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Gloucester claimed the West Country spoils on Saturday as they came from behind to pip Bath 16-10 at Kingsholm.
Gloucester headed into the match follow victories over Wasps and London Welsh, while Bath were chasing a second consecutive win following victory over Sale Sharks the previous week.
And within a minute the visitors were in front. Bath returned a clearance kick from the hosts with real vigour, before moving play from right to left. New Zealander Stephen Donald then sold the dummy and raced away for a great opening score.
Donald converted before booting over a penalty at the end of the first quarter to make it a 10-0 lead.
But the visitors' indiscipline would cost them a large portion of the advantage, with pivot Freddie Burns striking two penalties in quick succession to reduce the arrears to just four points.
Gloucester then hit the front ten minutes into the second half, when the TMO awarded a try to Rob Cook following an excellent attacking move and a sustained period of home pressure. Burns' conversion made it 13-10.
The hosts enjoyed the lion's share of possession and territory as the game headed into the final ten minutes, and, after seeing a try contentiously disallowed by the touch judge, Burns knocked over a drop-goal to increase the cushion to six with time ticking away.
The concession appeared to spring the visitors into life but, though Bath rallied and made good ground in the Gloucester half, the home defence held firm to see out a gritty victory.
The scorers:
For Gloucester:
Try: Cook
Con: Burns
Pen: Burns
Drop: Burns
For Bath:
Try: Donald
Con: Donald
Pen: Donald
Gloucester: 15 Rob Cook, 14 Shane Monahan, 13 Henry Trinder, 12 Billy Twelvetrees, 11 James Simpson-Daniel, 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Dan Robson, 8 Ben Morgan, 7 Akapusi Qera, 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 5 Jim Hamilton (capt), 4 Tom Savage, 3 Rupert Harden, 2 Huia Edmonds, 1 Nick Wood.
Replacements: 16 Koree Britton, 17 Dan Murphy, 18 Shaun Knight, 19 Will James, 20 Gareth Evans, 21 Jimmy Cowan, 22 Mike Tindall, 23 Martyn Thomas.
Bath: 15 Nick Abendanon, 14 Kyle Eastmond, 13 Dan Hipkiss, 12 Sam Vesty, 11 Tom Biggs, 10 Stephen Donald, 9 Michael Claassens, 8 Simon Taylor, 7 Ben Skirving, 6 Carl Fearns, 5 Dave Attwood, 4 Dominic Day, 3 Davey Wilson, 2 Lee Mears (capt), 1 Paul James.
Replacements: 16 Ross Batty, 17 Nathan Catt, 18 Anthony Perenise, 19 Will Spencer, 20 Will Skuse, 21 Mark McMillan, 22 Ollie Devoto, 23 Jack Cuthbert.
Referee: David Pearson
Assistant referees: Robin Goodliffe, Andrew Pearce
Television match official: David Grashoff
Timekeeper: Mike Hamlin
Assessor: Brian Campsall
Comments
APV1 says...
I can't make it, but here's an opportunity:
http://www.bathrugby.com/news/club-news/bath-rugby-fans-forum-oct-2012
Posted 12:56 11th October 2012
1st58 says...
@AP - Have to agree with you - its gutting to know were not going to take a major step forward this season - particularly annoying as our weak points were so bloody obvious from last season.
Posted 17:07 10th October 2012
APV1 says...
@ 1st58 - the biggest worry is that I'm in absolute agreement with you. I mean no disrespect, just that it's a shame we've both written off another season already.
We needed to be aiming for the top 6 this season, top 4 next and then fighting for #1 the following. Unfortunately, I think there's too far to go on all of the above.
Posted 10:58 10th October 2012
1st58 says...
@APV1
Afraid there is no real answer - until recruitment is better targetted - although James was a good signing, and I think Bath supporters will be delighted with the signing of our Argie winger once he returns from international duty.
i think those of us who follow Bath regularly knew that back row (particularly No 8) was going to be a major problem - I'm afraid Taylor's better days are long gone and our back up players are pretty substandard - perhaps it might be worth moving loouw or fearns to 8 - bringing in Hooper at 6...but to be honest our 2 best back rowers are flankers - so its sit and suffer I'm afraid. The fact that vesty gets a start (let alone a bench place) just shows what a long way Bath have to go, and looking at the reps bench it really does lack some depth....the likes of Cuthbert are journeymen at best - so lets just hope for next season.
Posted 11:29 09th October 2012
APV1 says...
@ 1st58 - Hear! Hear! Flo's been outstanding in the 4N and Fearns is excellent. With D-Day and Attwood (I still prefer them over Hoops) in the 2R and the FR getting settled (and Rob Webber still injured), it's at 8 and 12 we have our issues.
Taylor's a reasonable 8 and has had some success with Scotland. But he's no-where near Easter, Morgan, Waldrom, etc, who all bring their own special something. He's solid and reliable, but we need better.
Vesty at 12 is a stop-gap, but we need an improvement there too.
No idea what the answers are either...
Posted 10:47 08th October 2012
1st58 says...
Bath must get a dynamic No 8 - James has significantly improved the Bath scrummage, and we really need a decent No 8 who can take advantage of this - we have 2 very good flankers at the club in Loouw and Fearns, and after that all our other back row players are ordinary at best.
Posted 12:52 07th October 2012
damo says...
I felt the reffereeing of the scrum in the first half was shocking, gloucester got the hit 3 times and Bath went to ground for a reset and then for the reset Bath got the hit and won penalties as Gloucester tried push back, new rule needed if a team gets the hit and opponents bring scrum down penalise then. Poor ref
Posted 11:01 07th October 2012
jamesliveinhope says...
busy TMO or not depending on your viewpoint.
thought the debate got interesting in this game.
You have a situation where the touch judge(s) made 2 errors. The first by calling Eastmond's run good when he was in touch the second by calling (can't remember the names) a Gloucester runner in touch when he wasn't.
If Eastmond's offload had cleanly found Abendanon there would have been no TMO and we would be looking at a try because the on pitch officials saw no reason to refer it. The TMO was not asked about touch so should he have commented? Would he have made the same call if there hadn't been a knock-on any way?
The Glaws non-try could not have been referred because the flag and whistle (great name for a pub) had happened before the score. But in the split-second that it all happened, could the touch judge have held on to his flag until the move was complete giving the option to refer?
Personally I think that the ref's inability to see everything is a variable similar to the bounce of a ball or that weird moment when an attacker mishandles and completely wrong-foots the defence. If we try too hard to take these variables out we run the risk of fundamentally changing the game.
On another note, lifting an attacker off his feet whilst he's driving a maul is a penalty, no room for interpretation. I saw it, the commentator saw it, the touch judge saw it and reported it to the ref - why nothing?
Posted 20:47 06th October 2012
melkdave says...
Well what a match,after a shaky start,Gloucester fought back ,and the game was really in the balance for most of the game.Alot of good play from both teams ,some hard running and tackles from the forwatds ,and Biggs try saving tackle on the line superb.F.Burns imo enhanced his reputation yet again ,but i feel he still isnt anywhere near the finished article ,and it maybe just a tad to soon for senior England recognistion.But next year if he keeps improving WOW what a prospect along with G.Ford.
Posted 16:38 06th October 2012