1992-1993
5/9/1992
v Casale. On Tour. Won 62-15. Team:- Callard; Blackett, Lewis, Bamsey, Adebayo; Raymond, Sanders; Chilcott, Deane, Mallett, Reed, Redman, Robinson, Egerton, Hall.
Bath – tries: Sanders, Lewis, Robinson 2, Callard 2, Hall 2, Blackett, Redman. Conversions: Callard 6. A good start to a an Italian weekend.
THE GNATS!
For the English onlooker, the most memorable incident was when a swarm of evening gnats descended and hovered about 5 to 6 feet off the ground. So much so, that players’ torsos were almost invisible to the human eye – just heads and shoulders moving about!
Exceptional training facilities and hospitality were provided at the Benetton Sports Fields.
Exceptional comforts were provided at the Jusalo resort.
A day in Venice was one of the delights.
12/9/1992
v A.S. Benetton Rugby, Treviso. On Tour. Won 18-15. Published Team:- Webb, Swift, de Glanville, Lewis, Adebayo, Guscott, Hill, Clarke, Ojomoh, Robinson, O’Leary, Redman, Ubogu, Atkins and Chilcott.
A harder nut – but Bath cracked it! A splendid stadium, the Club were celebrating their Centenary, but the match was poorly attended. A bit bruising in parts – one particular Treviso forward was lucky to be on the field – come the finish!
An extremely partisan crowd was a bit off-putting. They seemed blind to home team misdeeds!
Stefano Rigo was a handful!
“While Bath’s ‘potenze e dinamismo’ (power and dynamism) won many admirers, the tourists could only envy the outstanding facilities at Treviso, whose training ground – La Ghirada – included eight pristine pitches, a restaurant and a magnificent array of merchandise in the lavish club shop.”
(Alan Pearey, Bath Evening Chronicle)
The local Mayor hosted the pre-match Reception. President, Len Hughes, led the Bath team and officials into the Civic Building – in shirt-sleeve order. The Reception Officials were formally attired!
19/9/1992
v Harlequins, Home, Won 22-6. J Webb (1g & 5pg), A Swift, P de Glanville, J Guscott (T), A Adebayo, S Barnes (Capt), R Hill, G Chilcott, G Dawe, J Mallett, S O’Leary, N Redman, J Hall, S Ojomoh, B Clarke. Referee – B Crumpsall. Replacements – I Sanders & J Deane
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
No need for last-kick dropped goals this time. Quins were firmly put in their place as Bath began their defence of the Courage League title in commanding fashion.
It was not as spectacular as that epic Pilkington Cup final but no less satisfying for that. After all, the champions have always set more store by league success.
First Division rivals will have noted that Bath had to open the campaign without two of their most dynamic forwards – skipper Andy Robinson and prop Victor Ubogu.
Andy Robinson’s withdrawal with a hamstring strain prompted an unusual back row selection, handing Steve Ojomoh the breakaway role and allowing John Hall to return on the blindside.
It was a popular move even though Hall, out of action for the last 15 months after a knee operation, is still a couple of matches short of full fitness.
Encouraged by a warm reception from the packed Recreation Ground, he nonetheless admitted: “I’m not quite there yet. “The knee is fine but I was a bit off the pace. Luckily, it wasn’t a very fast game.”
Hall, now 30, had never played alongside Ben Clarke before but the trio packed a degree of muscle that the Londoners could not match. Time after time they set up rucks or mauls only to fall foul of the new “turnover” law as the ball failed to emerge.
If any excuse could be made for Harlequins, they were severely disrupted by the loss of David Pears after 20 minutes with facial injury. Rob Glenister had to shift to full-back but replacement Ben Short looked out of sorts at scrum-half.
Happily for Bath, Clarke had a storming game at No 8 in front of England coach Dick Best, who will also have noted Ojomoh’s versatility. How many other 22-year-olds could play in any of the back row positions at this level?
One moment he was cutting down Will Carling in full flight with the kind of tackle that can be felt all over the ground; next he was fielding a chip-kick in his own 22 and, instead of hoofing the ball into touch, finding Webb with an astute pass to launch a counter-attack.
Regrettably, scoring opportunities were rare as the stop-start nature of the game deprived 7,000-plus spectators of the kind of spectacle many had hoped for.
Yet the only try, seven minutes into the second half, was a perfect example of Bath’s ability to unpick the tightest of defences. Quins, perhaps expecting Clarke again to drive off the back of a scrum, instead found Stuart Barnes streaking down the blindside, drawing two would-be tacklers out of position. An inside pass to Jeremy Guscott did the rest.
Webb converted and later landed a penalty with his sixth successful kick out of six but, somewhat surprisingly, Bath did not add to their score in the final quarter.
RUGBY MATCH FACTS (entertainment rating 2 stars)
BATH FORM: powerful
SCORERS: 3 mins – Pears pen, nil-3; 5 mins – Webb pen, 3-3; 9 mins – Webb pen, 6-3; 23 mins – Webb pen, 9-3; H-T – 9-3; 42 mins – Webb pen, 12-3; 45 mins – Challinor pen, 12-6; 47 mins – Guscott try, Webb conv, 19-6; 55 mins – Webb pen, 22-6.
Bath: Webb; Swift, de Glanville, Guscott, Adebayo; Barnes, Hill; Chilcott, Dawe, Mallett, Redman, O’Leary, Ojomoh, Clarke, Hall.
Harlequins: Pears (rep Short, 20 mins); Harriman, Carling, Evans, Wedderburn; Challinor, Glenister; Hobley, Moore, Mullins, Dear, Snow, Russell, Langhorn, Fox.
Referee: Brian Campsall (RFU).
Conditions: pitch – excellent; weather – sunny intervals.
26/9/1992
v London Irish, Home, Won 42-19. J Webb (4g & 3pg), A Swift, P de Glanville (T), I Lewis, A Adebayo, S Barnes (Capt) (T), R Hill, G Chilcott, G Dawe, V Ubogu (Tx2), N Redman, S O’Leary, J Hall, S Ojomoh, B Clarke (T) Ref – B Wallis Replacements – I Sanders & J Mallett
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
THE stunning pace and power of England B prop Victor Ubogu earned him two tries, created a third and put Bath where they belong – on top of the Courage League First Division.
It all contributed to a 25-point winning margin, which suggests champion form from last season’s “double” winners, but acting skipper Stuart Barnes was far from satisfied.
“It’s absolutely no use playing in ten-minute bursts and going to sleep in between,” he complained.
“That may seem a strange thing to say after a 40-point win, but we’re striving for perfection. After winning the league and cup last season, it’s the only target left for us.”
Like many Barnes statements, what sounds sheer arrogance is really a statement of the obvious. If Bath lower their sights, fail to keep setting the standards, their rivals will take over.
Fortunately, in Ubogu they have the kind of player who can give them the extra dimension they seek to maintain that pre-eminence.
London Irish coach Hika Reid, a former New Zealand hooker who was no slouch himself (remember his spectacular try against Wales in 1980?), was certainly impressed, both with Bath and Ubogu.
“He had a great game, a really great game. He’s a good runner with the ball – the sort of player I’d like to have. It’s one of the reasons I am with London Irish, to develop that sort of skill.”
Certainly, anyone who had the Irish down as certs for one of the four relegation places might reconsider their prospects on the evidence of their ball-winning ability and lively, effective rucking style.
Again, Bath had problems in the line-out but Ubogu’s alertness to loose Irish taps, first at close-range and then from 20 metres out, helped give his side a 17-3 lead in the opening quarter.
Untypically, they let the visitors back into the game as left wing Michael Corcoran kicked his second penalty and fly-half Paul Burke dropped a goal. On the stroke of half-time, quick possession from a Garryowen allowed Rob Saunders to chip to the right wing where the ball bounced wickedly for Adedayo Adebayo – but kindly for Simon Geoghegan.
Corcoran missed a 45-metre penalty just after half-time which would have given the Irish the lead and that really stirred Bath up. John Hall surged away from a line-out and with support from his back row colleagues, Ben Clarke and Steve Ojomoh, the drive built up irresistible momentum before Phil de Glanville slid through a gap to score.
With No 8 Clarke adding another try from a strike against the head on the line, Bath seemed set to pull away again. However they lost concentration and it needed Hennessy’s dropped goal to sting them into action again.
Webb landed two easy penalties before Ubogu burst away on a 50-metre touch-line sprint. Jim Staples hauled him down but de Glanville and Hall were in support to send the impressive Barnes over at the posts.
BATH MATCH FACTS
Entertainment rating – 3 stars
BATH FORM: infuriating
SCORERS: 2 mins – Webb pen, 3-nil; 6 mins – Ubogu try, Webb conversion, 10-nil; 16 mins – Corcoran pen, 10-3; 20 mins – Ubogu try, Webb con, 17-3; 26 mins – Corcoran pen, 17-6; 35 mins – Burke dropped goal, 17-9; 40 mins – Geoghegan try, Corcoran con, 17-16; H-T – 17-16; 43 mins – de Glanville try, Webb con, 24-16; 47 mins – Clarke try, 29-16; 63 mins – Hennessy dropped goal, 29-19; 73 mins – Webb pen, 32-19; 76 mins – Webb pen, 35-19; 80 mins – Barnes try, Webb con, 42-19.
Bath: Webb; Swift, Lewis, de Glanville, Adebayo; Barnes, Hill; Chilcott (rep Mallett, 63 mins), Dawe, Ubogu, Redman, O’Leary, Ojomoh, Clarke, Hall.
London Irish: Staples; Geoghegan, Hennessy, Curtis, Corcoran; Burke, Saunders; Donovan, McFarland, Halpin, Hall, Keenan, Collins, Robinson, Pegler.
Referee: Brian Wallis (Wales RU).
Conditions: weather – bright; pitch – soft.
3/10/1992
v Blackheath. Won 51-0. Team:- Callard; Blackett, Bamsey, Bill Peters (rep Johnson 51 mins), Lewis; Raymond, Sanders; Hilton, Atkins, Mallett, Haag, Reed, Robinson, Egerton, Hall.
Bath scorers – tries: Bill Peters, Martin Haag 2, Andy Robinson, Peter Blackett, Jon Callard, Iestyn Lewis. Conversions: Callard 5. Penalties: Callard 2. It was a third Saturday entertaining London Clubs – in this case ‘The Club,’ our friends from Blackheath. Bath’s back row of Robinson, Hall and Egerton was more than a match for the Londoners; Martin Haag was in good form, and it was a debut game for prop David Hilton. Jon Callard had another outstanding game, wading in with 21 points.
Bath impressed with their speed and close support play throughout.
10/10/1992
v Northampton, Away, Lost 8-11. J Webb, A Swift, P de Glanville, J Guscott, A Adebayo, S Barnes (1pg), R Hill, G Chilcott, G Dawe, V Ubogu, M Haag, S O’Leary, A Robinson, S Ojomoh, B Clarke (T) Ref – F Howard Replacements – I Sanders & J Mallett
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
BATH will hold an “honesty session” this week when players will be expected to admit their part in contributing to this shattering defeat.
“It’s like losing a member of the family,” said skipper Andy Robinson. “With the sort of players we’ve got, we shouldn’t ever be beaten.”
But when players such as Jon Webb and Richard Hill, with 55 caps between them, begin making basic errors – and they were not alone – it’s always going to be tough against as hard-nosed an outfit as Northampton on their own patch.
Webb and Hill are not men to evade responsibility but one wonders whether they might extend an invitation to this breast-beating session to another experienced international campaigner, referee Fred Howard.
In failing to spot a clear – and probably deliberate knock-on – he allowed Northampton to turn a scoring opportunity for Bath into a breakaway try for speedy Nick Beal. As a number of players hesitated, waiting for the whistle, the wing collected the loose ball and then hacked on to win the race for the touchdown.
Steele missed the conversion but, with half an hour gone, Saints were 11-nil up and hardly missing 6ft 10in lock Martin Bayfield who had withdrawn with a septic knee. England colleague Tim Rodber moved up into the second row and played a major part in ensuring a 16-10 line-out advantage to the Saints.
Bath, blowing hot and cold as they had done in previous league games this season, had put together some fine driving play but were not taking their chances. Webb, clearly getting too much under the ball on the tee, missed two penalties and was not finding touch consistently either.
With the wind behind them after the restart, Bath hammered away at the Saints’ line but much of the short-range stuff was so predictable that the defence could wrap up the ball-carrier and regain possession under the notorious new “turnover” law.
When the next penalty presented itself, under the posts, Webb passed on the duties to Stuart Barnes who duly kicked the goal.
