Leeds decided to save it all for the ECC quarter final having absorbed a 66-7 drubbing at Sarries last weekend,  putting up fierce resistance but going down to an out-of-sorts Bath outfit supported by its Arrogant and Apathetic faithful.

To be fair it was only 17-5 at half time, when Bath disappeared into the tunnel counting the massive number of opportunities unexploited, but truly this was the mismatch of the season accounting for a far-from-full Rec on a gloriously sunny April afternoon. 

Bath’s first use of the “reverse” KO worked for Matt Banahan as early as the first minute when he put the dancing Eliota through for Stuart Hooper to be penalised at the ensuing ruck. OB converted for 3-0. 

Hooper and Grewcock completed the first of their introductory formalities on eight minutes as Bath dominated possession and were almost constantly in the Leeds 22 and threatening. Leeds eventually stole the ball at a Bath scrum but at the resulting penalty from Bath killing the ball, Edwards decided to tap and pass the ball back into 22 where Greendale placed a superb kick into touch in the Bath half, only to be brought back into the 22 for kicker not kicking direct.

Enter the Bath public address announcer to inform us that in the event of a tie this afternoon the game would be followed by 10 minutes each way. Seriously worried about my table booking at Martinis at five, and the missing the start of the Grand National in the Clubhouse, I waited in eager expectation of the Leeds onslaught. 

The last ten of the first half was Bath’s sleep time. OB and Eliota were running some great lines but the alarm clock failed to go off on 32 mins as missed tackles let Rob Vickerman through from the 22 for a simple try. Debutant 10 Greendale failed with the conversion taking us to 17-5. Grewcock and Short marginally failed in a 9/10 axis to penetrate for the third try and Danny eventually settled for further intimacies with Hopper and Lund before my right hand man took the reins just before half time as forces of nature called. He reports that Nigel Havers ran past and that Short’s shoulders “got punctured” – I like his style…………………

So with 90% of possession and the prospect of Bath sleeping for the first 20 of the second half, the game was on a knife edge. However, Crockett broke on five minutes in, from the Bath 22 and put Higgins away for a cracking try the length of the pitch. OB converted for 24-5 and the flood gates were now well and truly open. Barkley orchestrated a superb fourth on the loop with Eliota from halfway and ran in an easy fourth, converting for 31-5. 

Small solace for Leeds, Edwards missed an easy chance for five points - passing into the Bath Hellfire faithful on ten minutes amidst the start of the sub season (Brown for Lipman, Ion for Stevens). Matt Banahan was pinged for the second time for being in front of a ball passed out wide (foregoing two easy tries in the process) and Bath’s open game was now in full flow, Banahan went in for his second (Bath’s fifth) after some smooth hands from Cheeseman (on for Eliota) and Crockett on 19 minutes. Olly missed the conversion for the only blemish of his afternoon (36-5).

Following a further love-in between Danny and his Bath partner for 08/09 Hooper, and Mike Baxter putting in a fiendishly high tackle on Hooper to welcome him to the Rec, the sixth and best try of the afternoon came with Higgins cutting infield from halfway and looping a pinpoint accurate overhead to Johnny F who went over for 41-5 in front of the Hampton Stand. OB converted from wide for 43-5. 

Stevo replaced Nick A for the last ten minutes and the Leeds subs were pretty much all on by now. Goodridge went over on 35 but the eagle-eyed French ref had once again seen forward pass. All things come to those who wait, and once again Bath dare to progress to a semi-final, and Leeds head to end-of-season ignominy – the penultimate nail in the coffin in this particular game coming from the delightful Barkley chipping to Higgins out of defence who again carved Leeds the length of the field before putting Johnny F over. At Johnny’s invitation, the ball was tossed to Dan Browne to ground for Bath’s 7^th, converted by OB for 50-5. 

Man of the match this afternoon was deservedly Olly Barkley who on this evidence will be a much needed boost to Gloucester’s squad for next season. This was a relentless performance and execution of game management from him in a rare outing at 10 in the BB&W. 

Banahan’s final try to complete his hat-trick, and a 57-5 rout of poor opposition needs to be taken in measured light. There was no real opposition this afternoon and Sale will represent a far sterner test at the Rec in three weeks time in the semi-final.

Sometimes we were watching Sevens this afternoon, and in spite of a moderate amount of tongue-in-cheek, I am saddened that Leeds will be heading home after a further seven bells/drubbing wondering what lies in store. Sadly they will not survive the test of National 1 unless they can strengthen a woeful backline and put together an eight that can win ball.

More photos from the game

Bath: Abendanon, Higgins, Crockett, Fuimaono-Sapolu, Banahan, Barkley, Claassens, Flatman, Mears, Stevens, Short, Grewcock, Faamatuainu, Lipman, Goodman.
Replacements: Dixon, Ion, Purdy, Browne, Baxter, Cheeseman, Stephenson.

Leeds Carnegie: Goodridge, Welding, T. Rock, Vickerman, Hinton, Greendale, Edwards, MacDonald, Rawlinson, Pala'amo, Hooper, Lund, Myall, Schusterman, Clark.
Replacements: Parkes, Hopcroft, Paul, Oakley, Bedford, Lock, Brooks.

Referee: Romain Poite (France)

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