The wind had a greater influence on the craic than on the game. Irish came out of the tunnel wearing their very fetching one-off emerald green kit. Memo to club: Please make this next year's home strip. Both Barry Everritt and Chris Sheasby were making land mark appearances. Barry his 100th and Awesome his 150th game for the club. Chris O'Sheas also had his 200th Premiership league game.

The game started in changeable blustery weather. Bath kicked off and Geoff Appleford led the breakout until Horak knocked on 10 metres from half-way. Bath then knocked on from their scrum and from a solid Irish scrum Mapletoft made a great clearance into the Bath 22. Malone returned the compliment. Irish then messed up their own lineout and gave Bath a srum on their 22. Bath made some progress, but gave away a penalty for holding on. Bright skies were now joined by decent rain. Tofty kicked the penalty to Bath's 10m line. Naka threw very long and the ball was taken by Bath's no.14 Alex Crokett who then went on a raking run to within 30 metres of the Irish line, but Bath then knocked on again and Irish cleared back to where Alex had come from. Irish stole Bath's ball at the back. The ball was moved quickly right along the backs. Horak received the ball with Sackey outside him. Sackey was 25 metres from the try line he had 10 metres to work with and 2 Bath defenders in front of him. Horak passed, and Sackey jinked inside one and powered forward to score comfortably in the corner.

Ten minutes gone and great start. Tofty couldn't convert in the squally wind. 5-0.

Bath produced a good restart. Malone grubber kicked to take Bath 15 metres from the Irish line. But the East stand touch judge had seen something. He drew Spreadbury's attention to some foul play, and Tofty duly kick the ball out on Bath's 30m line. The sky was darkening now. From the line out Tofty went on a nice little run and produced a chip that Bish gathered on halfway and carried for another 15 metres. At the resulting ruck Bath were caught offside. Tofty lined up the kick while 3 plastic pint glasses rolled towards him. He missed.

Bath dropped out deep into Irish territory and another counter was given momentum by Appleford. He passed to Horak who got himself isolated and held on inside the Bath half.

On 23 minutes Bath had a scrum on half way. It wheeled left and Edwards decided to get involved by kicking the ball to Irish. Spreadbury didn't like it and got out the yellow card. I felt this was a bit harsh as the game had been flowing well up till then. Malone kicked the resulting penalty. 5-3.

Sheasby took the restart and galloped up the left touch line. Irish eventually cleared the ball to half-way. From the line out Malone launched a garryowen that Horak knocked on at the Irish ten metre line. From the scrum Bath went on the pick and drive and then grubber kicked. Horak gathered but could only run the ball into touch on his own 22 on the west side. From the line out, Bath tried to start a rolling maul. Irish collapsed it and Bath kicked for the corner and tried the roll again. They took a while to get things moving and might have been called for being static for 5 seconds, but the refs don't often seem to give these. Once the maul got going the Bath pack went over comfortably for a try. Prop Duncan Bell claimed it. Malone missed the conversion. 30 minutes gone and 5-8 to Bath.

From the restart Bath cleared to their own 10 metre line. At the line out Bath were called for immediately coming into the maul from the side. Tofty had a challenging kick 15 from the west touchline. He didn't make great contact but the ball made it over. 8-8.

5 minutes from half time Tofty made a break from just inside his half and chipped into acres of space but was impeded by the Bath Scrum half Wood.

Spreadbury gave London Irish the penalty and Wood a yellow card. Tofty made the less than easy 3 points, but again his contact was a bit squiffy. 11-8.

From the restart Irish organized another good break out, but were turned over at a ruck. Bath did the pick and drive into the Irish half, and soon drew a penalty when Irish dived over at a ruck. Malone took the kick 7 metres from the east touchline and missed.

Irish took the drop out and at the resulting ruck by the team dugouts there seemed to be a frank exchange of views. The touch judge asked to speak to Spreadbury who called over Ryan Strudwick, the Bath hooker Humphreys , and Rob Hardwick. They had a short chat, Bath were awarded a penalty 10 metres into the Irish half. Malone took a while in his preparations, and was statuesque for a while. The crowd then started booing and Spreadbury started looking at his watch. I don’t know if the boos were for Spreadbury’s decision or for the statue impression by Malone. In the end, he kicked and got the three, and the half ended 11-11.