The fly-half broke from his own 22 on the restart and Guscott’s kick had Ian Hunter in trouble. Steve Ojomoh was held on the line and Northampton attempted a break-out down the left.
It came to grief however and Barnes’ tackle on halfway left Bath with a prime attacking opportunity. Guscott, having a marvellous game, bamboozled the cover before launching No 8 Ben Clarke on a storming run to the corner for the try.
Even die-hard Saints fans in the 6,000-plus crowd must have expected Bath then to turn the screw but the onslaught never came.
The champions just could not put their game together and as frustration grew, both Graham Dawe and Gareth Chilcott were warned for use of the boot in rucks. Instead it was Northampton who had the chances but they failed to put the game out of reach as Beal missed three penalties.
Guscott launched an attack under the posts from one of those failed kicks but there was to be no last-minute reprieve this time.
ENTERTAINMENT RATING 3 STARS
BATH FORM: error-strewn
SCORERS: 5 mins – Steele pen, 3-nil; 8 mins – Steele pen, 6-nil; 30 mins – Beal try, 11-nil; H-T – 11-nil; 49 mins – Barnes pen, 11-3; 53 mins – Clarke try, 11-8.
NORTHAMPTON: Hunter; Beal, Packman, MacNaughton, Thorneycroft; Steele (rep Elkington, 69 minutes), Dawson; Baldwin, Olver, Allen, Rodber, Etheridge, Walton, Shelford, Tebbutt.
BATH: Webb; Swift, de Glanville, Guscott, Adebayo; Barnes, Hill; Chilcott, Dawe, Ubogu, Haag, O’Leary, Robinson, Clarke, Ojomoh.
REFEREE: Fred Howard (Lancashire Soc).
CONDITIONS: weather – dull, cold wind; pitch – excellent.
17/10/1992
v Coventry, Home, Won 63-6. J Callard (5g Tx3 & 1pg), D Cottrell (T), J Bamsey, A Webber, P Blackett (x3), C Raymond (Tx2), R Hill, D Hilton, C Atkins, J Mallett, N Redman, A Reed, G Adams, J Hall (Capt) (T), D Egerton Ref – A Reay
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
JON Callard amassed 28 points from a hat-trick of tries, five conversions and a penalty to mark his 50th first team appearance for Bath.
It brings his aggregate for this season to 71 points from just three games and underlines just how valuable a servant he has been to the champions since he arrived from Newport in the spring of 1989.
Prompting and chivvying from full-back, the 26-year-old Downside schoolmaster was rarely out of the action as a United-strength team swept the Second Division side away with ten tries.
It was altogether a lighter, more carefree occasion than the first team regulars’ unhappy outing at Northampton the week before although Callard acknowledges that the absence of league pressures and the standard of the opposition made things rather easier against Coventry.
“Nevertheless, I think we do go out with a different attitude,” he said. “We look to play a more open, fluid game and I think some of us could be pushing for a league place before long.”
The only area where Coventry did give Bath something to think about was in the scrums where 20-stone ex-Bristol prop Crayton Phillips proved more than a handful.
But a nicely balanced back row incorporating the experience of No 8 David Egerton, the eagerness of Gareth Adams and the power of acting skipper John Hall kept the Coventry pack well and truly occupied in the loose.
And with young fly-half Craig Raymond kicking and running effectively, the tries kept coming.
The difference in speed of reaction was never better illustrated than in the 23rd minute when Callard went up to take a penalty. The visitors assumed he would kick for goal but he tapped the ball to himself and scooted round behind the posts for his second try.
Peter Blackett, revelling in service he was getting on the left wing, added the first of his three tries before half-time to give Bath a 22-3 interval lead.
Raymond crossed for the next two, the second a delightful jinking run to the posts, and former Clifton wing Dan Cottrell marked his first team debut with a spectacular dive at the corner. The forwards eventually joined in to produce a memorable score for Hall and, fittingly, Callard rounded things off.
Scorers: Bath – tries: Callard 3, Blackett 3, Raymond 2, Cottrell, Hall. Conversions: Callard 5. Penalty: Callard. Coventry – pens: Angell 2.
Bath: Callard; Cottrell, Bamsey, Webber, Blackett; Raymond, Hill; Hilton, Atkins, Mallett, Reed, Redman, Adams, Egerton, Hall.
Coventry: Gee; McKenzie, Minshull, Rowan, Shaw; Angell, Turner; Phillips, Addleton, Bullock, Gulliver, Mackie, Thomas, Jones, Hickey.
Referee: Ashley Reay (Bristol Soc).
24/10/1992
v Orrell, Home, Won 39-3. J Webb (4g, T & 2pg), A Swift, P de Glanville, J Guscott, A Adebayo, S Barnes, R Hill (T), G Chilcott, G Dawe, V Ubogu, N Redman (T), A Reed, A Robinson, J Hall (Tx2), B Clarke Ref – S Piercy Replacements – I Sanders & J Mallett
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
TWO tries in three minutes from John Hall had Bath fans in raptures but left Bristol’s assistant coach Dave Robson looking rather less than ecstatic.
From his days on the Bath coaching panel, Robson knows all too well just what an important figure the 30-year-old flanker has been in the champions’ success over the last decade.
And it’s no comfort to know that such a world-class player is hitting form just in time for Saturday’s First Division derby at Bristol. “John Hall is someone you want playing for you, not against you,” observed Robson gravely.
Andy Robinson, reflecting on a rip-roaring second-half performance, made it quite plain that Hall’s inclusion was no reflection on Steve Ojomoh, the other contender for the Bath blindside spot. “Steve’s very unlucky but his time will come. John Hall just offers qualities that no-one else can.”
Hall’s tries came amid the rush of points in the second half when Orrell were finally run off their feet but he also crossed the line as early as the 17th minute without convincing the referee he had grounded the ball.
However there was no doubt about Richard Hill’s score a minute later when, to the embarrassment of Dewi Morris, the Bath man stole the ball from under the nose of the man who had deposed him as England scrum-half.
Webb’s conversion put the champions 10-nil ahead but there had been very little rugby. The first half produced 29 lineouts of which just seven yielded clean possession and just as many resulted in penalties.
With so many stoppages, Bath found it difficult to find their rhythm and Gerry Ainscough soon replied for Orrell with a penalty. But after half-time there was no stopping the home side as they began to string the passes together.
Significantly, second row Andy Reed had recovered from a nervous start to provide the kind of line-out possession that has been missing in recent weeks and the confidence came flooding back.
Within six minutes Webb added a second penalty and shortly afterwards Ben Clarke was denied a storming try by a forward pass. However Webb, heading for a match total of 19 points, collected the next score courtesy of Jeremy Guscott’s astute long pass and added the conversion, too.
With an hour gone, Bath were clearly moving into top gear, Robinson revelling in the sudden transformation from stop-go tedium to a brand of all-action rugby that thrilled the 6,000 crowd.
Hall’s first try was a classic, although his role was merely as finisher. Who can remember how the move started? The ball must have been in play for well over a minute before Phil de Glanville made a telling break and Robinson and Nigel Redman set up their fellow forward.
And after Hall added another, plunging over at a line-out, Redman forced his way over from a tapped penalty. It could have been 50 points and it’s obvious that if Bath maintain this form other sides are going to suffer just as badly.
ENTERTAINMENT RATING – four stars
BATH FORM: majestic
SCORERS: 14 mins – Webb pen, 3-nil; 18 mins – Hill try, Webb conv, 10-nil; 23 mins – Ainscough pen, 10-3; H-T – 10-3; 46 mins – Webb pen, 13-3; 51 mins – Webb try and conv, 20-3; 69 mins – Hall try, Webb conv, 27-3; 67 mins – Hall try, Webb conv, 34-3; 72 mins – Redman try, 39-3.
BATH: Webb; Swift, de Glanville, Guscott, Adebayo; Barnes, Hill; Chilcott, Dawe, Ubogu, Redman, Reed, Robinson, Clarke, Hall.
ORRELL: Taberner; Heslop, Langford, Wellens, Halsall; Ainscough, Morris; Hynes, Hitchin, Southern, Cusani, Brierley, Cleary, Gallagher, Manley.
REFEREE: Stuart Piercey (RFU).
CONDITIONS: weather – fine; pitch – good.
31/10/1992
v Bristol, Away, Won 31-8. J Webb (4g, T & 1pg), A Swift (Tx2), P de Glanville, J Guscott, A Adebayo, S Barnes, R Hill, G Chilcott, G Dawe, V Ubogu, N Redman, A Reed, A Robinson, J Hall, B Clarke (T) Ref – S Lander Replacements – I Sanders & M Crane
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
POOR Bristol, left broken and bewildered by a sublime display of attacking rugby from their greatest rivals, stand at the point of no return.
They now know the old values of territorial domination and set-piece superiority mean nothing when confronted by the sort of pace and creativity Bath produced in front of a 10,000 crowd at the Memorial Ground.
If Derek Eves and his men are honest with themselves, they will admit that the champions have moved to a new level of performance. It was not so much that Bristol lost, just that Bath were playing a different game.
As Bath hooker Graham Dawe put it: “We feel now we can win games with 40 per cent possession because our finishing is so clinical.”
While Bristol had to sweat blood to make ten or 15 yards up the middle of the park, their opponents could win three times as much ground through slick passing and dynamic, perfectly angled running.
Jon Webb, who bestrode the game like the world-class performer he is, caused massive damage from fullback while Jeremy Guscott and Phil de Glanville put the fear of God into the Bristol backs whenever they received the ball in open field.
Pity Bristol’s muddied and bloodied infantry – men like Andy Blackmore and David Hinkins – who moved heaven and earth to shade the forward battle. For what? There is no point fighting your way into enemy territory if no-one fires any bullets when you get there.
Bath had ammunition coming out of their ears and Webb proved it with a precision burst into the heart of Bristol’s defence three minutes into the match. Despite James Johnston’s desperate tackle on Adedayo Adebayo, the impressive Ben Clarke was up like a flash to gallop in at the corner.
Back came Bristol, tearing into rucks and mauls with an intensity that would remain white-hot until the final ten minutes. Indeed Peter Stiff might have been awarded a try had referee Steve Lander spotted him ground the ball beneath a pile of bodies.
Even then, Dave Palmer nicked a strike against the head to force Bath into a scrum infringement under pressure. But Mark Tainton pulled his penalty shot from the 22 – the first of several important misses.
Mr Lander needed more than the standard optical equipment at this stage for some of the footwork in the rucks looked distinctly malevolent.
Webb, meanwhile, had landed a simple penalty to take his side into double figures and Bristol badly needed a reply. Unfortunately, Tainton’s dropped goal attempt bounced off a post, inadvertently leading to Bath’s killer blow.
Kyran Bracken knocked on from the resulting drop-out, allowing Victor Ubogu to set off on a charge under advantage. The ball whizzed right and Webb, finding the most delicately-weighted grubber kick as the defence closed in, created a breathtaking score for Tony Swift.
Still Bristol would not die. They kept hammering away at the Bath pack and finally sent Johnston in for a fine try after two strength-sapping rolling mauls had opened a chink of light down the right touchline.
Momentarily, the stage was set for a big finish. But Barnes put paid to that, immediately hanging a wicked “bomb” on the Bristol 22 and then capitalising on the chaos to give the flawless Webb a run-in.
Not surprisingly, the Bristol heads went down this time. Bath, rampant now, dominated the final minutes and Swift eventually claimed his second try, courtesy of Barnes’s pass from a five-metre scrum.
SCORERS: 3 mins – Clarke try, Webb conv, 0-7; 16 mins – Webb pen, 0-10; 34 mins – Swift try, Webb conv, 0-17; 37 mins – Tainton pen, 3-17; H-T – 3-17; 61 mins – Johnston try, 8-17; 64 mins – Webb try & conv, 8-24; 76 mins – Swift try, Webb conv, 8-31.
Bristol: Hull; Johnston, Morgan, Knibbs, Lloyd; Tainton, Bracken; Sharp, Palmer, Hinkins, Stiff, Blackmore, Armstrong, Barrow, Eves.
Bath: Webb; Swift, de Glanville, Guscott, Adebayo; Barnes, Hill; Chilcott, Dawe, Ubogu, Redman, Reed, Robinson, Clarke, Hall.
Referee: Steve Lander (Liverpool Soc).
Conditions: weather – bright; pitch – firm.
7/11/1992
v Cardiff, Home, Won 31-22. J Callard (1g T & 2pg), A Swift, J Bamsey, I Lewis (T), A Adebayo, C Raymond (1dg), I Sanders (T), D Crompton, C Atkins, J Mallett, M Haag, S O’Leary, G Adams, J Hall (Capt) (T), D Egerton Ref – M Bayliss Replacements – C Dalby & G Chilcott – Dalby replaced Bamsey
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
BATH have topped 30 points in seven of their ten fixtures this season, ample evidence of their firepower whatever team they field.
