The game was delicately(sic) poised on the hour at 16-12 to Bath when the home side was caught napping in defence. Bourgoin hacked the ball towards the Bath line, catching the defenders on the back foot. It looked as though Lee Best would touch down for safety, possibly giving away a five metre scrum, but instead the Bath full back scooped up the ball and drove forward through the attacking Frenchmen to clear the line. Within moments Bath were themselves on the attack through Davis and Barkley, with recent match entrant Michael Lipman joing in and managing a hitch-kick to shake off his tackler before getting the ball to Matt Stevens for the score. Had Lee Best opted for safety-first I'd bet my mortgage that Bath wouldn't have scored that try and so set up a platform for two more tries and the valuable winning bonus point.

Best had a fine game, running at every opportunity and looking assured under the high ball and it was his off-load to Steve Borthwick that set up the first try for Bath. Coach John Connelly will have the very enviable task of having to choose between Best and Matt Perry when the latter returns from injury. As things stand at present I'd have to opt for Best because he definitely offers a greater attacking option for the team whilst his defence is as sound as the legendary Bathonian.

The Bath backs have (rightly) taken a lot of criticism in recent years for their lack of adventure and invention but today I thought I saw them trying a game not seen in a Bath shirt for quite some time. Their game was played at pace, with quick hands and feet keeping the visitors on the back foot for much of the time. The fact that Bath were only leading by four points before the Stevens try indicates that despite everything the Bath backs tried, much of it didn't work as intended. However at least they were trying exciting moves and involving the wingers to a greater extent than previously this season. Frikkie Welsh didn't have to come searching for the ball, it was getting to him on the wing! Malone's passes were wide rangy efforts with both centres running at the ball, if I didn't know better I'd say the Bath backs were enjoying themselves.

I particularly enjoyed one central midfield link-up play involving Barkley, Malone and Wood and the sight of Martyn Wood tearing round the back of his centre midfield mates and getting a late pass to give him room for a dash up-field warmed these middle-aged cockles. I've never seen the little guy run so fast:  he looked so shocked that I momentarily glanced backwards to make sure there wasn't a big bloke with a shotgun chasing him!

Chris Malone took a knock and was replaced by Ryan Davis to cheer up those fans of the Barkley/Davis axis. I thought Malone played well today but there is no denying that Barkley and Davis create an extra pace which has the capacity to set the Bath backline on fire. It will take some time to make full use of this weapon because our lads are too used to a defensive approach and therefore they have to rearrange their minds, hands and feet. When it comes off, boy it will be thrilling!

The game started with Bath playing a little too tentatively and Bourgoin looking very assured and the first half appeared as though it would be a game of swapped penalties until Borthwick scored. The referee was, in my opinion, a little to fussy and too quick with his whistle and there was a real danger that he would spoil the game. He also failed to control Bourgoin's constant offside infringements and this proved very frustrating, perhaps more so for the onlooking supporters than the players: it took over 30 minutes for the Yellow Card to be shown to Bourgoin.  However, as we have come to expect, the Bath forwards slowly squeezed the life out of the Bourgoin Eight and a big cheer reverberated around the Rec when Michael Lipman joined the game, thus strengthening the depth of the Bath pack even more. Add to Lippy's return, the fact that Delve and Zac make a great rotation at the back of the scrum and, with James Hudson's ability to replace Steve Borthwick without a blink of a blue, black and white eye, things are looking good for Bath.

Funniest moment of the day? The ref getting smacked in the stomach by a clearance kick from Bourgoin. That'll teach the fussy so and so for straying too close to play!

This was a great afternoon's sport and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Thanks Bath, well done! Played two, won two and a winning bonus point: sounds good doesn't it.

Bath: Best; Finau, Cheeseman, Barkley, Welsh; Malone, Wood; Stevens, Mears, Bell; Borthwick, Grewcock; Beattie, Scaysbrook, Delve.
Replacements: Williams for Best (79), Davis for Malone (49), Dixon for Mears (68), Loader for Bell (79), Hudson for Borthwick (75), Lipman for Beattie (60), Fea'unati for Delve (58).

Bourgoin: Peclier; Janin, Davis, Coux, Carmona; Boyet, M. Forest; Milloud, Cabello, Peyron; Pierre, Del-Fava; Diotallevi Baluc-Rittener, Jooste.
Replacements: A. Forest for Peclier (63), Giorgadze for Coux (63), Cardinali for Peyron (54), Mazel for Del-Fava (54), Monzeglio for Baluc-Rittener (54).
Not Used: Montagnat, Campeggia.

Sin Bin: Coux (33).

Ref: Nigel Owens (WRFU).

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