagged their only points of the first half when, four minutes later, Redshaw crossed from close range on the right and Charlie Atkinson added the extras.
Bath did not take long to respond. In the 34th minute, a looping pass from Carr-Smith found Will Muir in space eight metres out and he dived over in the left corner, an excellent conversion by de Glanville making the score 19-7.
The Blue, Black & White secured the four-try bonus point in the 46th minute. Carr-Smith was the scorer, touching down from short range in the left corner after Max Ojomoh had been stopped just short of the line. Again de Glanville majored.
Gloucester hit back with a try on the right from Ollie Thorley in the 50th minute, Charlie Atkinson successful from the tee.
And when van Wyk was sin-binned for hitting the ball against the head of the prone Lewis Ludlow and the Cherry & Whites then notched their third try, for a short spell it seemed the visitors might mount a serious challenge.
That third try was magnificent, and it left Gloucester head coach George Skivington – who watched the game from the press box – impressed.
Charlie Atkinson passed to Max Knight who spun fives metres out and went over on the left. Charlie Atkinson’s conversion attempt rebounded from the left post.
But Bath quickly got themselves out of a hole.
In the 56th minute, Ethan Staddon scored by the right post. This finished a move that was started by a kick and chase from de Glanville and then saw Tuipulotu charge down an attempted clearance by Gloucester’s Caolan Englefield, Dorset-born back row Staddon picking up five metres out. De Glanville added the two points and the hosts led 33-19.
On the hour, Ojomoh touched down in the left corner. This score came after a fine burst by de Glanville, whose offload went astray thanks to the intervention of Will Joseph. But the ball was picked up by Muir who offloaded to Ojomoh five metres out. De Glanville’s conversion attempt went wide.
Bath then made replacements in bulk. But the only other scoring came from Gloucester, Deian Gwynne going over in the left corner from a line-out drive and Charlie Atkinson majoring.
Staddon won the Pol Roger Performance of the Match accolade.
Bath starting XV: 1 Francois van Wyk, 2 Kepueli Tuipulotu, 3 Vilikesa Sela, 4 Will Jeanes, 5 Charlie Ewels, 6 Ted Hill, 7 Ethan Staddon, 8 Miles Reid, 9 Tom Carr-Smith, 10 Max Ojomoh, 11 Will Muir, 12 Will Butt, 13 Chris Harris, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 15 Tom de Glanville.
Bath replacements: 16 Tom Dunn, 17 Beno Obano, 18 Mikey Summerfield, 19 Quinn Roux, 20 Alfie Barbeary, 21 Bernard van der Linde, 22 Will Roue, 23 Cameron Redpath.
Gloucester starting XV: 1 Ciaran Knight, 2 Seb Blake, 3 Afo Fasogbon, 4 Arthur Clark, 5 Matias Alemanno, 6 Deian Gwynne, 7 Lewis Ludlow, 8 Will Trenholme, 9 Caolan Englefield, 10 Charlie Atkinson, 11 Ollie Thorley, 12 Seb Atkinson, 13 Josiah Edwards-Giraud, 14 Will Joseph, 15 Ben Redshaw.
Gloucester replacements: 16 Jack Innard, 17 Dian Bleuler, 18 Nepo Laulala, 19 Danny Eite, 20 Josh Basham, 21 Rhys Price, 22 Max Knight, 23 George Barton.
Both PREM Cup semis will be shown live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
The final will be played on Sunday 15th March (3.30pm) at the home of the highest-seeded side to qualify.
Leicester are the top seeds, with Exeter second, Northampton third and Bath fourth.
So if the Blue, Black & White make it to the showpiece, they will be the away team.