But, retaining just three of the side that demolished Bristol, they had to endure a few uncomfortable moments against a similarly understrength Cardiff line-up.
Bath v Cardiff used to be one of the highlights of the rugby calendar, but only John Hall survived from that extraordinary night in 1985 when some 10,000 squeezed into the Rec.
Sadly, it is much like any other non-league fixture these days although the Welshmen certainly seemed to be taking it seriously judging by their opening assault.
Bath were immediately penalised in midfield and a smartly-taken tap sent hooker Ian Greenslade bursting through to create a first-minute try for fly-half Chris John, who also converted from wide out.
Despite having to replace loosehead Ken Matthews, Cardiff continued to hustle and Tony Swift had to turn and chase opposite number Geraint Lewis to prevent a further score. It was 10-nil after 20 minutes, however, when John landed a 25-metre penalty.
Bath’s problem was that they were trying to play a free-flowing game without the necessary control. But when acting captain Hall finally persuaded his teammates where they were going wrong, they began to turn the tide.
Playing the game in or near the Cardiff 22 was a sensible first step, which quickly yielded a penalty goal for Jon Callard. Hall then gratefully accepted a try as Greenslade’s throw found the wrong man at a line-out on the corner flag.
One further plus point for Bath was that Sean O’Leary, whose first few months at the club have been so troubled, was having a happier time in the lineout.
Much of the rugby was still of the “pin-ball” variety though, with too many spilled passes, wrong options and poor kicks to be at all satisfying. But Bath profited most as Cardiff were forced into a succession of errors as half-time approached, conceding a dropped goal to Craig Raymond and two penalties to Callard.
There were flashes of bad temper too but, 12 minutes into the second half, Bath found their rhythm with a superb try. A dazzling, jinking run by Raymond created space on the right and Iestyn Lewis launched Swift with a clever reverse pass; the move was halted at the line but Ian Sanders dived over for the try, converted by Callard.
Cardiff took up the challenge and it took a fine tap tackle by Raymond to thwart former Neath centre Colin Laity, carving through in midfield. The reply was not long delayed however and flanker Howard Merritt exploited a gap to send winger Lewis over on a cleverly-angled run.
His namesake on the Bath side, Iestyn, quickly restored the advantage as the home team tied up the defence from a scrum-five to fashion a three-man overlap. But Cardiff had the last word as Laity again found a gap and that old warhorse, Richie Collins, was on hand to finish off.
Entertainment rating: 3 stars
BATH FORM: patchy
SCORERS: 1 min – John try & conversion, nil-7; 18 mins – John penalty, nil-10; 26 mins – Callard pen, 3-10; 32 mins – Hall try, 8-10; 36 mins – Raymond dropped goal, 11-10; 38 mins – Callard pen, 14-10; 43 mins – Callard pen, 17-10; H-T – 17-10; 52 mins – Sanders try, Callard conv, 24-10; 62 mins – Geraint Lewis try, 24-15; 68 mins – Iestyn Lewis try, Callard conv, 31-15; 75 mins – Collins try, John conv, 31-22.
BATH: Callard; Swift, Bamsey (rep Dalby, 75 mins), Iestyn Lewis, Adebayo; Raymond, Sanders; Crompton, Atkins, Mallett, Haag, O’Leary, Adams, Egerton, Hall.
CARDIFF: Armstrong; Hill, Laity, Palfrey, Geraint Lewis; John, Booth; Matthews (rep Swaine, 5 mins), Greenslade, Sedgemore, Rees, Mills, Allen, Collins, Merritt.
REFEREE: Matt Bayliss (Gloucester Society).
CONDITIONS: weather – dull; pitch – good to soft.
21/11/1992
v Leicester, Away, Won 13-3. J Webb (1pg), A Swift, P de Glanville, J Guscott, A Adebayo (T), S Barnes, R Hill, G Chilcott, G Dawe, V Ubogu, N Redman (T), A Reed, A Robinson, J Hall, B Clarke Ref – R C Rees Replacements – I Sanders & J Mallett
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
THE Courage League title race is boiling up for a showdown between Bath and Wasps at the Recreation Ground on March 13.
The Londoners are the only First Division side still unbeaten but Bath have already built up a points difference of more than 100, virtually twice as much as the leaders.
There’s still a trip to Gloucester, of course, but this victory in front of 10,000-plus at Welford Road was as sure a sign as any that the champions are not going to give up that trophy too easily.
Incessant rain on an already-sodden pitch ruled out the sort of spectacle that these two great rivals normally serve up. Bath, especially, are no longer a wet-weather side so it was slip and slither for more than an hour with a penalty apiece the only reward.
Jon Webb put the champions ahead after two minutes and that sparked a typically strong spell in the first quarter but, after John Liley replied from close range, Leicester held the initiative up to half-time.
However they lacked the control to make that pressure tell. Bath must be thankful for Dean Richards’s absence with a calf injury but even more so for a moment of folly after 67 minutes by scrum-half Aadel Kardooni.
“Criminal, just criminal,” lamented Leicester coaching director Tony Russ. “I don’t know what he was doing, trying to run out from his own 22. Bath don’t miss those chances.”
They didn’t. The ball spilled from Kardooni’s grasp and Stuart Barnes sliced into midfield before lobbing an exquisite pass to Jeremy Guscott who sent Adedayo Adebayo away for his first try in more than 18 months.
A measure of the relief in the Bath camp was the sight of coach Jack Rowell letting his emotions getting the better of him for once and leaping in the air to acclaim the score.
Barnes, taking over the kicking from an unsettled-looking Webb, had no more success from an admittedly difficult angle but a second try followed within five minutes.
Richard Hill, whose astute box kicks had turned the game in Bath’s favour after the interval, this time broke from a scrum and fed Ben Clarke. The England No 8 set up the ruck and Barnes fed Guscott on the blindside in an unpromising position.
That is when Guscott is at his most dangerous; the England centre ghosted inside several defenders and although stopped on the line, managed to unload to second row Nigel Redman for the try.
ENTERTAINMENT RATING 3 stars
BATH FORM: persistent
SCORERS: 2 mins – Webb pen, nil-3; 23 mins – Liley pen, 3-3; H-T – 3-3; 68 mins – Adebayo try, 3-8; 73 mins – Redman try, 3-13.
BATH: Webb; Swift, de Glanville, Guscott, Adebayo; Barnes, Hill; Chilcott, Dawe, Ubogu, Redman, Reed, Robinson, Clarke, Hall.
LEICESTER: Liley; Hackney, Bates, Potter, R Underwood; Harris, Kardooni; Rowntree, Cockerill, Garforth, Johnson, Poole, Povoas, Grant, Back.
REFEREE: Chris Lewis (London Soc).
CONDITIONS: weather – constant rain; pitch – soft, very wet.
28/11/1992
v Waterloo, Away, Lost 8-9 Pilkington Cup – Third Round. J Webb (1pg), A Swift (T), P de Glanville, J Guscott, A Adebayo, C Raymond, R Hill, G Chilcott, G Dawe, J Mallett, N Redman, S O’Leary, A Robinson, J Hall, D Egerton. Referee – S V Griffiths. Replacements – I Sanders and M Crane
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
An air of stunned disbelief hung over the Bath camp as the champions were hustled out of the cup, remarkably only their third defeat in the competition in ten years.
But for nine of the team it was an uncomfortably familiar feeling. Remember Moseley five years ago?
It was that long since Bath had lost a tie away from home but there was one common factor – the absence of playmaker Stuart Barnes. Last time it was a fractured cheekbone, this time the call of the Barbarians.
There is no doubt that he would have guided Bath into the fourth round, a fact that was painfully obvious to coach Jack Rowell who was forced to field novice fly-half Craig Raymond.
“We won good first-phase possession but we just weren’t going anywhere at half-back,” he said. “I don’t blame Stuart. He was put in an impossible position.
“But you can’t take it away from Waterloo. They played extremely well, won a lot of loose ball, kept going for 80 minutes – and sneaked a win.”
Barnes having been joined in the Barbarians side by No 8 Ben Clarke, the Bath pack lost a little more of its cutting edge by the late withdrawal of England prop Victor Ubogu and in-form lock Andy Reed.
All rather unsettling, and Bath seemed on the defensive from the opening seconds when Waterloo’s eventual matchwinner, Paul Grayson, was just off-target with a dropped goal attempt.
The England Under-21 fly-half was a little closer after seven minutes – but not close enough as his 25-metre penalty rebounded off the left hand post.
Webb also missed a kick soon afterwards but on 19 minutes Grayson opened the scoring as Bath infringed at a ruck some 40 metres from goal. The lead lasted two minutes, Webb landing his goal from shorter range for a similar offence.
After a promising start the lineout again became a barren area for Bath and matters worsened as they lapsed into their old habit of conceding needless penalties. Waterloo never really looked like scoring a try but, as it turned out, there was no need.
Raymond, the young Welshman filling Barnes’s boots, was having a difficult time getting that potent back line moving for the reason that his positioning alters the alignment. Put simply, those breathtaking moves don’t work without Barnes to orchestrate them.
A sense of urgency was restored by Andy Robinson’s half-time team talk which roused his side into try-scoring action within two minutes. Waterloo only just kept out the first thrust from Adedayo Adebayo but the left wing popped up again in midfield to make the opening from which Webb sent Tony Swift over in the righthand corner.
However, Webb missed the conversion and Grayson’s boot made it 6-8 within five minutes.
Both sides seemed to spend the remainder of the game pumping ill-directed high balls at the full-backs, but when Grayson did try a little chip over the top, he was obstructed. The ball sailed over to a great Lancastrian roar and time ran out all too quickly on Bath whose panic-stricken approach was exemplified by Guscott’s pitiful attempt at a dropped goal when he had a four-to-two overlap.
ENTERTAINMENT RATING 2 STARS
SCORERS: 19 mins – Grayson pen, 3-nil; 21 mins – Webb pen, 3-3; H-T – 3-3; 42 mins – Swift try, 3-8; 47 mins – Grayson pen, 6-8; 73 mins – Grayson pen, 9-8.
WATERLOO: Swindells; Fraser, Hill, Craig, Healey; Grayson, Saverimutto; Beckett, Hackett, Peters, Allott, White, Ashcroft, Beeley, Buckton.
BATH: Webb; Swift, de Glanville, Guscott, Adebayo; Raymond, Hill; Chilcott, Dawe, Mallett, Redman, O’Leary, Robinson, Egerton, Hall.
REFEREE: Steve Griffiths (North Midlands Soc).
CONDITIONS: weather – fine; pitch – good to soft.
5/12/1992
v Nottingham, Away, Won 24-17. J Callard (3g, T & 1pg), D Cottrell, I Lewis, M Catt, P Blackett, C Raymond, I Sanders (Tx2), D Hilton, C Atkins, M Crane, P McCoy, S O’Leary, G Adams, N Maslen (Capt), D Egerton. Ref – D Jackson
This was a good ‘pick-me-up’ after the Cup set back at Waterloo. Many of the first teamers were helping the South West Division beat the North. The second string did equally good work at Beeston. Sean O’Leary was late leaving his Oxford hospital, but reported into the dressing room, just as coach Simon Jones was shaping up to change. Giants, O’Leary, Egerton and McCoy cleaned up in the line outs, and John Callard contributed an impressive kicking performance. It was Callard who set up the first try after a dodging run through most of the home team. Adams and Egerton handled, for Sanders to nip in for the final 20 metres. Callard converted. Sanders got the second from Iestyn Lewis’s grubber to the corner. Late on, Callard secured the best try of the game, thereby becoming top scorer, but also exceeding his 100 points for the season. Blackett brought off one particularly devastating tackle on his opposite number.
Mike Catt, born in South Africa on 17th September 1971, made his first team debut for Bath.
His mother was born and grew up in the Home Counties and his father was a South African. He was educated and learned his rugby at Grey High School, Port Elizabeth.
12/12/1992
v Richmond, Away, Won 38-22. J Callard, D Cottrell, I Lewis, M Catt, P Blackett (T), C Raymond (2c, 1dg & 2pg), I Sanders, D Hilton, C Atkins, M Crane (T), M Haag (T), S O’Leary, G Adams, N Maslen (Capt) (T), A Stratton (T). Ref – S Collins
Martin Haag scored after a surprising dash by Dave Hilton. Raymond converted.
