When Tom Cheeseman crossed for his second try in two minutes well in to the second half, the scoreboard read 24 -25 and suddenly Bath were back in a game they appeared to have lost shortly after half-time. With the Bath players joyous at their comeback and the crowd leaping around in amazement that a win was a distinct possibility, it was left to two pieces of pragmatism from the Welsh boys to secure victory as drops goals from Terblanche and Hook firstly taking the score above a penalty retrieval and secondly ensuring the best Bath could do with a converted try was tie the match.

The game was generally disjointed with so many penalties awarded that an American tourist who happened on our game would have assumed a team racked up points purely on the basis of the number of penalties awarded. "Gee fella, am I right to assume that in this game of Rugby Football you get a point for picking up a penalty and three points for kicking the ball between the posts? If so, why didn't Bath win?" 

Picture by Jules

Prior to the game I was told that Ospreys like to play a flat game, standing so close to the offside line and passing very laterally that one could be confused by their interpretation of the current IRB laws. Fair play to them, if they (like Wasps) can take the game to the limits of legality then why not: let's face it this is what the likes of Spurrell, Robinson and Simpson did for us in our glory days. However there were forward passes from both sides which nobody, even the blindest of blind referees, should have missed. It appeared, from where I was sitting, that too often Dave Pearson adopted his best Mr Magoo persona perhaps to try and help a very static game move forward.

Throughout the first half the Bath lineout was a shambles, particularly as replacement hooker, Dave Ward, couldn't hit any of his players. Throwing is not the lad's strength but give him the ball and tell him to run at defenders, offload in the tackle and generally act as a pivot between forwards and backs and Ward is your man. I think this lad offers a lot to the team and parts of his game are superior to Lee Mears. If throwing is a weakness why not ask the winger to take over these duties?

Picture by Jules

Chris Goodman, the other Bath Mini from the same year as Ward, was similarly good today making great yardage, showing a lot of pace and with such a safe pair of mitts that he was used to take the ball on restarts. I was somewhat surprised that he was replaced on the hour by Jonny F, a player who has yet to show me he's worth the honour of pulling on a Blue, Black and White shirt. I watched him take the ball in defence and run at pace at the opposition and then off-load five yards before the defender. When you are the size of Jonny F you take the tackle!

The Bath backs came in to some form in the early part of the second half with Joe Maddock showing a real spring in his step. Several times the backs outstripped the visitors and one occasion which sticks in my mind was a run out of defence by Nick Abendanon: the lad swerved and twisted his way through an army of outstretched hands only for the play to fail as it converted to a ruck. This was typical of Bath play as they made a series of darting runs but failed to take advantage of their possession or territory.

Picture by Jules

It was great to see Andy Beattie back in the thick of things and I was amazed at his high level of fitness given his lay-off. Danny Grewcock played another of his strong games but Flatman, Smith and Scaysbrook appeared off the pace and Duncan Bell looked like he was either carrying an injury or someone had strapped a heavy weight on his back. Dave Barnes played like Dave Barnes always does for Bath, committed and passionate and I'm always pleased when he trots on for his last quarter cameo. Top man!

Matt Perry clearly struggled at fly-half but his line kicking was excellent, excepting an embarrassing fluff early in the second half, and comment must be made about Nick Walshe stepping up as stand-in kicker - well done fella. No Barkley, no Berne, no Malone: rather reduces your kicking options eh!

Picture by Jules

Despite the result I actually enjoyed the game. The Ospreys looked good, to my untutored eye, always threatening to score when getting anywhere near our line.

It was great to see Jonathan Humphries back at The Rec, albeit with the wrong colour shirt on his back, and he clearly enjoyed seeing some of his old muckers as they chatted when running past the Osprey's bench.

After the hammering Bristol took from Glawster today, thank goodness our game against them doesn't take place until December!

Bath: Abendanon; Davey, Cheeseman, Maddock, Bory; Perry, Walshe (capt); Flatman, Ward, Bell; Smith, Grewcock, Beattie, Scaysbrook, Goodman.
Replacements: Mears, Barnes, Short, Faamatuainu, Mangeolles, Stephenson, Travagli.

Ospreys: Terblanche; Mustoe, Selley, Hook, Vaughton; Connor, Spice; James (capt), B Williams, Millward, Bateman, Evans, Beach, Tandy, Thomas.
Replacements: Bennett, Griffiths, Powell, A Jones, Roberts, Bishop.

Referee: Dave Pearson

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