The weather is often gorgeous for this match, always coming so late in the season, and once again the Rec looked perfect for fast, flowing rugby. However despite last week's try-feast against Bristol, this week it was the visiting Cherry and Whites who looked most dangerous on the hoof with ball in hand. In particular Ryan Lamb demonstrated why so many Sheddites are excited about their future with this lad at the helm.

Bath started with a perfect kick-off: high ball landing right on the Glawster 10 metre line just inside touch enabling a Bath recovery. There was a certain poetry about Chris Malone's kick, just a shame he couldn't match this with a couple of passes later in the game when he missed his colleagues and threw the ball in to touch. These cameos sum up the Aussie's time with us: sometimes brilliant, sometimes totally frustrating. However I for one will be sorry that I won't see him at the Rec again wearing our colours as I think he adds more than he detracts from our play. 

Picture courtesy Jules

Bath attacked early with some intent and secured a six point lead through Olly Barkley's boot following two offside decisions against Glawster. The lad was back to his best with his place kicking and also looked dangerous at centre, making a series of half-breaks which were only a half-tackle away from total release and a chase to the Glawster line.

The difficulty for the Bath backs to make ground in their attacks was the consistently off-side Glawster defensive line. Fair play to them for getting away with this infringement but one has to question the point of touch judges when they don't draw this to the attention of the referee.

Ryan Lamb opened the scoring for the visitors on eight minutes with a penalty of his own after Bath were caught off-side. He had the opportunity to draw the scores level after Bath were adjudged to have dropped a very dubious scrum after Bath were penalised for a forward pass which looked legal from where I was sitting. God spotted the official's error and consequently Lamb missed with his attempt at goal.

Picture courtesy Jules

Joe Maddock pulled up with what looked like hamstring problems and despite a few moments of trying to run with heavy strapping around his thigh he had to be replaced by Michael Stephenson after 19 minutes. Maddock has been in great form in recent weeks and his loss was a real blow to the Bath attacking options as Stephenson doesn't have the same breakaway qualities of the New Zealander. 

Fortunately for Bath, a few minutes later Glawster were once again instigators of their own downfall. Firstly Marco Bortolami was sin binned for foul play and then they were penalised for failing to roll away from a ruck on the edge of their twenty-two and Barkley stretched his team's lead to 9-3.

This should have been a great opportunity for Bath to gain some ground but within a couple of minutes Zak Feau'nati was asked to join Bortolami on the sidelines but Lamb was unable to convert the penalty from the bath No 8's infringement. 

Picture courtesy Jules

Instead of Bath stretching their lead it was Glawster who grabbed the next score through a Will James try. Bath had been on the rack for several minutes defending their line when the big Glawster lock stepped through the defence and dashed for the line. Lamb's conversion gave his team the lead 9-10.

But it was a few minutes later that Ryan Lamb came in to his own as he made a beautiful slashing run to unzip the Bath defence and feed James Bailey on the left wing for an easy score. A great move that got what it deserved. This score was really frustrating as it came from Bath being penalised (tractor/trailer) after they had spent far too long messing around at the base of a ruck instead of moving the ball and the ensuing scrum fed Lamb for his run through the Bath defence.

This situation summed up Andy Williams' afternoon and indicated to me why he won't be with us next season. He was so ponderous at the breakdown throughout the match that any quick ball from the forwards was slowed to a pace that made it difficult for the backs to generate sufficiently quick movement to beat the excellent (although offside) Glawster defence. Lovely bloke that he is off the field, Andy can't seem to offer a run of great performances and seems better as an impact player to come on with 20 minutes to go and this just isn't good enough if we are to become a team challenging for honours.

Picture courtesy Jules

Glawster were starting to look like they could rampage through the Bath defence and with five minutes to go before half-time Bath were definitely on the back foot. However the Blue, Black and White spirit once again raised itself from the despair of conceding two tries in rapid succession and the forwards drove towards the Glawster line intent on making the most of the final five minutes of the first half. Defence was too strong for attack and eventually Bath were penalised for holding the ball too long when right under the sticks, so the teams left the field with the score at 9-15.

Picture courtesy Jules

Bath started the second half as they had the first, pushing forward, but it was Ryan Lamb who secured the next points with another penalty and there was a real danger for Bath that their opponents could pull too far ahead for a recovery to take place. Lamb and Barkley traded penalties for the next 15 minutes to take the score to 18-21. A 74th minute Barkley penalty drew the game level and it was all to play for in the final six minutes. 

Having soaked up a lot of Glawster pressure throughout the second half Bath then generated some attacking moves of their own and, given recent run of play, it seemed that they only had to play a series of phases close to the Glawster twenty-two before they were awarded a penalty to snatch an unlikely victory. But for some reason, with the ball in midfield, Michael Stephenson thought he'd have a drop at goal. The ball sailed so far wide that if another three sets of posts had been erected he wouldn't have scored.

What a waste of a great position! I was fuming at this stage because that was a great lost opportunity. Mind you, I wasn't fuming at that stage as much as I was a few minutes later when, with two minutes to play, Bath seemed content to keep the ball on half-way and accept a draw as opposed to playing for a win. Come on boys you were playing Glawster at home. You don't play for a draw! Bath had possession and field position and a few more drives would have given Chris Malone an ideal opportunity to sign off his last home match with a trademark last gasp winning drop goal. If I'd a cat sitting next to me I'd have grabbed it by the scruff of it's neck and kicked it.

Glawster should be annoyed with themselves for not breaking their Premiership duck at The Rec with the amount of possession and territory they enjoyed. This has to have been their best opportunity in years.

After the game a large crowd stayed to celebrate the retirement of Matt Perry, a true Bathonian of whom we can all be proud. Thank you Matt for some memorable displays for Bath, England the the Lions.

Referee: Dave Pearson

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