Hayes shines in derby drubbing

Even among hardened Bath supporters, there was an air of gloom at the Recreation Ground after this most one-sided of derbies.

Bath may have moved firmly back into Guinness Premiership play-off contention with a clinical six-try demolition of a condemned Bristol side, but the depressing realisation that this might be the last derby for years hung over the old place.

Bristol remain 12 points behind Worcester at the bottom of the table, but now have just six matches – four of which are against either Leicester or Wasps – to save their top-flight status.

It was not that Bristol lacked spirit or fight.

They competed fiercely for the opening 40 minutes and caused Steve Meehan's men more problems than most teams have this season.

Bristol led 8-7 after half-an-hour and tackled ferociously as they limited their hosts to two hard-fought first-half tries.

The second half, however, was brutal. Bristol made mistakes, left gaps, lost a bit of discipline – and Bath took full advantage, running in a further four tries to wrap up a comprehensive victory.

But if Paul Hull, Bristol's new head coach, was seeking positives, he did not have to look too far. While his players clearly lacked the class displayed by their title-chasing neighbours, enough of his men showed the required commitment and hinted at a willingness to take on a more adventurous style of attack.

No player summed up the positive side of Bristol's effort more than debutant Ollie Hayes.

The 18-year-old Academy hooker, who was only called into the first-team squad last Wednesday, was named on the bench on the morning of the match when Mark Regan admitted defeat in his battle to recover from a calf strain.

And when David Blaney was injured after 19 minutes, the Bathonian teenager was sent into action against his former club. Some of his early line-out throws may have gone awry, but he never once lost heart and, encouraged by the senior men around him, competed proudly until the end.

And while most young players may celebrate their first-team debut, regardless of the scoreline, with a strangely-coloured pint and a sing-song, Hayes had a very different evening.

"I still can't believe it really," he said. "And now I've got to go to work. I work in a burger shop, Mr D's, in Bath and I'm off there now. I'll probably get a bit of stick from some Bath supporters, but I don't mind. I'll remember this day for the rest of my life."

As well as striving to become a professional rugby player, the teenager also studies stonemasonry at college – and is now eager to build on his senior Bristol debut.

"It's pretty difficult combining college, work and rugby, but it's good and I'm enjoying it," he said.

"Despite the result, it was really good out there and you learn from your mistakes, so hopefully I will get another shot before the end of the season.

"Bath are my old team, I live in Bath and my nan's a big supporter of Bath, so she wasn't on my side! For me, there was no better place I could have made my debut, and even though I made mistakes, I know that's how you learn.

"I struggled with a few of the line-outs and I got smashed a couple of times, but I enjoyed it – it was the biggest game of my life."

Bristol were 7-5 down and defending gallantly when Hayes was summoned from the bench, Joe Maddock having given Bath the lead with a wonderful solo try on his 100th appearance for the club, before Lee Robinson raced onto Shaun Perry's clever kick through to stun the home supporters.

Ed Barnes' penalty then gave Bristol the lead, only for Butch James to kick Bath back in front after Shontayne Hape's winding run had pierced a hole in the visitors' defence.

Bristol looked as though they would be heading into half-time with a two-point deficit until the irrepressible Maddock, arguably one of the finest backs in the Premiership, struck again.

Andrew Higgins almost got to the line, only to be tackled just short by Perry, and Maddock arrived on the scene in time to take over and ground the ball in the corner. When James converted from the touchline, Bath led 17-8.

While the first half had been a competitive affair, the second was a gross mismatch.

Barnes missed a penalty for Bristol with the sides still separated by nine points, before the home side worked through the gears and displayed the ruthless streak which marks them out as genuine title contenders.

Robinson knocked on in midfield, offering Bath the opportunity to counter – and after their forwards had moved play on, James chipped through for Alex Crockett to grab his first try of the season.

The bonus point arrived via a penalty try, awarded after Darren Crompton was judged to have stood up on a reset five-metre scrum, while Bristol were down to 14 men following Haydn Thomas' yellow card for killing the ball.

Replacement Daniel Browne then sliced between Hayes and Luke Arscott to add a fifth try following a turnover, before Nick Abendanon's break and pass set up Crockett for the sixth try.

There was still time for Robinson to see yellow for a dangerous tackle on Scott Bemand, and for debutant Bath hooker Mark Lilley to dislocate his finger when taking Premiership contact for the first time.