Five-try Bath secure first home win

BATH claimed their third win in four Guinness Premiership matches with an assured five-try performance against Worcester at the Rec.

Last season’s beaten semi-finalists secured their first try-scoring bonus point of the new term in the process, with  Nick Abendanon, Joe Maddock, Duncan Bell, Michael Lipman and Shaun Berne all crossing in a comprehensive victory.

Butch James contributed 12 points with the boot as Bath built on their previous result – a 20-16 win at London Irish – and recorded their first home win of the new season.

After falling behind to an early Loki Crichton penalty, Bath soon levelled through James.

And in their first meaningful attack of the match, the home side conjured the first try, Abendanon going over at the end of an excellent team move.

The move started deep inside Bath territory, and they passed the ball with speed and accuracy to set up Maddock down the right.

When he was tackled, he found Michael Claassens, who in turn set up Justin Harrison – and the Australian lock sent Abendanon through a gap to score.

James converted to give Bath a 10-3 lead – and within a minute they were 17-3 up.

Jack Cuthbert’s tackle on Chris Pennell set the tone, Bath secured turnover ball and worked the play wide to Maddock, who finished expertly.

A Crichton penalty made it 17-6, before James – who missed all five kicks at goal in his previous home match against Gloucester – landed his fourth from five attempts to nudge his side back into a 14-point lead.

The penalty came after Dale Rasmussen prevented Bath from releasing the ball quickly at a ruck and was sent to the sin-bin.

But Worcester ended the half on top, with Pennell’s 50-metre penalty bringing them back to within 11 points at the interval.

That deficit was reduced to eight points shortly after half-time, thanks to a third Crichton penalty – before the stand-in fly-half missed a relatively routine effort which would have brought his side back to within five points.

But Bath strengthened their grip on the match when Bell capped off another fantastic team move to score his side’s third try.

Crichton kicked down-field and into the arms of James, who instantly set off on a counter-attack.

He passed to Shaun Berne, who found Maddock, and the winger in turn passed to skipper Lipman. Prop Bell provided the unlikely decoy outside – and Lipman sent the tighthead through to score the sixth try of his 117-game Bath career.

Worcester hit back when Netani Talei offloaded out of a tackle for Pennell to run in a try from 40 metres. Crichton’s conversion made it 25-19 to give Bath some concern.

But almost instantly, the home side were back in control – and had secured a bonus point when Lipman capitalised on hesitancy in the visiting defence to saunter through and score his side’s fourth try of the afternoon.

And Berne wrapped up the victory when he dummied his way to the line after taking Eliota Fuimaono’s pass to round off another impressive team move.

Bath: N Abendanon; J Maddock, A Crockett (E Fuimaono 80), S Berne, J Cuthbert (M Stephenson 80); B James, M Claassens (S Bemand 80); D Flatman (D Barnes 41), L Mears (P Dixon 63), M Stevens (D Bell 62), J Harrison, P Short, S Hooper, M Lipman (capt), J Fa’amatuainu (J Scaysbrook 80).

Scorers: Tries – Abendanon, Maddock, Bell, Lipman, Berne. Cons – James (3). Pen – James (2).

Worcester: C Latham; C Pennell, D Rasmussen, S Tuitupou, M Benjamin; L Crichton (J Carlisle 80), R Powell (B Jones 68); M Mullan, A Lutui (C Fortey 58), T Taumoepeau (C Horsman 58), G Rawlinson (capt; G Kitchener 63), C Gillies, K Horstmann, T Wood (M Cox 72), N Talei. Rep not used: C Fellows.

Scorers: Pens – Crichton (3), Pennell.

Sin-binned: Rasmussen (36-42, preventing release).

Ref: R Debney. Att: 10,600.