Bath fought back to beat Sale Sharks 32-23 and claim a bonus-point win in the Gallagher Premiership.
The league leaders’ comeback ensured that Bristol Bears’ own bonus-point win against Newcastle did little to dent their superiority at the top of the table.
Bath have developed into a side with the ability to adapt to any condition and environment, always capable of bending those circumstances to their will as their set-piece and kicking game take over.
That was exactly what happened on Sunday as a valiant performance from Sale in the first half fell by the wayside as Bath’s big names took over the game in the second half.
Finn Russell even cruelly denied the hosts a losing bonus point with a last-kick penalty.
After Robert du Preez missed an early penalty, it took almost 20 minutes for the game’s first score to arrive as Arron Reed slivered through three players to finish off Du Preez’s pinpoint pass to the wide channel.
Bath hit back through Ruaridh McConnochie after Bath made several phases of pressure on Sale’s line to create just enough space for the winger to separate from Tom O’Flaherty.
After having his hand in the opening try, Du Preez got his name on the scoresheet with an opportunistic try, diving over the try line on the undefended side of the ruck.
McConnochie got his second right on the cusp of half-time as he sliced through a vague gap in Sale’s backline.
Bath’s Max Ojomoh combined brilliantly with Joe Cokanasiga to take the lead for the first time in the game. The winger plucked a long pass from Russell out of the air and quickly popped it to a rushing Ojomoh on his outside.
Despite the windy conditions, it was a game that featured some beautifully built passages of attacking play, and it was the industry of Bath’s pack that allowed Russell to take his opportunities.
A 74th-minute try saw Bath secure the win out of nowhere after Russell, the ultimate opportunist, turned a penalty from his own tryline into a bonus-point try. Miles Reid’s vital turnover preceded his fly-half taking a kick quickly, and Tom Carr-Smith ran down the ball to score and elicit a chorus of boos as Sale’s chances dissipated.
It was Sale’s first loss in the league at their own ground this season, and Johann van Graan’s side’s hard effort sees them keep a six-point lead at the top of the table.
Eight-try Bristol flatten Newcastle comeback
Bristol Bears clinched a bonus-point win over Newcastle Falcons in a thrilling 55-35 contest that saw the two sides put up 90 points between them.
Having rode the Falcons’ second-half surge of points, the Bears consolidated their second-place position in the Premiership and kept Bath’s lead to just six points.
Three tries in the opening 20 minutes put Bristol firmly in the driving seat as they raced into a 21-0 lead. Gabriel Oghre crashed over from the back of an onrushing maul, and almost straight from the restart Noah Heward took advantage of an incredibly disorganised Newcastle defence to score in the corner.
The Bears picked up their third right before the 20th-minute mark through Kalaveti Ravouvou, who made a spectacular break in the wide channel before a one-two with Kieran Marmion capped off an 80-metre try.
A first half dominated entirely by the hosts finally gave way to some Newcastle positivity as they scored twice shortly before the half-time whistle.
Clearly fired up and on the hunt for their third win of the season, Newcastle pulled to within three points of Bristol in the second half. Tries from Max Clark and Ben Stevenson stunned Ashton Gate and left the game on a knife-edge with less than 20 minutes to play.
But Bristol’s chaotic quality forced Newcastle’s tired legs to work even harder and it was finally big Viliame Mata who started an onslaught of late tries that put Bristol’s win beyond doubt.
The best of the bunch was a solo score from Marmion, who picked up Steven Luatua’s offload just outside of his own 22 and jinked and weaved through Newcastle’s defence to kill the game.
Deago Bailey added the cherry on top in the 76th minute, while Stevenson scored a consolation try on the edge of full-time to soften the scoreline ever so slightly for Newcastle.
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The post Gallagher Premiership: Bath and Bristol Bears record bonus-point wins to consolidate top two spots in the league first appeared on Rugby 247.
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Author : rugby-247
Publish date : 2025-01-29 22:00:25
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