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Bath Rugby 25 London Irish 17: Player Ratings
Total Sport's Stephen Tred presents his player ratings from an action packed day at the Rec, where Bath Rugby emerged victorious and got back to winning ways against London Irish.
Positivity returned to a sun soaked Recreation ground as Bath began to rediscover the brand of fluid attacking rugby that made them such a force last season. The Bath faithful were jubilant, seeing their club collect a rare try bonus point. However the West Country club could have been accused of taking their foot off the gas in the last 20 minutes of the match, almost allowing London Irish a losing bonus point. Ultimately Bath had to play what was in front of them and they came through with a pretty comfortable 25-17.
Max Lahiff - 6 - Carried well in the loose and managed to punch a few holes in the London Irish defence. He seemed to get on the wrong side of referee JP Doyle, resulting in being blamed for numerous penalties at scrum time. He was part of a pack that seemed to suffer at scrum time but performed well in all other aspects such as line outs, rucks and mauls.
Rob Webber - 7 - A vastly improved performance from Webber who was consistently hitting his jumpers at the line out. This in turn created a great attacking platform for the Bath backs. Webber was also effective in the loose, giving Bath much needed go forward by running onto the ball and breaking the game line.
Henry Thomas - 7 - Referee JP Doyle saw the Bath front row as the main culprits for many of the game's collapsed scrums and so similarly to Lahiff, Thomas was penalised at scrum time. However he wasn't penalised as frequently as his fellow front rower and was effective in the loose. Thomas has been fantastic with the ball in hand during Bath's last few games and again gave the team much needed go forward.
Charlie Ewels - 6 - Another consistent performance from Ewels who now looks completely at home in the Bath starting line up. The line out functioned well throughout the match and Ewels was key to its success. He made a few mistakes at the breakdown which resulted in penalties but he carried incredibly well, showing some nice hands and movement in the loose.
Dominic Day - 6 - Was taken off early after sustaining an injury while carrying the ball into contact. During his stint on the field Day was part of a line out that functioned well. He also carried the ball well, consistently offering to take the ball into contact. Day and Ewels combined well to form a highly mobile second row partnership.
Matt Garvey - 6 - Similarly to a lot of the Bath pack, Garvey carried well in the loose, denting the London Irish defence in the process. Made a nuisance of himself around the breakdown and was again part of a line out that created a fantastic attacking platform for the Bath backs. Garvey looks to be returning to his brilliant best, after struggling for form last season due to injury.
Francois Louw - 6 - Quite a quiet game by Louw's high standards. He was named captain for the match and brought his international experience to the table. To the delight of the Bath faithful Louw was frequently looking to offloaded the ball in contact, which then in turn encouraged other players to do the same. He wasn't able to make many trademark steals around the breakdown but offered himself as a runner and carried well when given the opportunity to run at the defence.
Leroy Houston - 8 - Played exceptionally well, reminding the Bath faithful how devastatingly effective he is when played at eight. Leroy always seems to get Bath on the front foot, a skill which is invaluable. He was also on the end of some slick passing in the second half to score Bath's bonus point try right in front of the terrace. Houston tackled well, making a few bone crunching big hits. Beaming from ear to ear at the end of the game and after a personal performance like that you can't blame him!
Chris Cook - 7 - Didn't kick the ball much and seemed to revel in the dryer conditions. Supplied constant quick ball to the backs and organised his many running options effectively. Looked after the ball well at the breakdown and controlled tempo nicely throughout. Over the past few seasons Cook has really developed into a fantastic young scrum half, even with the signing of Matawalu he remains Bath's number one option.
Rhys Preistland - 7 - For the first time this season Preistland looked at home at 10. A confident attacking display from the Welshman who worked in tandem with the rest of his back line to produce four tries. He broke the line a few times and unlocked the London Irish defence with some slick passing. Showed some nice footwork during the match and had the confidence to decide when to change the point of attack. However he did leave some points on the field with three missed conversions, although they were from difficult positions on the pitch.
