Andrew Higgins saw the inside of the sin bin twice: once for 10 minutes and the second for the rest of the game after being sent off for (stupidly) tripping returning ex-Bath hero Mike Tindall. This could have been a disaster for Bath, particularly as they also had to rearrange their backs following the loss through injury of Matt Perry. However cometh the hour, cometh the men and every single Bath player raised their game to such an extent that one could have been forgiven for thinking it was Glawster who were men down. Olly Barkley played at full-back in place of Perry, with Ryan Davis going to centre, and looked secure even with a bad leg towards the end.

Only twice did Glawster look like taking advantage of their extra player(s): at one time Bath were down to 13 after David Bory was binned for killing one scoring opportunity at a ruck. Then, the first time in the match Henry Paul looked like he knew what the game of rugby was all about, he fed ex-Bath full-back Rob Thirlby to run the length of the field to score the only try of the match. Thirlby had a poor time at Bath, not living up to expectations, and must have enjoyed what he thought was to be the winning score then converted from the touchline by Mercier.

But Bath were not to be beaten and a 50 yard penalty from an injured Olly Barkley, with eight minutes to go, told everyone it was to be Bath's day regardless of what the Gods threw at the players.

The scoring highlight of the day for Bath has to be the enormous 55 yard drop goal from Chris Malone which vindicated the coach's decision to pick the Aussie instead of keeping with the successful and popular Barkley/Davis axis. This score broke the 6-6 half time deadlock and within eight minutes was followed by two Barkley penalties to give Bath daylight between them and Glawster. 

The Bath pack were reduced to seven men shortly after Higgins was sent off, as coaches Connolly and Foley decided to replace James Scaysbrook with Tom Cheeseman to beef up the backs. Harsh on Scaysbrook maybe, but it says a lot about the power and skill of our pack that the coaches trusted them to keep Vickery and his crew under control for some 50 minutes. And didn't they just do it. Barnes, Mears, Bell, Stevens, Borthewick, Grewcock, Beattie and Feaunati can all walk through the centre of the City tonight with their heads held very high: if you see them, buy them a beer because they certainly deserve it.

Whilst all of the pack were immense today, Danny Grewcock stood out with an awesomely powerful display that would not have been out of place on an international stage. He dominated play and overshadowed Alex Brown to such an extent that Andy Robinson's job will be much more difficult later this year. I don't know whether my eyes are deceiving me but he looks bigger than in previous years and gets hold of the ball far more often than ever in the past: Danny's like a fine wine, maturing with age and should be inked on the England team-sheet already.

So what of the returning Tindall? Personally I think he proved our coaches right that he wasn't worth the money he wanted and we are far better off nurturing younger, hungrier and fitter players. Tom Cheeseman was a match for his predecessor and looks a very strong lad capable of playing the tough role in the centre.

The result was excellent and just what we needed but it took until the final quarter for the game to get lively (rugby I mean) and we mustn't lose sight of the fact that, save an Olly Barkly run through a third of the Glawster team in the second half, we didn't create many try-scoring opportunities and if Glawster had played to their potential they should have won the game.

Nevertheless, we won and bagged four vital league points: few beers tonight methinks. Well done Bath, a victory to savour!

Bath: Perry; Bory, Higgins, Barkley, Welsh; Malone, Wood; Barnes, Mears, Bell; Borthwick (capt), Grewcock; Beattie, Scaysbrook, Feaunati.
Replacements: Dixon, Stevens, Delve, Hudson, Williams, Davis, Cheeseman.

Gloucester: Goodridge; Foster, Tindall, Paul, Simpson-Daniel; Mercier, Thomas; Collazo, M Davies, Vickery (capt); Eustace, Brown; Buxton, Hazell, Forrester.
Replacements: Parkes, Sigley, Cornwell, Boer, Richards, Fanolua, B Davies.

Referee: Dave Pearson

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