Then, a full blooded set-too over Mark Crane’s prostrate form, seemed to focus Bath’s effort. He eventually heaved up his not inconsiderable frame, and was benched to recover. Adam Stratton, a back row forward, was called in to tight head. Somewhat rattled, Bath had conceded a number of penalties and were 5-16 down at half time. Crane was back for the second spell, and within four minutes, he was over after a feed from Sanders. Then Lewis and Raymond combined to send in Pete Blackett in the corner. Raymond again added the points and Bath were level at 19-19. Maslen and Haag then applied the pressure with a series of Bath style rolling mauls, forcing two penalties. Haag missed a sitter as he dropped the ball, but almost immediately Maslen dropped over from a forward surge. (30-19.) Then Raymond chipped in with a drop goal and Stratton pounced on a further try after a wayward Richmond pass. Gareth Adams had an outstanding game. Callard recognised that he had an off-day with his early kicking attempts, and Raymond took on his duties to good effect.
19/12/1992
v London Welsh, Away, Won 37-7. C Book (T), A Swift (T), A Webber, J Bamsey, P Blackett, C Raymond (2g & 1pg), I Sanders (Tx2), D Hilton, T Beddow, M Crane (T), M Haag, S O’Leary, M Sweett (T), A Stratton, N Maslen (Capt) Ref – C Reekes
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
TONY Swift is not one of those players who takes too kindly to being ignored or being taken for granted.
At 33 years of age and with six England caps and a grand total of 343 first class tries behind him, it is perhaps his privilege to demand due respect from his teammates.
Unfortunately this Bath line-up, while struggling to subdue their Fourth Division visitors, contrived to ignore an increasingly frustrated Swift on the right wing.
He did not receive a pass until three minutes before half-time and handled the ball only twice more by the 73rd minute. By this time, he was visibly growing angrier and more vocal in his criticism of the other Bath backs.
They were only doing their best of course, but the decision making was more often wrong than right and finally Swift’s patience snapped.
Pulling rank on young Andy Webber, he took up station in the centre – but still he could not get the ball.
Finally, the others got the message and from a scrum inside the Bath half Webber and Peter Blackett worked Swift into space and, to a great cheer from the Rec regulars, he was over in the corner for try No 344.
There was still time for scrum-half Ian Sanders to dive round a ruck on the left for the sixth try but there was more to celebrate in the scoreline than in the performance.
The Exiles had started brightly, catching Bath half-asleep in the fourth minute when fullback Owen Robins gathered his own chip-ahead to touch down.
But a poor pass from the base of a scrum at the other end was well exploited for the opening Bath score by Clive Book and another Spartans player, Martin Sweett, was put through to the posts before Craig Raymond’s penalty accounted for a half-time lead of 17-7.
The second half was a shambles even though there was plentiful line-out possession from Sean O’Leary and some punishing surges from second row partner Martin Haag. Sanders and Mark Crane went over from short range immediately after the break but things rather went to pieces after that.
Scorers: Bath – tries: Book, Sweett, Sanders 2, Crane, Swift. Convs: Raymond 2. Pen: Raymond. London Welsh – try: Robins. Conv: Evans.
Bath: Book; Swift, Webber, Bamsey, Blackett; Raymond, Sanders; Hilton, Beddow, Crane, Haag, O’Leary, Stratton, Maslen, Sweett.
Referee: Chris Reeks (Somerset Soc).
26/12/1992
v Clifton, Home, Won 28-0. A Lumsden, D Cottrell, J Bamsey, C Book (1g), P Blackett, C Raymond (Tx2 & 2pg), S Knight (T), D Hilton, T Beddow, M Crane (T), W Davis, P McCoy, M Sweet, N Maslen (Capt), D Egerton Ref – D May
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
IT’S all of 20 years since Clifton flanker Peter Polledri played a full game at scrum-half – and that was as a St Brendan’s schoolboy.
But there he was, gamely running out in the No 9 shirt at that most unforgiving of rugby venues, Bath’s Recreation Ground. Such were Clifton’s difficulties in raising a team that they also had to field veteran hooker Mike Cotton on the wing.
Bath were by no means full-strength either but at least they had orthodox cover in all positions and must have fancied their chances of breaking the 50-point barrier.
As so often happens, however, the underdogs rose to the occasion and kept the scoreline to reasonable proportions. There was also satisfaction in preventing ex-Clifton win Dan Cottrell from getting a try.
“Our tackling was simply magnificent,” said Polledri, who acquitted himself extremely well in his duel with Steve Knight. “I actually began to enjoy myself – until they scored a try when the ball bounced over my head.
“I’ve never been so embarrassed,” he added. “My only other regret was that we didn’t get the couple of scores we deserved.”
Craig Raymond (twice) and Simon Hogg were wide with penalty kicks before Mark Crane broke the deadlock by crashing over from a tapped penalty in the 35th minute.
Raymond added penalties either side of the interval but the Bath backs failed to make any impact, mainly because the Clifton tackling knocked them out of their stride.
A rookie back row, making their most of a rare opportunity to shine on a first-class ground, stole a remarkable amount of ball in the tackle. Flanker Derrick Hone provided the highlight of the first half by ripping the ball from a maul, chipping over Audley Lumsden, and almost creating a try for Mark Beresford.
Young centres Pete Naivalarua and Aftab Hamid proved just as obstinate in defence and Naivalarua’s 16 stones-plus provided Clifton’s most effective attacking option.
What the visitors did not have was ball-winning ability or the pace outside to make the most of the scraps that came their way. Determination and spirit was never going to be enough.
The second try on 52 minutes stemmed from a counter-attack by Lumsden and Polledri’s lack of inches in trying to gather his chip but the final pass to Knight looked distinctly forward.
The one occasion when Clifton’s defence was found wanting came in the 65th minute when Raymond dummied his way to the posts. The fly-half converted and cashed in again on the final whistle when a tired defence let him in at the corner.
Scorers: Bath – tries: Crane, Knight, Raymond 2. Conversion: Raymond. Penalties: Raymond 2.
Bath: Lumsden; Cottrell, Book, Bamsey, Blackett; Raymond, Knight; Hilton, Beddow, Crane, Davis, McCoy, Maslen, Egerton, Sweett.
Clifton: Beresford; Freeman, Naivalarua, Aftab Hamid, Cotton; Hogg, Polledri; Whittingham, Ashford, Newth, Thomas, Blake, Davis, Collins, D Hone.
Referee: David May (Cornwall Soc).
2/1/1993
v Sale, Home, Won 26-6. J Callard (3g), A Swift (Tx2), J Bamsey, I Lewis, P Blackett, C Raymond, R Hill, D Crompton, G Dawe, M Crane, M Haag, S O’Leary, A Robinson, N Maslen, D Egerton (Tx2) Ref – K Beaumont Replacements – J Knight replaced Blackett
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
BATH had to rely on the “old heads” to put Second Division Sale in their place.
No 8 David Egerton and wing Tony Swift shared all four tries as the more experienced campaigners showed the young bloods just how it should be done.
For someone whose career was in serious jeopardy a year ago because of shoulder injuries, Egerton looked in fine fettle and is surely still among the top five No 8s in the country.
Such is the wealth of back row talent at Bath however that he is bound to be back in the United next weekend when Ben Clarke returns for the league match with Rugby.
Despite his two tries Egerton, capped six times by England, shared the sense of disappointment at the Bath performance. “Our inexperience showed at times and perhaps the decision-making left a bit to be desired,” he commented.
So lacking in authority was this Bath performance that a second penalty from Sale fly-half Phil Jee after 71 minutes left the Cheshire side just six points adrift.
They had already demonstrated just how dangerous they could be on the break when wing Kevin Young was put away from his own 22 only to be cut down by replacement Jamie Knight, covering across from the opposite wing.
That seemed to set the alarm bells ringing and, with six minutes left, Egerton plunged over for his second try after Knight had kept the ball alive on the left touchline.
A couple of minutes later Tony Swift applied some gloss to a dull affair by expertly finishing off a move begun from a maul in the Bath half, Andy Robinson providing the link on the blindside.
The first half had been pretty unrewarding, with both sides conceding needless penalties to further disrupt the flow of a shapeless contest. Bath profited most from driving mauls in which Mark Crane was particularly prominent but the backs struggled to create the openings.
Fortunately, Hill and Egerton were alert to some sloppy defending by Sale after 17 minutes when they combined from a quickly-tapped penalty and the 6ft 5in No 8 just managed to stretch the ball across the line.
Many saw the second try as a gift interception but it takes a player of Swift’s experience and anticipation to make the most of such opportunities. Sale centre Gareth Stokes tried to flip a pass on to Young; it bobbled and Swift was away to the posts for a try converted by Callard.
Sale attacked strongly after the break and it took a shuddering tackle from Egerton to deny Jee a try. However, the fly-half then missed three penalties in quick succession and that seemed to dent their effort.
ENTERTAINMENT RATING – one star
BATH FORM: unconvincing
SCORERS: 17 mins – Egerton try, 5-nil; 28 mins – Swift try, Callard conv, 12-nil; 30 mins – Jee pen, 12-3; H-T – 12-3; 71 mins – Jee pen, 12-6; 74 mins – Egerton try, Callard conv, 19-6; 76 mins – Swift try, Callard conv, 26-6.
BATH: Callard; Swift, Bamsey, Lewis, Blackett (rep J Knight, 32 mins; Raymond, Hill; Crompton, Dawe, Crane, Haag, O’Leary, Robinson, Egerton, Maslen.
SALE: Mallender; Davies, Stanfield, Stocks, Young; Jee, Warr; Smith, Diamond, Whitcombe, Baldwin, Erskine, O’Grady, Kenrith (rep Finney, 54 mins), Dobson.
REFEREE: Keith Beaumont (Devon Society).
CONDITIONS: weather – cold, dull; pitch – good.
9/1/1993
v Rugby, Home, Won 61-7. J Webb (5g, T & 2pg), A Swift, P de Glanville, J Guscott (T), A Adebayo (Tx2), S Barnes (Tx2), R Hill, D Hilton, G Dawe, V Ubogu, N Redman (T), S O’Leary (T), A Robinson (T), J Hall, D Egerton Ref – G Davies Replacements – I Sanders & C Atkins – Sanders replaced Hill & Atkins replaced Dawe
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
SEAN O’Leary has not had an easy time since joining Bath from Wasps in the summer but the big second row’s luck may be changing.
Shrugging off some ill-mannered barracking from home supporters, he set the ball rolling with an eighth minute try – the first of nine as the champions rattled up their biggest win of the season.
Many players would have been unsettled by ironic cheers from their own fans at winning a line-out, but the 28-year-old doctor took it in good part.
“I wasn’t upset. It was all pretty good natured,” said 6ft 8in O’Leary, who arrived at the Recreation Ground with a reputation as the man who would solve Bath’s line-out problems but then lost his place to Andy Reed.
“My line-out technique has been found wanting but, with the help of people like John Hall and Nigel Redman on things like footwork and timing, things are improving. And I can’t remember scoring a try for quite a long time,” he added with a grin.
To be fair, the applause for that effort was genuine enough although O’Leary almost stumbled over the line in the cloying mud.
No such problems for Victor Ubogu whose punishing runs sapped the strength and will of the Rugby defence, who soon found themselves 18-nil down as Jon Webb kicked a second penalty and then converted a try by Andy Robinson.
With ex-Bristol prop David Hilton making a telling contribution both in the tight and loose play on his league debut and the back row in commanding form, it was simply a question of how many points.
Unaccountably, Bath went to sleep for the third quarter, conceding a close-range try to loosehead prop Neil Riley – not named “Rhino” for nothing. Stung into a reaction, the home side created a try on the left for Adedayo Adebayo from a tapped penalty in first-half injury time.
And they carried on in the same vein after the interval, piling up the points with early tries from Stuart Barnes, following a storming run by David Egerton, and the impressive Redman, finishing off an eight man move straight from a scrum, to take the score to 35-7.
A lull – then the storm with 19 points in six minutes as they ran in three tries, all from tapped penalties. First Webb took a scoring pass from England teammate Jeremy Guscott; next Barnes scooted to the posts; and then Adebayo crossed, again from a Guscott pass.
With 20 minutes left and the score 54-7, it looked as if the league record win set by Bath against Bedford three years ago – 76-nil – was going to fall. But relegation-doomed Rugby kept tackling and there was just one more score from Guscott as everyones’ legs tired.
Webb’s fifth conversion gave him 15 points and a total of 87 in seven league games, encouraging form to take into the Five Nations Championship. And if the league title race goes to points difference again, Bath, averaging 30 points a game, should be home and dry.