The second half started under blue skies. The wind continued to swirl around but as it was from the west, it was difficult to tell if it was to anyones advantage. And the bowl protected us from ravages being heaped on the stage outside.

A couple of ineffectual chips, one from Bath, that put London Irish on the attack followed by another from Naka, ended with Bath taking a mark. They then ran the ball out and gained a scrum on the half way line when the ball didn’t emerge from a ruck. Bath were penalized at the scrum and Tofty kicked the long straight penalty. The score was now 14-11 after only 3 minutes of the second half.

Irish then worked their way back up the pitch with measured continuity ending with a good touch finder from Tofty to get Irish to the Bath 22. On 47 minutes Bath brought on Mears for 2.Humphreys and Stevens on for the try scorer 3.Bell. Irish replaced Hardwick with Wheatley. The next 5 minutes saw play stay between 22s until London Irish conceded a penalty. Bath kicked for touch on the Irish 22. Bath caught well and took the maul in-field and then gradually towards the Irish line. 10 metres out Spreadbury gave a penalty against Irish, but the maul continued on its inevitable path. It ended up just to the left of the posts and Malone kicked the conversion to make the score 14-18.

London Irish came back well. From a scrum on the left on half way, they moved the ball quickly right and again Horak passed to Sackey. He ghosted through the Bath line and had 40 metres to go with the Bath cover coming across. He was gang tackled 7 metres out. His strength carried him over, but he was held up over the line.Irish had a 5 metre scrum. They tried to get over from a couple of try line rucks, but Bath turned it over and punted the ball to halfway.

20 minutes to go now, and Bath started another rolling maul in the Irish half , but this time they knocked on. Irish now replaced Tofty with Barry and Sheasby with Murphy. Irish immediately went backwards in the scrum and conceded the put in to Bath. Nothing came of it and now Irish started to play some of their best rugby. Bob Casey rampaged , Strudwick caught a Darren Edwards chip. Murphy was doing some good tidying up at the back of a scrum that was starting to creak. Horak hit a big garyowen and Bath spilled the catch. From the scrum on Baths 22, Hoadley made a good tidying run and set the ball up well, Bath infringed, and Barry missed the free drop goal, but kicked the easy penalty. 17-18.

71 minutes Kennedy on for Casey. Bath conceded another penalty for killing the ball after a good run from Bish. It was a tough kick, far out on the left and Barry missed left.

76 minutes gone and Irish came at Bath again with some good pick and drive work that took them to Bath’s 22, but they held on in the ruck and Bath were relieved to find touch on the Irish 10 metre line. Bath moved the ball infield from the the lineout, and from a central ruck, Malone kicked a 40 metre drop goal. Some in the East stand mumbled that it might have missed right, but Spreadbury was 15 metres away and dead in front when the ball went over, so I’ll take his word for it. Maybe someone in the North Stand can tell us ? 17-21 to Bath.

79 minutes: Flavin and Barrett on. Naka and Edwards off.

After the restart, Irish won a line out on Bath’s 10 metre line. Irish took the ball through 8 phases and made no real progress, but Bath did concede a penalty just inside their half and straight. The clock said 85 minutes, so Ryan must have known there were still a few minutes to go when he asked Barry to go for goal. Barry made the kick and the score was now 20-21 to Bath with maybe 180 seconds to go. Murph took the restart and Barry punted to the Bath 10 metre line. Bath won the line out and it looked like the game might be over, but after some pick and drive Bath kicked the ball to Sackey !? Paul started the counter attack and Irish made good ground forward and to the left. A ruck on the left just inside the Bath half and Barry was in the pocket, but a long way out. The ball came back and he had a go anyway but the attempt fell well short. A Bath player caught the ball and again kicked the ball away. He didn’t find touch, and Kennedy took the catch and went rampaging down the left and set up another ruck. Barry was a bit closer this time. He kicked, and the ball sailed high, but just to the right of the posts ,and Spreadbury blew his whistle for the end of the game. Bath win 20-21 .

Could Irish have been a little more patient and taken the ball through a couple more phases ? Barry has won us games before by backing himself, so you can’t really blame him if he had a go, and it was better than ending the game with an Irish knock-on.

Irish played well today. Their back play was very assured, and the forwards held their own in all phases apart from the rolling maul, but they will be disappointed to lose to a Bath side missing so many 1^st team players. The rolling maul lies in wait at the Rec.