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Tramps Like Us - Baby We Were Born To Run!
By Asbury Parker
September 7 2008
The meeting of the perennial homeless at the start of the new season is always a great scene-setter. On the last occasion it got first-day billing, I will take to my grave the image of Lee Robinson sliding towards me under the posts, inflicting defeat 19-16 in season in 05/06, and my confidence was not brimful today with the alarming number of changes evident as we got to the ground.

Looking at the team sheet, whilst the Bath guys are no vagrants, you could have been forgiven for worrying about the collection of names and numbers allocated to the forwards. Forgetting those who have headed out on sabbatical for a minute, it was like the dice had fallen and you just had to play where you could in the back five, Hooper cast as the No 6 villain with an unfit Short and Harrison at lock. Butch James was also back and “in” with Steve Meehan ignoring a recent request from the Tri-Nations for a rest.

Bath lost the early initiative when turnover ball cost us dear and with our backline looking at sixes and sevens Blowers went over after 3 minutes, debutant Adrian Jarvis converting for 7-0. The Bath eight were busy introducing themselves early on, Harrison and Scaysbrook falling over each other to concede ball, and the tactics appeared to work much better when James was conducting play - booting and grubbing intelligently. In fact the opposing packs were giving each other no quarter as Barnes and Hobson smouldered away for most of the first half, and the handling seemed to be as much on each other as in the maul.

Picture by Empics

Bristol were lucky not to be down to 10 as Junior Fatialofa felled Eliota in a try-saving tackle on 10 minutes from which Butch James obliged making it 7-3 on 13 minutes. Cue Bath in the ascendancy for the next phase with the first Bath try coming on 17 mins with Maddock going over from 35 metres after smart handling and two side-steps. Butch converted easily from way out wide for 7-10. Bath conceded a soft penalty for Scays' hands in the ruck on 20m for Jarvis to level it at 10-10, but Bath were up for the scrap. Bath’s second came when they stole lineout ball and the Classens/James axis put Banahan away almost to the try line before feeding LGF who won’t score an easier on this season. Converted by James under the posts for 10-17.

The first half was all but over, when a cert contender for try of the season saw a fantastic individual effort from David Lemi which started midway between 22 and half way in his own half. After a darting  20m run he hoisted the ball over three advancing Bath backs and skinned them in the race to get to it – that he did, just inside our 22, and after another grubber and a race with Banahan he was over. Truly fantastic and worth the ticket money on its own! Jarvis converted for 17 apiece. Barnes and Hobson decided to stake their claim for Team GB Boxing London 2012 as a sign off to an intense first half. 

My half time thoughts were largely that Bath pack had delivered ahead of expectations given the missing players, but the absence of Crockett and the departed one, did make us look defensively open several times in the first 40.

Picture by Empics

Unfortunately the second half didn’t live up to the fare served in the first. Fatialofa did not re-appear for Bristol and, as a result, whatever cutting edge they had to exploit our backs was immediately compromised. Bath were on fire and after handling in the ruck on 42 minutes – James’ boot like a metronome glided another over the South Stand for 17-20. Bath put together several good handling phases, Stevens & Mears being fed by Claassens sniping around the fringes and making good yards, and Bath took advantage for 17-23 after Haydn was adjudged to have impeded Abendanon.   Further penalty exchanges followed, and with 20 minutes to go, Bath had their noses in front at 20-26. Then followed Bath’s reposte to Lemi’s try when, from deepish in Bath’s half, Eliota FS sparked a delightful crossfield phase involving Scays, Short, and others before Johnny F took the ball on from the 22 and slid over for a try which was then enough to dampen any ideas Bristol may have had on getting back into it. James conversion for 20-33.  

There followed a series of substitutions with all the Bath bench used. Flats on for Barnes on 57minutes led the way with Bell following for Stevens later, just to complete the pack disruption. The game fizzled out as a contest and Bath should have cleared up the 4th try in the last 10 with Claassens setting up intelligent pop ball on 10 metres on two or three occasions, but runners failed to exploit it.

Picture by Empics

On the plus side, this squad really are Born to Run – sometimes let down by handling but it is great to watch it, and when it does come off (as with Johnny F’s try today) it was spectacular. However, my worries are that the back-line looks like a sieve and we are desperately short of lock cover.

So who knows where these two giant West Country rugby clubs will end up at the end of this season. Bristol had a stay of execution from Rodney Parade and may well find themselves playing on some different grounds next season – their squad does simply not look adequately strengthened in relation to the other GP Clubs’ incoming playing personnel. As for Bath it may well be just a case of a rusty start but we badly need to pick up bonus points in this sort of game if we are going to seriously challenge for a top four finish and the glory days of old. The price you pay maybe in these sort of games?

For you, Bath supporters, wherever you are – have a great season.

Bristol

20 - 33
(17 - 17)

Bath
Tries:
Blowers, Lemi		 Tries:
Maddock, Cheeseman,

Faamatuainu

Penalties:
Jarvis 2		 Penalties:
James 4
   
Conversions:
Jarvis 2		 Conversions:
James 3
Bristol Rugby: 15. Luke Arscott   14. Tom Arscott   13. Alifatu Junior Fatialofa   12. Kevin Maggs   11. David Lemi   10. Adrian Jarvis   9. Haydn Thomas   1. Mark Irish   2. Scott Linklater   3. Jason Hobson   4. Nathan Budgett   5. Robert Sidoli   6. Andrew Blowers   7. Joe El Abd   8. Dan Ward-Smith  
Replacements: 16. David Blaney   17. Peter Bracken   18. Mariano Sambucetti   19. Redford Pennycook   20. Graeme Beveridge   21. Ed Barnes   22. Greg Barden  

 

Bath Rugby: 15. Nick Abendanon   14. Joe Maddock   13. Tom Cheeseman   12. Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu   11. Matt Banahan   10. Butch James   9. Michael Claassens   1. David Barnes   2. Lee Mears   3. Matt Stevens   4. Justin Harrison   5. Peter Short   6. Stuart Hooper   7. James Scaysbrook   8. Jonny Fa'amatuainu  
Replacements: 16. Pieter Dixon   17. Duncan Bell   18. David Flatman   19. Laurence Ovens   20. Scott Bemand   21. Shaun Berne   22. Jack Cuthbert  

Referee: Chris White

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