ENTERTAINMENT RATING – four stars
BATH FORM: deadly
SCORERS: 6 mins – Webb pen, 3-nil; 8 mins – O’Leary try, 8-nil; 13 mins – Webb pen, 11-nil; 19 mins – Robinson try, Webb conv, 18-nil; 29 mins – Riley try, Pell conv, 18-7; 40 mins – Adebayo try, 23-7; H-T – 23-7; 42 mins – Barnes try, 28-7; 44 mins – Redman try, Webb conv, 35-7; 54 mins – Webb try, 40-7; 58 mins – Barnes try, Webb conv, 47-7; 60 mins – Adebayo try, Webb conv, 54-7; 73 mins – Guscott try, Webb conv, 61-7.
BATH: Webb; Swift, Guscott, de Glanville, Adebayo; Barnes, Hill (rep Sanders, 74 mins); Hilton, Dawe (rep Atkins, 14 mins), Ubogu, Redman, O’Leary, Robinson, Egerton, Hall.
RUGBY: Mapletoft; Saunders, Glover, Glover, Quantrill, Bromley; Pell, Bishop; Riley, Fry, Tregilgas, Bowman, Smith, M J Ellis, Jenkins, M R Ellis.
REFEREE: Geraint Davies (Liverpool Soc).
CONDITIONS: weather – fine; pitch – sticky
15/1/1993
v Clifton, Home, Won 43-3. A Lumsden (T), D Cottrell (T), A Webber (T), J Bamsey, M Sparkes (T), C Raymond (4g & T), I Sanders, D Crompton, C Atkins, M Crane, M Haag (T), P McCoy (T), J Davies, N Maslen (Capt), D Egerton Ref – J Vickery. Replacements (not used) – J Knight & T Beddow
Bath’s International elite were away for this one, but it hardly mattered. Any Clifton thoughts of an easier game were very soon dispelled, as the vacancies were readily filled by Bath’s resident ‘hopefuls.’
David Thorpe (Bath Chronicle) put it succinctly enough: “Along with delight for the individuals concerned there is cheer for all those waiting in the wings, knowing that their chance may have come. Broadly translated it means that while the best are away the rest can play…….”
Justyn Davis played well on his debut and the evergreen Martin Sparkes was called up as a late and willing replacement. In only his third 1st team appearance over two seasons, Andrew Webber took his opportunity to impress. He scored a late try, and used ample opportunities to demonstrate his pace and defensive commitment throughout the game. Pat McCoy looked a good second row and line-out prospect. Raymond showed good form, capping a useful kicking performance, with one outrageous dummy, to plant the ball under the posts for convenient conversion. Lumsden showed his attacking flare near the end – a try was just reward for his efforts. Clifton could hope for better days.
23/1/1993
v London Irish, Home, Won 47-5. J Callard (3g, Tx2 & 1pg), A Swift (Tx2), P de Glanville, I Lewis, A Adebayo, M Catt (Tx2), I Sanders, D Crompton, G Dawe, V Ubogu, N Redman (T), A Reed, A Robinson, S Ojomoh, D Egerton Ref – S Womersley
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
SOUTH African-born Mike Catt celebrated the arrival of a British passport in the morning post by running in two tries to help rub Irish noses in the mud.
Bath appear to have unearthed a player of considerable talent and versatility and, despite his background, one who should now be immediately available for league rugby if needed.
And it all happened quite by chance after Catt decided to do some globe-trotting after a season at fly-half with Eastern Province. He only arrived at the Recreation Ground after failing to get an answer when he rang Gloucester.
His first two games for Bath last month were at centre but a hamstring injury ruled out any further involvement until Saturday when Stuart Barnes withdrew with an ankle injury.
“I was going back to South Africa next month but my rugby future is with Bath now,” said 21-year-old Catt. “The passport is the key to everything because I don’t need to worry about visas and I should have automatic league registration.”
Catt, excited by the news that the Eastern Province ranks are being boosted by South African scrum-half Garth Wright and ex-New Zealand coach Alex Wyllie, does however intend to return to South Africa for the Currie Cup season this summer.
As for the Irish, they again found themselves on the wrong end of 40 points, as they had been in the Courage League game at Bath last September. Mainstay of the forward effort was new Scottish cap Andy Reed, controlling the line-out and markedly more aggressive in the close exchanges.
The first try came in 75 seconds, the ball being switched back and forth across field before Tony Swift grasped Iestyn Lewis’s pass and fell over the line. The nippy Jon Callard claimed the second from a tapped penalty and Nigel Redman finished off a scrum-five move as the Exiles’ defence melted under the pressure.
With a strong wind swirling over a sticky pitch, conditions were hardly suited to running rugby but Catt and Lewis combined sweetly for the fly-half to run in the fourth try on 26 minutes.
Somehow the Irish regrouped, covering and tackling spiritedly to prevent any further scores before half-time and conceding only a snap dropped goal by Lewis immediately afterwards.
That took the total to 25-nil but international scrum-half Rob Saunders earned an opportunist score by pouncing on a charged down kick and it was not until the final quarter that Bath rediscovered their rhythm.
Callard set the ball rolling with a simple penalty and found himself converting his own try within 90 seconds as Bath scored straight from the restart, courtesy of a stunning break by Phil de Glanville.
Again the Irish hardly laid foot or hand on the ball before Catt finished off some breathtaking interplay and a stunning burst of 19 points in six minutes was rounded off by Swift’s second try, converted by Callard.
ENTERTAINMENT RATING – three stars
BATH FORM: scintillating
SCORERS: 2 mins – Swift try, 5-0; 17 mins – Callard try, 10-0; 23 mins – Redman try, 15-0; 26 mins – Catt try, Callard conv, 22-0; HT – 22-0; 42 mins – Lewis dropped goal, 25-0; 53 mins – Saunders try, 25-5; 64 mins – Callard pen, 28-5; 66 mins – Callard try and conv, 35-5; 68 mins – Catt try, 40-5; 71 mins – Swift try, Callard conv, 47-5.
BATH: Callard; Swift, de Glanville, Lewis, Adebayo; Catt, Sanders; Crompton, Dawe, Ubogu, Redman, Reed, Robinson, Egerton, Ojomoh.
LONDON IRISH: Cobbe; Geoghegan, Smith, Curtis, Corcoran; Burke, Saunders; Donovan, MacFarland, Mooney, Higgins, Keenan, Hall, Verling, Bird.
REFEREE: Steve Womersley (RFU).
CONDITIONS: weather – dull, blustery; pitch – very heavy.
30/1/1993
v Plymouth Albion, Away, Won 63-13. J Callard (5g, Tx2 & 1pg), A Swift (T), P de Glanville (Tx2), I Lewis (T), A Adebayo, S Barnes, I Sanders (T), D Hilton, G Dawe (T), D Crompton, N Redman (T), S O’Leary, J Davies, M Haag (T), D Egerton Ref – B Marshall Replacements – C Atkins
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
MARTIN Haag, England B second row in New Zealand last summer, marked his first game at blindside flanker with a try against hapless Plymouth.
It was one of ten tries for Bath, who actually struggled to find any rhythm until after the interval; but then the points came at more than one a minute.
Haag, who has had the odd game at No 8 for Cornwall, was advised recently by ex-England coach Roger Uttley to follow his example of 20 years ago and switch to blindside.
“This game was more of an experiment than anything,” said Haag afterwards. “It went OK but I’m not sure whether to make a permanent move to the back row. Really, it’s a matter of whichever position gives me the best chance of winning a first team place.”
With John Hall fit again, there is little chance of Haag ousting him in the near future but, as coach Jack Rowell acknowledged, the 6ft 5in Cornishman is remarkably quick for such a big man.
Poor Plymouth have had a dreadful time this season, bottom of the Third Division from which they were relegated before Christmas and recently conceding 107 points at Cardiff.
But Bath were pretty awful themselves in the first half, showing no appetite at all for the game. It was a penalty apiece until the 25th minute when the passes for once went to hand and Phil de Glanville went over in the corner for a try expertly converted by Jon Callard.
Stuart Barnes almost gifted Plymouth a score by having a pass intercepted on his own 22 but Ian Sanders made it 15-3 at half-time by finishing off a more fluent Bath move.
Down the slope in the second half, it was embarrassingly one-sided despite the dogged resistance of ex-Clifton scrum-half Matt Trott and a few other home players.
The prolific Callard, fielding a loose clearance, started and finished off the move for the third try immediately after the interval and, although missing the easy conversion, added another seven points soon afterwards.
Iestyn Lewis, in rude health despite partially dislocating his shoulder earlier in the week, set up the next for centre partner de Glanville before being put over himself. Callard’s conversion made it 41-3 after 56 minutes.
Even the forwards were now running and handling at speed and Nigel Redman was twice involved in the move which earned him the next score.
Shell-shocked Plymouth were still alert enough to capitalise on a poor pass to send No 8 Ian Gregory over. The next try also went to a man from the nearby Tamar – Bath hooker Graham Dawe, who farms up the valley – before Haag and the sorely-neglected Tony Swift took the total beyond 60.
It only remained for Plymouth skipper Kieran Courtenay – a former Bath player – to grab a consolation score to demonstrate there was life in the corpse after all.
Scorers: Plymouth – tries: Gregory, Courtenay. Penalty: Thompson. Bath – de Glanville 2, Sanders, Callard 2, Lewis, Redman, Dawe, Haag, Swift. Conversions: Callard 5. Penalty: Callard.
Plymouth: Shervington; Hague, Mayne, Kellett, Young (rep Thomas, 28 mins); Thompson, Trott; Dunham, Courtenay, Jasper, Harrison, Hill, Skinnard, Gregory, Scott.
Bath: Callard; Swift, de Glanville, Lewis, Adebayo; Barnes, Sanders; Hilton, Dawe, Crompton (rep Atkins, 46 mins), Redman, O’Leary, Davies, Egerton, Haag.
Referee: Bryan Marshall (Devon Soc).
13/2/1993
v Gloucester, Away, Won 20-0. J Webb (5pg), A Swift (T), P de Glanville, J Guscott, A Adebayo, M Catt, I Sanders, D Hilton, G Dawe, V Ubogu, N Redman, A Reed, A Robinson, J Hall, B Clarke Ref – E F Morrison Replacements – J Knight & C Atkins
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
BEATING Gloucester scoreless on their own patch for the first time would have sent Bath into raptures in the old days – even last season.
But, with relegation still a possibility, these are dark days at Kingsholm. The old dog has lost its bite and even the supporters their bark, so really it was just as straightforward as winning at, dare we say it, Bristol.
Without ever clicking into top gear, Bath controlled the game from start to finish, relying on five Jon Webb penalties to clinch the Courage League points after Tony Swift’s early try.
You would hardly have noticed that the champions were without their international half-backs, Richard Hill and Stuart Barnes. For once, the deputies were as impressive as anyone on the field.
Ian Sanders was energetic and alert at the base of the scrum, creating the try for Swift – No 350 in a long and illustrious career – by chipping accurately into open space on the right.
But the revelation was Mike Catt, the South African who only arrived at Bath last October after failing to get any response when he rang the Gloucester club. They had no answers this time either.
The 21-year-old from Port Elizabeth – now the proud holder of a British passport which guarantees his eligibility for league rugby – announced his arrival on the scene with a perfectly judged “bomb” which tied up fullback Martin Roberts and led to Swift’s score.
It’s all been rather bewildering, as he acknowledged: “I just came over here on holiday to stay with my uncle in Stroud and perhaps play a little rugby at second team level.
“I hadn’t even heard of Stuart Barnes until I came here,” he added with a laugh. “But he has been very helpful, told me to relax and not worry about the crowd or anything. Actually I was very pleased with my kicking, which is not the strongest aspect of my game.”
Gloucester’s forte has always been their pack but the new laws and a number of defections from their squad have led to a crisis of confidence. They were just not in the game for the first quarter and it was 19 minutes before they even breached the Bath 22.
For the first hour particularly, Bath commanded the line-out through Nigel Redman, John Hall and Ben Clarke and, above all, Andy Reed. Elevation to the Scottish side has given him the confidence to make the most of his bulk and athleticism and he may not be such an outside bet for a Lions tour.
So there was no shortage of possession but Gloucester defended doggedly around the fringes and Bath seemed content for Webb to bang over the penalties.
In contrast Roberts was having a nightmarish time, missing two kicks from 25 metres or less before half-time and spending much of his time vainly chasing accurate punts and chips from Sanders and Catt.
It was 11-nil at the interval but the second half was a sterile affair; Gloucester saw more of the ball but spurned kickable penalties to vainly batter away at an unforgiving defence. And at 20-nil after 53 minutes, there was no need for Bath to exert themselves unduly during the last quarter.
