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Bath Rugby 18 Wasps 24: Player Ratings
It was a frustrating day for Bath Rugby today at the Rec, who battled hard yet eventually came unstuck against an in-form Wasps side. Total Sport's Stephen Tred gives his player ratings.
A frustrating affair at the Rec which ultimately resulted in another disappointing defeat for Bath Rugby. A game in which possession was king and Wasps dominated the stats. Wasps looked the dominant side throughout which left Bath fans admitting that they fully deserved their 18 - 24 victory over the West Country club.
Max Lahiff - 6 - Carried well in the loose, creating a few gaps in a resolute Wasps defence and was strong in the scrum. He also won a few valuable penalties during scrum time. Lahiff is a player who wears his heart on his sleeve and Bath fans love to see his passionate performances, especially when he's winning scrum penalties.
Rob Webber - 5 - Improved as the game went on however his line-out throwing was inconsistent, overthrowing his first three line outs. The elements played a part in the lack of accuracy however these overthrows resulted in Bath lacking a platform to attack off, with the backs being given little to no ball to work with in the first half. Webber carried well in the loose but ultimately the line-out lacked accuracy.
David Wilson - 5 - Was consistent at scrum time but lacked presence in the loose. Wilson was part of a Bath pack that struggled to get on top but did win penalties in the process. However he didn't seem to carry the ball that much during the match, although admittedly conditions made it much harder to play with the ball in hand.
Charlie Ewels - 6 - Another consistent performance from Ewels who is really starting to look at home in the Bath set up. He carried well in the loose, making an impact with the ball in hand. He also worked hard around the breakdown, making a nuisance of himself. Although the line-out malfunctioned in the first half, he did collect throws well when they were on target.
Dominic Day - 6 - Operated to the best of his abilities in an inconsistent line-out and generally carried well in the loose. He knocked the ball on a few times but that is partly to be blamed on the conditions. Day was part of a pack who started to show real grunt up front, especially in the form of rolling mauls, near the end of the first half.
Leroy Houston - 6 - Made some trademark carries in the loose, beating a few Wasps defenders every time he got his hands on the ball. Leroy plays well at six but seems to be better suited to the his usual role as a number eight. He wasn't able to get his hands on the ball as much as usual but did make an impact when given an opportunity. Again worked hard at the set piece and made his presence know in mauls and at the breakdown.
Francois Louw - 6 - A quiet game by Francois' world class standards. Missed a tackle in the build up to Wasps first try and wasn't able to impose himself at the breakdown. However he was a fantastic captain, leading from the front and never letting the Bath lads heads drop. He worked hard at the set piece and was again part of a rolling maul that seemed to offer Bath their most promising attacking platform in the game.
Amanaki Mafi - 7 - Played exceptionally well. Scored one of Bath's two tries and looked lively whenever he got the ball in his hands. Watching Mafi it's staggering to think he's only been with the club a few weeks as he already looks at home in the starting line up. He seems to play incredibly similarly to Leroy and was able to give his side go forward even when the rest were going backwards. There won't be many surprised responses if Mike Ford is already looking to extend Mafi's stay at the club.
Chris Cook - 6 - Controlled the game well but could be accused of being slow at times when quick ball was needed. Conditions made kicking incredibly difficult and Cook's box kicking did suffer, a few attempts were either too long or short. He wasn't able to make any sniping runs around the fringes due to a well drilled Wasps defence.
Rhys Preistland - 6 - Saw glimpses of what Priestland can offer in attack, with echoes to his performance against Ireland in Dublin. However he was largely on the back foot and wasn't able to create much due to the fact he simply didn't get much of the ball. Both off the tee and tactically he kicked well and showed some quick feet to evade the on rushing Wasps defence. Ultimately he seems to be settling nicely into the Bath backline but needs he more of the ball.
Horacio Agulla - 6 - Carried well when given the chance, Horcaio always adds more bulk into the back line and is an incredibly hard man to bring down. Passed into touch near the end of the game and played well defensively. However he ultimately wasn't given enough ball or space to make a notable impact.
Ollie Devoto - 5 - Ollie was incredibly strong in defence and seemed to be struggling after a big tackle on Nathan Hughes earlier into the first half. Unfortunately he came off at half time and so Bath fans didn't get to see much of him with the ball in hand. Wasps dominance in the first half meant Bath didn't get much of the ball at all and so Ollie couldn't really influence the game.
Matt Banahan - 7 - Another massive performance from Banners who has been Bath's most consistent player all season. Strong in defence and consistently punching holes in attack, he nearly ended up scoring a try at the end of the first half. Gave Bath much needed go forward in the second half and visibly gives his all to the cause. Created a try for Homer in the second half with a fantastic grubber kick through an on rushing Wasps defence. Although Mafi was a contender, Banahan was again Bath's man of the match.
Semesa Rokoduguni - 6 - Similarly to Agulla, Roko didn't get to see much of the ball but when he did he looked dangerous. He always looks favourable in the air and looked strong with the ball in hand. However Wasps did well containing him and the rest of the Bath back line.
Tom Homer - 6 - A mixed game for Homer who still seems to be trying to rediscover his London Irish form. Although he kicked off the tee well, his kicking out of hand was slightly aimless and was to blame for Wasps second try of the game. He looked shaky in defence and missed a few one-on-one tackles, the conditions of course played a part in this issue. However he did make amends by finishing a nicely worked move created by Matt Banahan.
Ross Batty - 6 - Came on for Webber with 30 minutes to go. Made an impact when he came on and added consistency to the line out. Batty carried well in the loose and added impetus to a Bath pack that gained dominance in the second half of the match. He was quick around the breakdown but also solid in defence.
Beno Obano - 6 - Came on for Lahiff with 7 minutes left on the clock. Beno looks an incredibly promising prospect and real big unit up front. However as he was brought on so late into the game Bath fans weren't able to see much from him. Although he was part of a Bath driving maul that resulted in a late score.
Henry Thomas - 7 - Replaced Wilson after 48 minutes. Thomas carried incredibly well and made an instant impact both in the loose but also in the scrum. Won a few penalties at scrum time and looked to run with the ball in hand. Thomas ran onto the ball when he called for it which is something other Bath players seem to be lacking at the moment.
Matt Garvey - 6 - Replaced Ewels after 50 minutes of the match. Operated well in the line out, which by that point was quite consistent. Added impetus to the pack and was part of a number of successful driving mauls. Was an annoyance at the breakdown and defended well throughout his time on the field.
Guy Mercer - 6 - Came on for Houston with four minutes of the match left. Added late impetus to Bath's driving maul however Mercer wasn't able to influence the game that much due to the fact he was introduced so late on.
Jonathan Evans - 6 - Replaced Cook after 50 minutes. Came on and managed the game well however similarly to Cook he also put in a few aimless kicks. Maintained quick ball and was able to release the backs a few times in the second half however the Wasps defence did well to contain him.
Jeff Williams - 5 - Came on for Agulla with seven minutes remaining. Wasn't able to get his hands on the ball at all but did defend well for the time he was on the field. A real shame Bath fans didn't get to see him with the ball in hand.
Max Clarke - 6 - Replaced Devoto at half time. Clark coming on resulted in Banahan switching to 12, and you could start to see a partnership forming between the two of them. He created a few gaps through quality passes and defended well. Another solid game from the youngster who seems to be growing in confidence.
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