By Glen Leat
December 11 2004

Bath's patched up pack totally dominated Treviso and were well supported by excellent form from their backs to gain revenge for last week's defeat in Italy. Only a controversial penalty try saved the visitor's blushes as they went down 47-7, conceding a vital bonus point in the process.

The Bath players were determined to make up for last week's shock loss in Italy and, except for a short period towards the end of the game when concentration started to drift, they controlled this game in the pack and in the backs. The whole Bath team played their part in this victory, with some excellent kicking, running, passing, rucking and scrummaging throughout an exciting 80 minutes. Whether the visitors found the weather too cold or the Bath pack just too hot to handle, it was hard to tell, but they were never in this game.

Olly Barkley will take all the plaudits for his superb kicking display of nine from nine (and a lot of touch-liners in there as well!), but we shouldn't forget the fine kicking from hand of Chris Malone. The jury is out on whether the young Aussie has what it takes to play at the highest of club levels, but today you couldn't fault him. His big boomers (is the air thinner in the cold?) down field would have graced any international match and his gentle dinks over the defence kept his side going forward and Treviso constantly on the back foot.

It was a great pleasure for me to see young David Ward make his debut, initially as cover for a sin-binned Lee Mears and then to replace Andy Beattie. I first saw Wardy play as a six year-old for the Bath mini's in the same side as another Bath player, Chris Goodman and my son Richard (who is still an excellent full-back himself). This was a quality group of mini's and I'm not surprised that Dave and Chris have reached this level of play.

Wardy was tough uncompromising six-year old so it's no surprising he is a tough uncompromising 19 year-old. His first act in this game was to throw a line out ball, but he missed his target of James Hudson. His head could easily have dropped but this is a lad I believe will be playing for England in five years (as hooker rather than flanker) and he has total confidence in his ability and soon got stuck in with real venom to the opposing forwards. Well done son a great start to your career, your dad will have been very proud - I felt quite nostalgic for the Bath mini's of 1992.

Bath started their scoring with two Barkley penalties. This must have been quite a call for the coaches because it was essential to score four tries for the bonus point and both early penalties were in positions suitable for a kick to touch to set up a catch and drive. Connolly is a wily old soldier and he knows that a game must be won first and then bonus points secured. But it was not to be long before the faithful were on their feet cheering Andrew Higgins as he latched on to Malone's chip and ran in under the posts to score.

The sight of Higgins on the pitch after breaking his jaw a few weeks ago is amazing. I broke my jaw, in the days when I was still fit enough to play sport, and was wired up for eight weeks: the thought of playing top class rugby quite so soon is a sign of real commitment to our club. Well done Andrew, I won't forget this for some time.

Olly Barkley was involved in the second try as he received the ball far out on the left wing but couldn't ship it Brendan Daniel as he was engulfed by defenders. Fortunately for the "wunderkid", his pack was on hand to save the day by driving Barkley, the ball and all the Treviso defenders over the line enabling the stand-in skipper, Andy Beattie, to score.

Bath weren't just cruising as half-time loomed, they were cruising for a bruising and the Treviso front row duly obliged. An altercation in a scrum on the Bath line saw the referee award a penalty try to the visitors and the two hookers sent to cool off in the sin bin. Without this referee's intervention Treviso would have been shut out which clearly demonstrates Bath's domination.

Three more tries in the second half, from Fidler, Lipman and Bell secured the priceless bonus point but the pick of the three had to be Rob Fidlers'. He grabbed a bobbling ball which had shot out of a ruck and ran forward. Normally Fids would expect to run in to a defender or two, he may even seek out a defender or two to run in to. But this time, as Fidler ran forward, the God of rugby looked down from on high, pointed at the Treviso defence and it parted like the Red Sea. Rob "Moses" Fidler ran through, with a hint of a dipped shoulder as well methinks, and scored. The crowd roared there approval: he may be Glawster born and bred but he's definitely an honorary son of Bath.

This was a marvellous victory for a patched up team and everyone involve can be rightly proud. The bonus point has taken Bath to second place and still in with a shout. The one player from Treviso who can go home with his reputation intact is Brendan Williams. If ever I saw a dead ringer for Jason Robinson it was this bloke: what speed, what feet, what skill!

Bring on the Quins, we're in the mood for Cup rugby!!

 

 

Bath: Barkley, Higgins, Crockett, Davey, Daniel, Malone, Walshe, Barnes, Mears, Stevens, Hudson, Fidler, Beattie, Lipman, Lewis.
Replacements: Baxter for Davey (54), Scaysbrook for Walshe (61), Ovens for Barnes (73), Bell for Stevens (73), Borthwick for Fidler (61), Ward for Beattie (71).

Treviso: Williams, Visentin, Pozzebon, Goosen, Canale, Smith, Troncon, Faliva, Ongaro, Costanzo, Klerck, Gritti, Pavanello, Orlando, Palmer.
Replacements: Legg for Visentin (60), Picone for Pozzebon (47), Sbaraglini for Faliva (67), Mauro for Costanzo (40), Parisse for Gritti (47), Dal Maso for Palmer (67).
Not Used: Tejeda.

Ref: Franck Maciello (France)