ENTERTAINMENT RATING 2 stars
BATH FORM: adequate
SCORERS: 7 mins – Swift try, nil-5; 28 mins – Webb pen, nil-8; 41 mins – Webb pen, nil-11; H-T – nil-11; 44 mins – Webb pen, nil-14; 47 mins – Webb pen, nil-17; 53 mins – Webb pen, nil-20.
BATH: Webb; Swift, Guscott, de Glanville, Adebayo; Catt, Sanders; Hilton, Dawe, Ubogu, Redman, Reed, Robinson, Clarke, Hall.
GLOUCESTER: Roberts; T Smith, Morris, Caskie, Morgan; Cummins, Hannaford; Jones, Kearsey, Deacon, Sims, West, Glanville, Ashmead, I Smith.
REFEREE: Ed Morrison (Bristol Soc).
CONDITIONS: weather – bright; pitch – firm.
19/2/1993
v Swansea, Home. Won 79-3 Team:- Callard; Swift (rep Raymond, at half-time), Webber, Bamsey, Adebayo; Catt, J Knight; Hilton, Atkins (rep Beddow, 72 mins), Ubogu, Redman, O’Leary, Robinson, Clarke, Ojomoh.
Bath tries:-B Clarke 4, Swift 2, Adebayo 2, Bamsey, Catt, Robinson and Ubogu 1 each. Jon Callard kicked seven conversions and also scored a try to finish with a personal tally of nineteen points.
Kevin Coughlan reported to the Bristol Evening Post:
“On paper, Swansea appeared to have a near-full strength back line but their novice pack struggled from the very first against a high-powered home eight. And for players like Nigel Redman there was the motivating memory of last season’s visit to St Helen’s when a rookie Bath line-up was hammered 48-19.
From Mike Catt’s third minute score under the posts, it was a massacre with Swansea contributing to their downfall by attacking from deep and running into the sort of fierce tackling they could not themselves produce.
Highlights in the first half were a smartly conceived try for Clarke in which debutante scrum-half Jamie Knight featured twice and two tries apiece for the wings Tony Swift and Adedayo Adebayo. Swift’s second try was a stunning piece of finishing from 45 metres, cutting in from the right to score to the left of the posts against his old club.
Adebayo scored straight from the restart as the mightily impressive Steve Ojomoh tied in the defence and Jon Bamsey broke on the left to release the Nigerian-born England B cap. He had 40 metres to run but the defence seemed mesmerised.
With skipper Andy Robinson at his energetic best and Ojomoh utterly compelling in his power play, the All Whites were run ragged and eventually forced to bring on coach Mike Ruddock as a fourth replacement.
Inventive fly-half Aled Williams kicked a penalty on the stroke of half-time but there was no real respite. Clarke galloped away for his second before Bamsey collected the eighth to bring up 50 in just 45 minutes.
Clarke’s hat-trick came from a pushover but much of it was long-range stuff as Victor Ubogu, Callard, Robinson and finally Clarke completed the humiliation.”
26/2/1993
v Cardiff, Away, Lost 17-27. J Webb (2g, T & 1pg), I Lewis, P de Glanville, J Guscott (T), A Adebayo, S Barnes, R Hill, G Chilcott, G Dawe, V Ubogu, M Haag, S O’Leary, A Robinson, J Hall, S Ojomoh Replacements – I Sanders, M Catt, C Atkins, D Hilton & N Redman
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
THE Arms Park continues to be a distinctly unhappy hunting ground for the English champions who have won there just once since 1924.
Andy Robinson’s demeanour said it all – a sickening realisation that for the first time under his captaincy a near full-strength Bath side had never looked like taking control.
“We are very disappointed,” he said after the players emerged silently from the dressing rooms. “For some reason, we didn’t perform with the necessary urgency.
“Perhaps we didn’t have the right mental approach,” added the captain, no doubt aware that, as preparation for Friday week’s league showdown with Wasps, this was just not good enough.
Certainly, Cardiff possessed a hunger that appeared absent in the Bath ranks and a number of players, Jon Webb in particular, seemed to have their minds on other contests to come.
That is understandable but Derek Morgan will have to report to his fellow Lions selectors that Cardiff’s Mike Rayer came out comfortably on top in the duel of the two fullbacks battling for the right to accompany Gavin Hastings to New Zealand.
The England man did score a try and kick two conversions and a penalty but, as last line of defence, lacked his customary self-assurance. There is a fine line between nonchalance and carelessness.
So with Cardiff straining to extend their 12-10 half-time lead, Webb failed to gather a kick-ahead from scrum-half Andy Moore and the Cardiff forwards manufactured a dropped-goal chance for Adrian Davies.
There was still time for Bath to hit back but, with ten minutes left, Webb made a hash of sweeping into touch a Davies grubber and the fly-half set up a try for wing Ceri Thomas.
That made it 20-10 but it was not until injury time that the visitors bared their teeth. Good work by Jon Hall and the impressive Steve Ojomoh on the fringes of a scrum wrong-footed Cardiff; Stuart Barnes darted through a gap and Jeremy Guscott came in on a clever angle to score by the posts.
Webb converted but his afternoon was not quite over. An orthopaedic surgeon should recognise a hospital pass when he sees one but he still could do little with Barnes’s speculative lob and Mike Hall grabbed the try.
Not that Webb could ultimately be blamed for a comprehensive defeat. The problems lay up front where Bath missed the powerful and productive second row pairing of Nigel Redman and Andy Reed, especially in the line-out.
The lack of drive in the front five was obvious from the start, as Bath themselves must have realised after they found themselves behind to a Mike Budd try after just six minutes.
Webb latched on to a finely-judged grubber by Adedayo Adebayo five minutes later, converted the try and kicked a penalty to establish a 10-5 lead. But, ominously, much of Bath’s approach was already of the hopeful, long-range variety and Cardiff turned round 12-10 ahead after left wing Simon Hill slipped over in the left corner.
Best Bath chance fell to stand-in wing Iestyn Lewis early in the second half but Guscott seemed in two minds whether to go for the try himself and when the pass came, Lewis was dispossessed on the line.
Entertainment rating – 3 stars
BATH FORM: sloppy
SCORERS: 6 mins – Budd try, 5-nil; 11 mins – Webb try and conv, 5-7; 16 mins – Webb pen, 5-10; 37 mins – Simon Hill try, Davies conv, 12-10; H-T – 12-10; 63 mins – Davies dropped goal, 15-10; Thomas try, 20-10; 82 mins – Guscott try, Webb conv, 17-20; 83 mins – Hall try, Davies conv, 27-17.
BATH: Webb; Lewis, de Glanville, Guscott, Adebayo; Barnes, Hill (rep Sanders, 14 mins); Chilcott, Dawe, Ubogu, Haag, O’Leary, Robinson, Ojomoh, Hall.
CARDIFF: Rayer; Thomas, Hall, Laity, Hill; Davies, Moore; Matthews, Bevan, Edwards, Kawulok, Roy, Stone, Taylor, Budd.
REFEREE: Sandy MacNeill (Australia).
CONDITIONS: weather – cold, bright; pitch – firm.
5/3/1993
v Newbridge, Away, Lost 13-19. J Callard (T & 1pg), D Cottrell, I Lewis (T), A Webber, L Oman, M Catt, I Sanders, G Chilcott (Capt), C Atkins, M Crane, N Redman, S O’Leary, J Davies, N Maslen, M Haag Ref – A Barham Replacements – T Beddow replaced Atkins
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
THE Welfare Ground, Newbridge, remains one of those awkward proving grounds for novice rugby players – especially on a Friday night.
Bath suffered their second successive defeat in Wales, coming a cropper in the same way that countless English club sides have done over the years.
No matter that Newbridge themselves are having a pretty dismal season and face a fight to avoid relegation from the Heineken League Premier Division. The home side simply showed greater appetite and in the back row comfortably outclassed a makeshift Bath combination.
Acting skipper Gareth Chilcott typically made no bones about it. “We blew them away in the tight but made absolutely no headway in the loose. With all the errors too, we could not string any possession together.
“We lost our heads at times but they fully deserved to win.”
Even an eccentric refereeing display by Alan Barham – playing a full two minutes short in the first half and awarding Bath a penalty on the home line when a penalty try would have been the correct decision – could not hide the champions’ deficiencies.
Most of the shortcomings were purely due to lack of personnel in certain positions because of international calls and injuries. Martin Haag, for instance, looked out of sorts at No 8 at this level although he did help create a 21st minute try for Jon Callard.
One player who can be exempted from criticism is lock Nigel Redman who provided a stream of line-out possession and did more than his share of tackling.
Newbridge tore into their visitors from the first whistle, perhaps sensing from the unfamiliar names in the Bath line-up that they might end a losing sequence going back to November 15, 1982.
So it proved, with fly-half Paul Williams the chief architect with a third-minute penalty, the conversion of outstanding flanker Andrew Gibbs’ try after 48 minutes, a 40-metre penalty shortly afterwards and, most tellingly, two dropped goals.
The first established a 16-5 lead on 57 minutes and, after Jon Callard replied with a penalty, Williams’ second gave Newbridge enough breathing space to withstand a late Bath rally which yielded a try for Iestyn Lewis.
Scorers: Newbridge – try: Gibbs. Conv: Williams. Pen: Williams. Dropped goals: Williams 2. Bath – tries: Callard, Lewis. Pen: Callard.
Newbridge: Grimstead; Griffiths, Brown, Hawker, Barrett; Williams, Fealey; Rowlands, Wysocki, Fisher (rep Jones, 10 mins), Morelli, Collins, Gibbs (rep Lawford, 60 mins), Roberts, Crane.
Bath: Callard; Cottrell, Lewis, Webber, Oman; Catt, Sanders; Chilcott, Atkins (rep Beddow, 55 mins), Crane, Redman, O’Leary, Maslen, Haag, Davies.
Referee: Alan Barham (Cardiff)
13/3/1993
v Wasps, Home, Won 22-11. J Webb (1g & 4pg), A Swift, P de Glanville, J Guscott (T), A Adebayo, S Barnes, R Hill, G Chilcott, G Dawe, V Ubogu, N Redman, A Reed, A Robinson, J Hall, B Clarke Ref – D W Matthews Replacements – I Sanders & D Hilton
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
BATH are back on top of the Courage League, heading for an unprecedented hat-trick of titles after toppling the leaders – but it wasn’t pretty.
The sending-off of Wasps centre Fran Clough was the obvious low point in a niggly, mistake-strewn game which never matched the high expectations of the 8,500 crammed into the Recreation Ground.
As a sporting contest it bore more resemblance to mongrels scrapping over a bone than the meeting of English rugby’s pedigree.
Wasps played all but the first quarter of an hour with 14 men but Bath took too long to make their superiority in numbers and all-round ability count, as England full-back Jon Webb freely admitted.
“It was a poor game and I kicked badly,” said Webb, who missed five kicks at goal, four of them in the first half when Bath badly needed to get their noses in front.
Nor were other aspects of his game up to standard but Webb denied that having to play such a high-pressure league match between internationals was any excuse.
“Mentally, I was spot-on,” he said. “But it got to the stage where I was perhaps trying too hard. If I had kicked those goals we’d have been 15-20 points ahead and they would have had to play catch-up rugby, which they weren’t strong enough to do.”
Instead it was Wasps who turned round 11-6 ahead. Rob Andrew opened the scoring with a 40 metre kick and then banged one over from fully five metres inside his own half, both penalties being awarded for foul play.
Still the rough stuff went on and despite a number of warnings from the increasingly harassed Mr Matthews, the trouble spread to the backs. Clough clashed with Jeremy Guscott, seemingly in retaliation, and the ex-England centre was sent off.
Forced to draft flanker Buster White into the backs, the league leaders found that their supply of possession quickly dried up but Bath struggled to make much of theirs, even given a constant stream of line-out ball.
As half-time approached Webb managed to pull back three points but Wasps produced a stunning reply from a scrum on halfway. Andrew’s pass to Graham Childs was clearly forward but he was able to give Phil Hopley a clear run-in.
Fortunately for Bath, Webb began to find his line and range to whittle away that lead and finally give Bath a one-point advantage on the hour with his fourth penalty.
Wasps’ seven-man scrummage was in terminal difficulties by this stage and apart from a couple of goal attempts from Andrew, one of which glanced a post from 40 metres, it was one-way traffic. Any other side would have been washed away like a seaside sandcastle so their Bristol-based coach Rob Smith could justifiably pay tribute to “magnificent defence.”
