Bath remain the team to catch in the Premiership race this season, on the evidence of this entertaining victory over West Country rivals Gloucester. Assisted by the return of their chief playmaker Finn Russell following the Six Nations the hosts scored six tries and, in a neat piece of symmetry, are six points clear of the field with six regular‑season fixtures to play.
It has been an uplifting month for Bath, who won the Premiership Cup last weekend to secure their first trophy for 17 years, and here was another example of their significant squad depth. Gloucester were right in the contest for long periods, with Santi Carreras outstanding as a creative force, but Bath’s superior forward resources were underlined by second-half tries off the bench for the England forwards Will Stuart and Sam Underhill.
Gloucester have now endured five successive defeats in this fixture and, despite their upturn in Premiership fortunes this year, could not muster a single second‑half point as the home forwards wrested away control of a previously breathless contest.
“I thought Bath’s power game today was top-notch,” said George Skivington, Gloucester’s director of rugby, suggesting the opposition reminded him of the serial title winners Saracens in their heyday.
“In terms of what I have seen in the Premiership this season, I don’t think anyone has looked as powerful as that. Their power game is really hard to live with. It just seems like there is player after player coming at you.”
With the brilliant Carreras also poised to join Bath this summer, that challenge is hardly going to diminish when he is available to weave a few magic spells alongside Russell in the same XV. Despite the long-term loss of Ollie Lawrence, who has now undergone an operation on his torn achilles, the Bath head coach, Johann van Graan, has an embarrassment of riches in some other positions, not least the back row.
Underhill was making his first appearance since January but Bath also have the fast-improving Guy Pepper, still only 21 and destined to be another strong candidate for England international honours. The flanker was named man of the match here and Van Graan – “I sometimes forget how young he is” – was also full of praise for Russell whom he backs to be the starting Test fly-half for the British & Irish Lions this summer. “He’s one of the best 10s in the world,” Van Graan said. “He’ll always be picked in my team.”
It all made for yet another hectic Premiership contest with distinct echoes of the reverse fixture between these two sides at Kingsholm in October. On that occasion Gloucester started well and led 24-17, only to end up losing 55-31. This time they again attacked with real skill and intent at times only for Bath to pull clear in the last quarter.
There were eight tries in the first 40 minutes alone, some of them out of the top drawer. Initially Bath held the balance of power, dominating the aerial battle and the breakdown and forcing the first seven penalties of the game. Pepper, Max Ojomoh and Thomas du Toit all crossed for tries to give the home team a 21-7 lead after just 24 minutes and despite the spectacular nature of Gloucester’s opening score, finished eventually by Jack Clement from Afo Fasogbon’s pass, it seemed Bath were set for an entirely carefree afternoon.
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Instead the Cherry and Whites struck back with two fine scores in as many minutes, the first from Tomos Williams and the second from the hooker Seb Blake after an initial break from Ruan Ackermann and excellent link play from Williams. It would have brought the visitors level had Will Muir not rushed out and charged down Carreras’s conversion attempt at point-blank range.
The first-half drama, though, was far from over. After Russell had scored via a cheeky quick tap from close range it seemed Gloucester had blown a late chance when Carreras mis‑hit a kick to the corner following a penalty against Bath. Alfie Barbeary, thinking it was now half-time, put the ball dead only to discover to his horror there were still a few seconds on the clock and George Barton, courtesy of Carreras’s sublime pass, subsequently made him pay in the same left corner.
The quality of Bath’s bench reserves, though, was reflected in the arrival of England’s starting tighthead Stuart and they duly put the hammer down.
The second‑placed Bristol remain in touch with Van Graan’s side but the reservoir of forward power on tap beside the River Avon is going to make life tough for all their remaining opponents.