Everyone in the Jazz Cafe seemed quietly optimistic about the
game despite Geraghty and Staunton being out and Hickey given a debut
at 10. There was some concern at our back row, Thorpe and S Armitage
have been playing great rugby this season but both of them on the park
means what we gain in the loose we may lose in the scrum. Mapusua is
back but with a haircut, I hope I don't have to use a Samson analogy
before the game is out.

Out come the two teams and so does Mr Davey to referee the game, the
guy must be a season ticket holder. We start the game well, plenty of
possession and territory, phase after phase, recycling the ball well
without really making any inroads towards the Bath line. We crawl
towards the five metre line but can't seem to get any further. Paice
decides to take it on his own, gets isolated and gives away a penalty.
It's frustrating but at the same time an encorouging start. Carrying
on the good start we soon find ourselves back in Bath territory and
this time it's them pinged for hands in the ruck. Hickey steps up and
we're 3-0 up after five minutes.

This seems to be a wake up call for Bath and they have a solid period
of possession during which they create a clear overlap on their left
wing, luckily a poor pass leads to them knocking on and we're granted
a reprieve. The play is stuck in our our half for the next few minutes
and after a half break from one of the Bath lads our scrambling
defence is adjudged to be offside. Luckily the penalty is missed and
we can count ourselves lucky not to be level.

The next part of the game is a bit scrappy, not helped by Bath having
to make several substitutions to their pack. Can Irish take advantage,
we've been destroyed in the scrum so far? Ojo is the first to try,
instigating a move that takes us from our own 22 to the Bath 22 but
again, we can't make an impression on a well organised defence but we
win a penalty because they aren't rolling away after the tackle.
Hickey kicks the penalty although the touch judges took an age to give
it. 6-0 to Irish.

Following another penalty Hickey drills the ball into touch and we
have a lineout 30 meters out on the left wing. From the ensuing
lineout the ball is worked towards the right wing where Hickey tries a
cheeky chip over the top. A lucky bounce sees the ball hit a Bath
player before going out giving us a solid attacking platform; a
lineout on the five metre line. We catch and drive, a move we've had
some success with so far in the game. We trundle on and suddenly we're
over the line. Davey gives the try and a grinning Paice comes up with
the ball. Hickey misses the conversion but we're 11-0 up after 32
minutes.

Bath storm back, seeing plenty of ball around our 22 but without
making any inroads. Or so I thought, the ball is worked from their
right wing to the left where Faamatainu makes a great off load to
Davey who steps inside Dodge to score under the posts. Dodge is
injured trying to make a saving tackle and goes off in a blood
substitution for Fury but doesn't reappear in the game. Meanwhile the
conversion is successful and Bath are back in it at 11-7 to Irish.

The visitors are really fired up now and win another penalty when
Casey enters the ruck from an offside position, luckily the penalty is
missed and the score remains 11-7 at half time.

Reflecting on our first half, my main worry was our scrum which was
getting a real lesson from Bath although in the loose we were
competing well but our backs just couldn't get into the game. Tagi and
Ojo made a couple of sniping runs when they gathered the ball from
deep but they didn't get a chance to do their thing when flying up in
the line. I could say the same for Bath, the backs seemed to be
cancelling each other out, or could that be that both sets of backs
had a similar lack of invention. The second half would hopefully tell,
when it eventually arrived. I can't be the only one who hates these
new 15 minute intervals?

The second half starts and we're pushed off our scrum, it's been
threatening to happen all game. From the ensuing play we're caught
offside and give Bath an easy three. From 11-0 up after 32 minutes
it's now 11-10 after 43 minutes. Game on.

Both sides try to up their game but it just causes a stalemate in the
middle of the pitch. Maybe the loss of international players on both
sides is the cause but you can't help noticing that there's not a lot
of imagination out there. Finally Tagi makes a break and we win a
penalty on the Bath ten metre line five metres in from the touchline.
Hickey has no hesitation in going for the posts and puts in an awesome
kick to take the score to 14-10. This boy has some boot on him.

More midfield dross ensues until Hickey wins a kicking competition and
we have a lineout in the Bath half. Thorpe and S Armitage combine well
to gain good ground and we win another penalty in front of the posts.
17-10 to Irish.

Back come Bath, kicking the ball into our 22. Tagi, in his own style,
seems to saunter over to the ball, but the Bath chase is good and Tagi
can't get a good kick away. Suddenly we're defending a lineout on our
own five metre line on the Bath right wing. Inexplicably, this is the
point that we decide to change our entire second row. Off go Casey and
Kennedy, on come Hudson and Roche. Bath, not surprisingly, catch and
drive and slowly move towards our line. The maul collapses over the
line and Davey points to the five metre line indicating a scrum. I
start to breathe a sigh of relief until I see the touch judge have a
word and suddenly a try is given, Browne credited with the score.
Unbelievable, the crowd go nuts, but to be fair Irish didn't put up
much of a protest. The conversion is scored and we're all level at
17-17 with fifteen minutes to go.

Before the restart D Murphy comes on for Rautenbach and before he can
even get into the game Irish win a penalty straight form the kick off
and Hickey gives us a three point cushion. 20-17 Irish. The officials
then decide to make the game a bit more interesting giving some
bizarre decisions. The most bizarre was awarding a lineout to Bath
when a Bath player had kicked the ball out. At least it gets the crowd
going who have been subdued for most of the game.

Bath continue to pour forward and we begin to look a bit ragged in the
forward battle and start to lose our discipline. A couple of penalties
in quick succession against us sees Bath with a lineout on our five
metre line on their left wing. Again they catch and drive and
inevitably they trundle over the line. The try is awarded to Grewcock,
but crucially the conversion is missed. Bath lead 22-20 with six
minutes remaining.

Unsurprisingly Bath decide to play the territory game. It's a good
ploy as we have hardly made a dent on their defence in open play and
keeping us in our 22 means they might be able to snatch a four try
bonus point. The clock ticks down, annoyingly we can't seem to get
anywhere until we win a penalty. Hickey puts the kick ten metres into
Bath's half on the left side. One minute left, this is our last
chance. We gather the lineout and try and to move forward. Several
phases of forward play indicate that we're after the drop goal but
we're not making any headway into Bath territory. Eventually the ball
is fired back to Hickey just inside the Bath half, he sets himself and
up goes the kick. It's short and wide, Bath collect the ball and clear
to touch. Game over, Bath win 22-20.

So we come away with a bonus point but it could have been more. In all
honesty it was a poor game, neither side had the nous to break through
the opposition defence apart from Bath's first try. Whilst our
forwards this season seem to be a lot more organised than before we
got pushed around pretty easily by Bath, our try excepted, and when
you get pushed around you give away penalties. Some of which cost us
dear today. Our backs are where we seem to have taken a step backwards
from last season though. The kicking out of hand was very poor and
we're lacking the penetration that we had over the last two campaigns.
Today the ball rarely made it out to the wings where our most
dangerous players are. The returning internationals may provide us
with that extra spark but our strength in depth, or lack of it,
suggests we could struggle if injuries bite.

Fair play to Bath though, their forwrads were on top and they made
less mistakes than us, which just goes to show it wasn't the greatest
of games. The cries of "Come on Irish" should perhaps be suffixed with
"... you can do better than that" and I think that's something we can
all agree on.

Finally, I'd just like to thank Rob who, when he found out that I was
doing the match report, imparted much his of wisdom on me throughout
the game.
 

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