It was 77 minutes before the clinching score, Philip de Glanville committing the midfield and setting up the ruck from which Stuart Barnes swivelled to drop a fine goal.
Guscott’s injury-time try after a succession of five-metre scrums merely put a gloss on a match which did not live up to its billing.
ENTERTAINMENT RATING (2 stars)
BATH FORM: disjointed
SCORERS: 2 mins – Andrew pen, nil-3; 6 mins – Andrew pen, nil-6; 36 mins – Webb pen, 3-6; 39 mins – Hopley try, 3-11; H-T – 3-11; 42 mins – Webb pen, 6-11; 50 mins – Webb pen, 9-11; 59 mins – Webb pen, 12-11; 77 mins – Barnes dropped goal, 15-11; 83 mins – Guscott try, Webb pen, 22-11.
BATH: Webb; Swift, de Glanville, Guscott, Adebayo; Barnes, Hill; Chilcott, Dawe, Ubogu, Redman, Reed, Robinson, Clarke, Hall.
WASPS: Buzza; Hopley, Clough, Childs, Oti; Andrew, Bates; Holmes, Dunn, Probyn, Kinsey, Ryan, Emeruwa, Greenwood, White (rep Wright, 45 mins).
REFEREE: David Matthews (Liverpool Soc).
CONDITIONS: weather – fine; pitch – firm.
19/3/1993
v Pontypool, Away, Won 12-10. J Callard (1g), D Cottrell (Tx2), J Bamsey, I Lewis, A Lumsden, M Catt, R Hill (Capt), D Hilton, T Beddow, M Crane, M Haag, P McCoy, M Sweet, N Maslen, D Egerton
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
Bath were perhaps fortunate to come away from Pontypool Park with a win last night but this was nonetheless a highly creditable performance by a side descimated through international calls.
Pontypool fielded at least a dozen first choice players but could not breach Bath’s defence until injury time when Mark Ring’s lovely chip made a try for centre Adam Carr.
By that time Bath were safe, thanks particularly to a dominant performance at the front of the lineout from Martin Haag, excellent close quarter defence by the backrow and some inventive play outside.
The tight scrums were a problem area for Bath. Though they never buckled they were under pressure for most of the match and could not always heel cleanly.
In such circumstances former Wales scrum half Chris Bridges was able to spoil Richard Hill’s pass more than once. However, Hill knows a bit about spoiling and got his own back in the later stages.
Generally the home pack’s greater experience gave them an edge at the rucks and mauls but Haag and Dave Egerton also had their moments in these areas.
After Jonathan Callard had narrowly missed with two long range penalty attempts Pontypool went into the lead with one from Ring and then began to turn the screw.
Home winger Sean White, entering the line from the blindside cut clean through but ignored a three man overlap. Shortly afterwards Bath were stretched again by Richard Goodey’s gallop.
From this move Paul Taylor got over Bath’s line but was penalised for having made two movements. Then, in first half injury time, Bath broke out in spectacular style.
Pontypool dropped the ball ten yards from Bath’s line, Jon Bamsey snapped it up and sped up field, Dan Cottrell taking his pass forty yards out and touching down for Callard to convert.
Bath almost scored in similar fashion 20 minutes later. Hill fly-hacked out of defence, Mike Catt picked up on half way and sent Audley Lumsden over but the referee had somehow detected a knock-on.
Bath’s second try was a good one. Bamsey was tackled moving left into Pontypool’s 22 but retained possession, the ball being switched to the right where Catt and Iestyn Lewis combined to send Cottrell in again.
Resolute defence was needed during the final 15 minutes but Nick Maslen, Martin Sweett and Egerton tackled manfully and Carr’s late try was not enough.
Pontypool: W Taylor, S White, P Taylor, A Carr, B Taylor (G Lintern, 40), M Ring, C Bridges, M Crowley, A Pickering, L Mustoe, C Crane, R Goodey (Capt), S Crosby, V Davies (M Walters 40), M Spiller. Scorers: try A Carr, penalty M Ring.
Bath: J Callard, D Cottrell, I Lewis, A Bamsey, A Lumsden, M Catt, R Hill (capt), D Hilton, T Beddow, M Crane, M Haag, P McCoy, M Sweett, N Maslen, D Egerton. Scorers: tries Cottrell 2, conversion Callard.
Referee: H Lewis (WRU)
27/3/1993
v West Hartlepool, Away, Won 38-10. J Callard (1g & Tx2), A Swift, P de Glanville, I Lewis, A Adebayo, S Barnes (1g, Tx3 & 3pg), R Hill, G Chilcott, G Dawe, V Ubogu, N Redman, A Reed, A Robinson, J Hall, B Clarke
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
JON Callard, in Jonathan Webb’s shadow for the last three years, staked a strong claim to be Bath’s first choice fullback for the remainder of this season.
Webb’s future in first-class rugby is highly uncertain and while he was catching up on medical duties at Princess Margaret Hospital, Swindon, Callard made the most of his first league opportunity in more than two years.
“It was nice to get a chance to show what I can do,” said the Downside schoolmaster. “Hopefully things will now be in the melting pot for the next league match with London Scottish on Saturday. At least Jack (Rowell) was pleased.”
Coach Rowell, returning to his home town, certainly was in sunny mood. “The best we’ve played in weeks. Some of it was breathtaking,” he said. His team, whose points difference is an unassailable 218, need only to beat Scottish and Saracens to clinch a hat-trick of Courage League titles.
Callard made a beautiful outside break for Bath’s first try, appeared on Stuart Barnes’s elbow for the second which really took Bath out of sight at 26-10 and kicked the final conversion.
If he had been place-kicker from the very start – Barnes assumed the role to get some practice in before the Lions tour – Callard might have finished with a hatful.
Instead it was Barnes who tallied 26 points with a hat-trick of tries, three penalties and a conversion. To be truthful he looked anything but a Lions fly-half in the first half when Bath were facing a blustery wind on a bone-hard pitch.
Not only did he repeatedly fail to reach touch but it took him some time to get back into the goalkicking groove, landing just one from four in the first half ¬- and that was from 15 metres.
West Hartlepool may be on their way back to the Second Division but they have been no soft touch this season. Their heaviest defeat before Saturday had been by a mere 13 points against Wasps and they have taken the lead in every game.
Again, scrum-half Steve Havery set the ball rolling with a try in the corner after wing Owen Evans had brushed past Adedayo Adebayo on the right to create the opening. Fly-half John Stabler gave his side further encouragement by converting from the touchline.
Barnes pulled back three points but so many tackles were being missed around him that Bath came very close to conceding another try and relied rather too much on Callard as last line of defence.
Fortunately, Nigel Redman, Andy Reed and John Hall in particular snaffled almost all the line-out ball and when the Bath forwards began to get their act together in the loose, the tide turned.
After Callard’s try, Barnes profited from an overlap on the right
following a tapped free-kick while the home side had to be content with a long-range Stabler penalty.
Bath were surprisingly denied a penalty try when a close-range scrum was collapsed just feet from the line in first-half injury time but Barnes hammered a penalty from nearly 50 metres three minutes into the second half and soon added another from closer in.
Using the impressive Ben Clarke and Victor Ubogu to sap the strength of the home tacklers, the champions fashioned tries in quick succession for Callard and Barnes. The fly-half’s third in injury time was a try of the highest quality, started from the Bath 22 and featuring a 40-metre surge by Clarke whose pass sent his fellow-Lion away to the posts.
ENTERTAINMENT RATING – 3 stars
BATH FORM: dynamic
SCORERS: 4 mins – Havery try, Stabler conv, 7-nil; 11 mins – Barnes pen, 7-3; 25 mins – Callard try, 7-8; Barnes try, 7-13; 37 mins – Stabler pen, 10-13; H-T – 10-13; 43 mins – Barnes pen, 10-16; 48 mins – Barnes pen, 10-19; 62 mins – Callard try, Barnes conv – 10-26; 67 mins – Barnes try, 10-31; 81 mins – Barnes try, Callard conv, 10-38.
WEST HARTLEPOOL: Oliphant; O Evans, Lee, Hodder, Cooke; Stabler, Havery; Lancaster, Mitchell, Whitelock, Dixon, Westgarth, P Evans, Watson, Brown.
BATH: Callard; Swift, de Glanville, Lewis, Adebayo; Barnes, Hill; Chilcott, Dawe, Ubogu, Redman, Reed, Robinson, Clarke, Hall.
REFEREE: David Leslie (Manchester Soc).
CONDITIONS: pitch – hard; weather – fine, blustery.
GREAT SUPPORT AT WEST HARTLEPOOL!
A Feature of these happy days, was the unfailing support of enthusiasts, who followed their team to away games. Coaches were hired, and over the seasons, these intrepid travellers became a group of good friends. To be in their company was a delight. West Hartlepool was one such trip.
“Last Saturday’s Supporters’ coach trip was an outstanding success. David and Alison Davies and their stewards must be congratulated for a truly magnificent job throughout. Rugby videos, and somewhat hilarious quizzes were organised to keep everyone happy on the long journey. Our return was crowned with a great pub lunch in the Derbyshire Peaks. Many others travelled by car, train, and air, to revel in the rugby and the West Hartlepool’s Club’s well known hospitality.
3/4/1993
v London Scottish, Home, Won 40-6. J Callard (T & 1g), A Swift (T), P de Glanville, J Guscott, A Adebayo, S Barnes (T, 1g & 2pg), R Hill, G Chilcott, G Dawe, V Ubogu (T), N Redman, A Reed, A Robinson, J Hall, B Clarke (T)
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
IT will be a travesty if Bath are robbed of the Courage League championship as even the briefest of glances at the For and Against columns at the top of the First Division will show.
Wasps can take the title if they beat Bristol and Andy Robinson’s team slip up at Saracens but the likelihood is that points difference will decide it – and what a difference there is.
This six-try victory, which doomed London Scottish to relegation, took Bath’s points tally to a huge 336, with just 84 against. Wasps, however, have scored just 179 and conceded 112 and typically only stayed in contention this time by the narrowest of margins at Orrell.
It leaves the respective points differences at 252 and 67, a huge discrepancy which speaks volumes for Bath’s commitment to the brand of attacking rugby that has brought them ten wins out of 11 at more than 30 points a game.
This was not vintage Bath though. Conditions were too treacherous, Scottish too obdurate and there were too many unforced errors for this to be remembered as a five-star performance.
“All that rain on a very hard pitch made it very slippery,” said Gareth Chilcott. “And you couldn’t fault Scottish for effort – or their tackling.” But so rich is the vein of quality running through the Bath side that they could go to sleep for the third quarter and still pile up 40 points.
It all began predictably enough, with Tony Swift zipping over in the right corner after his forwards had secured possession from a 22 drop-out and Richard Hill and Ben Clarke had exploited a gap on the narrow side.
As at West Hartlepool the week before, Clarke and Victor Ubogu were the main strike weapons, clearing the midfield of spare defenders so that the backs had more room to work their magic.
It was loose-head Ubogu who collected the next try, popping up outside left wing Adedayo Adebayo. Stuart Barnes, having missed three kicks, landed the conversion from the touch-line and then kicked two penalties in quick succession to establish an 18-nil lead.
There had been any number of congratulations beforehand for ex-Bath lock Damian Cronin on his selection for the Lions tour but he was being granted no favours on the field.
Nick Grecian did kick a penalty on the half-hour but Bath quickly replied with a Barnes try, again after Adebayo had been held near the line.
Surprisingly, Scottish spent the first 15 minutes of the second half deep in Bath territory, encouraged by a second Grecian penalty. But Bath eventually broke out in devastating fashion from a tapped free-kick to create a try for Clarke who finished off a ten-man move.
The 6,000-plus crowd, many of whom had been standing around in the rain for an hour or more, were rewarded in the last five minutes with two more tries to underline Bath’s superiority.
The first underlined the fluidity of their approach with No 8 Clarke appearing on the right wing and then as play swung across the field, Swift sending Jon Callard over in the left corner.
The next by Phil de Glanville owed everything to the persistence of Hill at the back of a scrum and the footballing skills of skipper Robinson in hacking the ball into the 22.
ENTERTAINMENT RATING – 3 stars
BATH FORM: classy when it mattered.
SCORERS: 6 mins – Swift try, 5-nil; 15 mins – Ubogu try, Barnes conv, 12-nil; 19 mins – Barnes pen, 15-nil; 24 mins – Barnes pen, 18-nil; 30 mins – Grecian pen, 18-3; 35 mins – Barnes try, 23-3;
H-T – 23-3; 45 mins – Grecian pen, 23-6; 57 mins – Clarke try, 28-6; 76 mins – Callard try, 33-6; 80 mins – de Glanville try, Callard conv, 40-6.