Matt Banahan - 9 - Another massive performance from Banners. Finished off two well worked chances for Bath and looked on course for hat trick until he was taken in the second half. Banahan was again a big presence in attack, breaking the line numerous times and even getting involved in a few driving mauls. He also played well defensively and looked dangerous whenever he got his hands on the ball. Banahan has been brilliant throughout this season and has to be a contender for Bath's player of the season. He was holding his arm after the game however it was an injury that didn't look that serious.
Kyle Eastmond - 9 - Eastmond was absolutely unstoppable against Irish. His slick handing was constantly opening up the opposition defence and he frequently showed a great turn of pace. An attacking threat throughout, Eastmond was frequently making line breaks and carving open opportunities for Bath. This match proved how crucial Eastmond is to Bath's game plan, completely transforming their attacking options. The team started to gain confidence and began to rediscover the form that's eluded them this season.
Ollie Devoto - 7 - A lively game from Devoto who combined well with Eastmond to create a real attacking threat in midfield. Created numerous opportunities and also presented himself as a strong presence when carrying the ball in hand. He lacked accuracy with his kicking out of hand and was maybe prone to kicking the ball away too often. However Devoto was a big presence in defence and seamlessly slipped into the role of fly half late on into the match, once Preistland left the field of play.
Semesa Rokoduguni - 8 - Roko was absolute everywhere, coming off his wing to take on defenders with devastating consequences. Rokoduguni was given ball to play with and used it to maximum, brushing off a number of defenders. He finished a move off exceptionally well in the first half and looked lively throughout. Roko was again a force in the air, catching numerous high balls. He also defended well and was part of a back line that seemed to be rediscovering their cutting edge.
Tom Homer - 6 - A mixed game for Homer who still seems to be finding his feet at Bath. He grew into the game as it went on and fitted in well with the back line. However he seemed to struggle with taking defenders on and occasionally put team mates in trouble through mistakes. He had great intentions when going on the attack but just lacked a cutting edge.
Tom Dunn - 7 - Came on for Webber with 30 minutes to go. Made an impact when he came on and carried the ball well in the loose. Dunn punched a few holes in the Irish defence late on and continued Rob Webber's good work by maintaining the line outs consistency. However due to the team taking their foot off the gas he spent the majority of his time defending.
Beno Obano - 6 - Came on for Lahiff with nine minutes left on the clock. Beno always looks strong in the scrum and seems to steady the set piece when he does come on. Another product of the Bath academy, Beno has been given a few opportunities to shine this season and doesn't look at all out of place in the first team.
David Wilson - 7 - Replaced Thomas after 52 minutes. Wilson carried well in the loose and got himself around the park a lot. Although he was part of a scrum that continued to be penalised throughout the game, his work around the breakdown and as a ball carrier was brilliant. He continued to offer himself as a ball carrier and his presence was definitely felt by London Irish.
Stuart Hooper - 7 - Replaced Day after only 20 minutes into the match. This difficult season has proved how important Hooper is to Bath Rugby and their set piece. The line out was consistent and provided Bath's backs with a perfect attacking platform. He also offered another experienced head and made a nuisance of himself around the breakdown. Committed in defence and good in the loose, the club captain led from the front.
Guy Mercer - 6 - Came on for Louw after 64 minutes. Mercer put in another consistent performance and worked hard around the breakdown. He was part of a defence that leaked a late try however Bath were a man down due to injury. Mercer has become a reliable option to bring on off the bench, with him and Matt Garvey looking equally as capable whilst also offering different options.
Jonathan Evans - 6 - Replaced Cook late on with nine minutes to go. Came on and looked lively throughout, with some nice runs around the fringes of rucks. Maintained a quick tempo to the game through a steady supply of quick ball. However he wasn't able to dictate that much play due to London Irish applying late pressure and Bath having to defend.
Horcaio Agulla - 6 - Came on for Banahan after 62 minutes. Horacio carried well and saw a bit more ball than he's usually seen this season. He may not be the quickest winger at Bath's disposal but he makes up for it through sheer strength and the ability to stay on his feet. A late London Irish try was scored in his corner however players were out of position due to an injury to Devoto.
Max Clarke - 6 - Replaced Preistland after 67 minutes. Although he replaced Preistland, Clarke swapped with Devoto and played at outside centre. He wasn't able to play with much ball due to a combination of Bath taking their foot off the gas and Irish applying late pressure but he still made some strong carries.
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