Try time: Matt Banahan
Tom Biggs and Michael Claassens scored two tries each as Bath romped to a 36-17 Aviva Premiership win over Worcester at the Rec on Saturday.
Both teams headed into the encounter on the back of victories. Bath battled to a narrow win away at Exeter last week, while Worcester were on a high following an impressive triumph over Saracens.
And it was Worcester who took the lead in the 12th minute when Tom Arscott capitalised on an overlap to gallop over the try line. Andy Goode added the conversion.
But the visitors' lead didn't last long and within ten minutes Bath were level. Biggs was on the end of a wonderfully executed set-play and had enough speed and strength to crash over in the corner. Tom Heathcote's conversion made it 7-7.
The momentum was now with the hosts, and they struck twice more before the half-hour to establish a healthy lead. Matt Banahan crossed on 26 minutes following another sweet passing move and then less than five minutes later Claassens was over after the forwards had laid the platform.
Heathcote converted both tries to make it 21-7, although Goode shaved three points of the deficit moments later with a penalty goal.
Worcester needed to score first following the restart if they were to have any chance of hauling their way back into the contest, but Claassens's second try ten minutes into the second half, converted by Heathcote, gave Bath an unassailable lead.
Miles Benjamin added to Worcester's tally ten minutes from time, but the hosts fittingly had the final say, courtesy of an outstanding second try from Biggs, which followed a Heathcote penalty.
The scorers:
For Bath:
Tries: Biggs 2, Banahan, Claassens 2
Cons: Heathcote 4
Pens: Heathcote
For Worcester:
Tries: Arscott, Benjamin
Cons: Goode, Gray
Pen: Goode
Bath: 15 Sam Vesty, 14 Matt Banahan, 13 Matt Carraro, 12 Olly Barkley, 11 Tom Biggs, 10 Tom Heathcote, 9 Michael Claassens, 8 Simon Taylor, 7 Francois Louw (c), 6 Ben Skirving, 5 Ryan Caldwell, 4 Dave Attwood, 3 Duncan Bell, 2 Lee Mears, 1 Charlie Beech.
Replacements: 16 Pieter Dixon, 17 David Flatman, 18 Kane Palma-Newport, 19 Guy Mercer, 20 Carl Fearns, 21 Chris Cook, 22 Olly Woodburn, 23 Jack Cuthbert.
Worcester: 15 Chris Pennell, 14 Tom Arscott, 13 Alex Grove, 12 Dale Rasmussen, 11 Miles Benjamin, 10 Andy Goode, 9 Shaun Perry (c), 8 Blair Cowan, 7 Jake Abbott, 6 Sam Betty, 5 Craig Gillies, 4 Chris Jones, 3 Tevita Taumoepeau, 2 Ed Shervington, 1 Matt Mullan.
Replacements: 16 Aleki Lutui, 17 George Porter, 18 Oliver Tomaszczyk, 19 Ben Gulliver, 20 Kai Horstmann, 21 Jonny Arr, 22 Danny Gray, 23 Ravai Fatiaki.
Venue: The Rec
Referee: Greg Garner
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