BATH: Callard; Swift, de Glanville, Guscott, Adebayo; Barnes, Hill; Chilcott, Dawe, Ubogu, Redman, Reed, Robinson, Clarke, Hall.
LONDON SCOTTISH: Appleson; Grecian, Wichary, Dingwall, Renwick; Cramb, Millard; Denham, Mair, Hillicks, Cronin, Scott, McBain, Brown, Dixon.
REFEREE: Tony Sparkes (RFU).
CONDITIONS: weather – wind, rain; pitch – slippery.
10/4/1993
v Newbury, Home, Won 81-0. A Lumsden (T), A Swift (Tx2), J Bamsey, I Lewis (T), D Cottrell (Tx2), M Catt (Tx3 & 8g), I Sanders (Tx2), D Hilton, C Atkins, M Crane, M Haag, P McCoy, G Adams, N Maslen (Capt), A Stratton (T) Replacements – J Knight (T) replaced Lumsden
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
NEWBURY prop Neil Collins hopes that today’s debut appearance for Bristol against Glamorgan Wanderers will open the door to a successful career in the first-class game.
If so, he will be looking to get his own back on Bath one day for this 13-try trouncing which swept the Recreation Ground club past 1,000 points for the season.
Tighthead Collins, a 23-year-old physical training instructor with Thames Valley Police, at least had the satisfaction of knowing that he helped keep the Newbury scrummage stable right to the bitter end.
“We’ve worked very hard in that area and it’s one of the strengths of our game,” he said. “But we didn’t win any line-out ball and when they began to get third and fourth phase possession, we couldn’t cope against backs of that class.”
Collins owes his introduction to the Memorial Ground scene to Paul Guttridge who played against him for Reading but he does not have to make any hasty decisions. “I’ll see how it goes but because we’re more than three leagues below Bristol in South West One, I would not have to register until the summer.”
As for Bath, they cantered along at a point a minute, fly-half Mike Catt leading the way with 31 points from a hat-trick of tries plus eight conversions.
Only one of the first team was on duty, right wing Tony Swift, and he sparked things off in the seventh minute after a superbly weighted pass by South African-born Catt put Iestyn Lewis into space.
That try and the next owed everything to Catt’s ability to deliver the ball as accurately and powerfully off his left hand as his right – a priceless asset to any team. The second try went to Catt himself, launching the move and then appearing outside Audley Lumsden to score in the corner.
Ex-Clifton wing Dan Cottrell grabbed the next, demonstrating how much he has come on since his move last summer by making the initial thrust up the left and switching over to the right to
finish things off.
Straight from the restart, Swift crossed for his second and although Newbury fullback Martin Radford replied with a penalty, Bath turned round 31-3 ahead after scrum-half Ian Sanders dodged over from a line-out.
The second half continued in the same vein with a Lumsden try but Newbury’s spirited approach was rewarded with a quality try by lock Paul Milner, after a break from his own half by scrum-half Simon Halley.
At 36-8 the Berkshire side harboured hopes of a respectable damage limitation job but then the roof fell in as Bath piled on 45 points in less than 30 minutes. The alert Sanders, Catt twice, Adam Stratton -the only forward to score – replacement Jamie Knight, Iestyn Lewis and finally Cottrell, with an extravagant sidestep, underlined the gulf in class outside the scrum.
Scorers: Bath – tries: Swift 2, Catt 3, Cottrell 2, Sanders 2, Lumsden, Stratton, J Knight, Lewis. Conversions: Catt 8. Newbury – try: Milner. Penalty: Radford.
Bath: Lumsden; Swift (rep J Knight, 65 mins), Bamsey, Lewis, Cottrell; Catt, Sanders; Hilton, Atkins, Crane, Haag, McCoy, Adams, Maslen, Stratton.
Newbury: Radford; Fleming-Jones, Turner, Coates, Culley; Street, Halley; Birch, Kellam, Collins, Clayton, Milner, March, Booth, Cherrington.
Referee: Geoff Warren (Bristol Soc).
17/4/1993
v Gloucester, Home, Lost 16-17. J Webb (Tx2 & 1pg), D Cottrell, J Bamsey, I Lewis, L Oman, M Catt (1pg), I Sanders, D Hilton, C Atkins, M Crane, M Haag, P McCoy, G Adams, S Ojomoh, N Maslen
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
JON Webb has been playing against Gloucester long enough to know that they don’t hand out presents, even on your farewell appearance at the Recreation Ground.
The England fullback could hardly have done more to write the fairytale ending after scoring both Bath tries and kicking a long-range penalty to give them a 16-10 lead.
Fatally, the young United-strength team around him dropped their guard and Gloucester spoiled the party by stealing their first win at the Rec since November 1986, also inflicting Bath’s first home defeat of the season.
In reflective mood while receiving the plaudits of scores of appreciative fans, Webb said: “The reason I gave it one more season was to make absolutely sure it was the right decision.
“I know now it is, but I’ve had such good fun that it was always going to be sad to turn my back on it. I’ve had a lot of support from teammates, club officials, friends and the ordinary supporters, which was important whenever things got difficult.”
Webb was not despondent at the defeat. “We lost, but it was a good contest as have been so many in my career against Gloucester,” he said after a presentation from club chairman John Gaynor at the final whistle.
Fielding a dozen or so of their league line-up, Gloucester posed the familiar threat at close-quarters and tackled solidly in midfield but were obliterated at the line-out and struggled for useable possession as a result.
Yet Bath wasted a number of opportunities that their seniors would have snapped up, with fly-half Mike Catt and centre Iestyn Lewis conspicuously guilty.
Opening score was a Catt penalty which was cancelled out by a try from abrasive No 8 Bobby Fowke, rolling off a maul to touch down in the corner. Then Webb demonstrated just how to take chances in flurry of scoring before the interval.
First he exploited an overlap after Ian Sanders and Catt breached the defence and Steve Ojomoh almost reached the line; four minutes later plunged over on the right after a speculative up-and-under by Catt was spilled by Paul Holford and the defence was spread-eagled again.
Catt missed both conversions – which Webb might have kicked – and Gloucester’s reply was immediate. Simon Morris’s jinking run was supported by flanker Pete Glanville and, from the ruck under the posts, centre Morris was on hand to score.
Although Gloucester lost fly-half Paul Beech with a shoulder injury at half-time, they moved the experienced Smith up from full-back and set about exploiting their advantage in the scrum.
It was no surprise that Webb was eventually handed the goalkicking duties and, after a sighter from 45 metres, he made it 16-10 with a penalty from slightly longer range – five paces, unhurried, unfussed, typically Webb.
However, Bath’s concentration wavered again and Gloucester’s powerful pack immediately fashioned a try for Glanville. Smith’s match-winning conversion was one of which Webb would have been proud.
ENTERTAINMENT RATING – 3 stars
BATH FORM: lacking killer instinct
SCORERS: 27 mins – Catt pen, 3-nil; 30 mins – Fowke try, 3-5; 33 mins – Webb try, 8-5; 37 mins – Webb try, 13-5; 40 mins – Morris try, 13-10; H-T – 13-10; 64 mins – Webb pen, 16-10; 67 mins – Glanville try, Smith conv, 16-17.
BATH: Webb; Cottrell, Lewis, Bamsey, Oman; Catt, Sanders; Hilton, Atkins, Crane, Haag, McCoy, Adams, Ojomoh, Maslen.
GLOUCESTER: T Smith; Holford, Morris, Caskie, Perrins; Beech (rep I Morgan, 40 mins), Hannaford; Jones, Kearsey, Phillips, Sims, Miles, Glanville, Fowke, Stanley.
REFEREE: Tony Rossall (RFU).
CONDITIONS: weather – fine; pitch – firm.
24/4/1993
v Saracens, Away, Won 19-13. J Webb, A Swift, P de Glanville, J Guscott, J Callard (Tx2), S Barnes (3pg), R Hill, G Chilcott, G Dawe, V Ubogu, N Redman, A Reed, A Robinson, J Hall, B Clarke
Kevin Coughlan Match Report – Bristol Evening Post
JON Callard scored the tries that made it three Courage League titles in a row for Bath – and then vowed that his first game on the wing would be the last.
The Downside schoolmaster only found himself wearing the No 11 shirt because of an injury to the regular left wing Adedayo Adebayo and had just one and a half training sessions to learn the ropes.
“I’m now retiring gracefully as a winger,” joked Callard who surrendered the fullback spot to Jon Webb for the England fullback’s farewell to first class rugby. “I don’t intend to play there again but it was great to score the tries.
“The first came from a good pass by Phil de Glanville, leaving me a ten-yard run to the line,” he said. “All I can remember about the second is Stuart Barnes putting up a great up-and-under, the fullback spilling it and Phil again flicking the ball up to me.
“I could see the corner and I went for it but I didn’t really have the pace. Luckily I kept up the momentum to slide over.”
Callard’s face was certainly a picture of joy as he danced a jig of delight, not least because his previous visit to Saracens’ Southgate ground had been so disappointing. That was three years ago when he was picked at fly-half and Bath were knocked out of the title race.
Two tries put that to rights although it was a darn close-run thing this time too and just eight minutes from the end Bath were trailing by two points.
Having spent most of the second half clearing to touch from inside his own 22, Barnes came to the rescue again after his opposite number, Gareth Hughes, had dropped his second goal to put Saracens 13-11 ahead.
Offered a penalty chance from 35 metres, the Bath fly-half nervelessly struck the ball between the posts to restore their narrow lead. Then a few minutes later, it was his perfectly placed “bomb” that led to Callard’s second try.
In contrast, Webb failed to recover his best form on his last outing for the club before devoting himself to his medical career.
Three penalty chances in the first 18 minutes were badly off-target, kicks which could have given Bath a platform for one of their familiar demolition jobs. Instead they trailed to Hughes’ first dropped goal – kicked with his left foot – until Barnes took charge and banged one over from 40 metres.
Callard’s first try came on 23 minutes, the stand-in wing being the 14th player to handle the ball after a line-out tap by former Sarries favourite Ben Clarke.
When referee Fred Howard spotted a boot flying dangerously in a ruck, Barnes gratefully accepted the chance to make it 11-3 at half-time. With No 8 Barry Crawley off with what was later diagnosed as a shin fracture, things did not look good for the Londoners.
But replacement Anthony Diprose, a highly promising member of the England under-21 set-up, transformed their fortunes at the tail of the line-out and their disruptive gameplan began to take its toll of a weary-looking Bath .
With skipper Brian Davies chipping accurately from the base of the scrum and Hughes sending booming kicks behind the wingers, the champions found themselves very much on the back foot.
An interception on the line by Andy Robinson after a burst from right wing Darren O’Leary only delayed the inevitable. Saracens won a five-metre scrum and when John Hall and Clarke stood off, the Saracens eight marched through what remained of the Bath pack to create the score for Davies.
Tunningley’s conversion brought them to within a point but Bath refused to give away penalties as they might have done in the old days. Hughes’ second goal, dropped with the right foot this time, briefly set the nerves jangling but Barnes reminded everyone that the champions are never beaten until the final whistle.
ENTERTAINMENT RATING – 3 stars
BATH FORM: anxious
SCORERS: 7 mins – Hughes dropped goal, 3-nil; 19 mins – Barnes pen, 3-3; 23 mins – Callard try, 3-8; 40 mins – Barnes pen, 3-11; H-T – 11-3; 51 mins – Davies try, Tunningley conv, 10-11; 72 mins – Hughes dropped goal, 13-11; 74 mins – Barnes pen, 13-14; 78 mins – Callard try, 13-19.
SARACENS: Tunningley; O’Leary, Ravenscroft, Dooley, Reed; Hughes, Davies; Andrews, Botterman, Wilson, Langley, Adamson, Tarbuck, Crawley (rep Diprose, 19 mins), Cassell.
BATH: Webb; Swift, de Glanville, Guscott, Callard; Barnes, Hill; Chilcott, Dawe, Ubogu, Redman, Reed, Robinson, Clarke, Hall.
REFEREE: Fred Howard (Lancashire Soc).
CONDITIONS: weather – bright; pitch – firm.
156 Tries, 82 Conversions, 51 Penalties and 5 Drop Goals.
Courage League Champions.
Ontario v Bath
August 8th 1993 at Fletcher’s Fields, Ontario
Bath team: J Callard, J Bamsey, M Lloyd, I Lewis, P Blackett, M Catt, R Hill, N Maslen, S Ojomoh, J Hall, P McCoy, M Haag, V Ubogu, C Atkins, G Chilcott.
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