Bath player ratings: Bomb Squad ‘predictably’ explodes as sensational Santi ‘steals the show’ and England snubs shine to thump Harlequins
Santi Carreras and an inset of Joe Cokanasiga.
Following Bath’s comprehensive 48-15 thumping of Harlequins, here’s how we rated Johann van Graan’s charges in the PREM Rugby victory at The Rec.
Bath player ratings v Harlequins
15 Santi Carreras: The star of the show as the Los Pumas magician weaved his magic to tear Harlequins to shreds. He opened the scoring by picking a telegraphed Jarrod Evans pass to sprint away and then doubled his tally with a stunning dummy that bamboozled the entire Quins’ defence. Furthermore, he gained 100 metres more than any other player on the pitch, beating six defenders for good measure. 9
14 Joe Cokanasiga: A strong, strong performance, winning a kick-off which led to a try while he consistently made inroads behind the Quins’ defence when carrying to the line. He also landed some great hits on defence, showing that he is capable of that after a below-par attempt on Kieran Treadwell. 7
13 Ollie Lawrence: The fulcrum and focal point of Bath’s victory. He battered over the gain line with regular success and his distribution was solid, even though it was plainly obvious that he was carrying a hand injury after a collision in the first half. Everything good the Bath backline did came off the back of Lawrence’s battering runs. 8
12 Max Ojomoh: Some hit and miss moments throughout the 80 minutes but certainly more of the former as he combined wonderfully with Lawrence and co to unpick the Quins’ defence at will. 6
11 Henry Arundell: Brutally shunted to the deck by Chandler Cunningham-South in a real mismatch, while he saw very little ball come his way in attack. More of an uneventful outing than a poor one, as he largely chased high balls. 5
10 Finn Russell: One of the names called ashore by Van Graan when Bath were comfortably ahead and in control of the match and much of that was his doing. He brought his usual fizz in his distribution, while his line kicking put his side in striking distance multiple times. He played more of a conducting role than a starring one, which was effective, with the only major stain on his performance being a poor tackle attempt on Bryn Bradley. 7
9 Tom Carr Smith: Took over from club captain Ben Spencer and barely missed a beat in a stunning showing. He provided Russell with clean, swift service throughout his 53 minutes and ran great support lines, one of which led to a try. 8
The forward pack
8 Alfie Barbeary: Conceded a daft turnover when carrying the ball one-handed but that was about all he did wrong all game. It wasn’t as box-office as he has produced in recent matches but it was a committed, effective and efficient shift. Had he stuck to dovetailing as hooker, perhaps he would be getting an overdue England call-up but he is still making a good fist of it as a back-rower. 7
7 Guy Pepper: Always a crucial cog in Bath’s efforts and was duly rewarded with a try before he departed after the hour mark. One of the pack’s busiest carriers and tacklers as per usual, and part of a forward unit that dominated the collisions. 8
6 Ted Hill: A quiet shift from the blindside flanker but that’s not always a bad thing as was one of the many Bath forwards who just went about his work with real efficiency. 6
5 Charlie Ewels: Ran Bath’s lineout rather well, which was a rich source of tries, while he stayed on the right side of the referee’s whistle. An aggressive carrier when needed and always willing into stick a shoulder into a carrier. A tidy 53 minutes. 7
4 Ewan Richards: Has found a route into the team via the second row, despite being primarily a loose forward, but he ticked the boxes as a lock, making his tackles, winning lineout ball and hitting rucks. His athleticism helped Bath be rapid in attack and he benefited with a five-pointer of his own. Just adds another layer to Bath’s already ridiculous depth. 7
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3 Vilikesa Sela: Put under the pump somewhat in the scrums but largely held his own enough that it was not detrimental to Bath’s cause. The England hopeful did make his presence known around the park with some hefty hits on defence and gained a handy 15 metres with his carries. 6
2 Tom Dunn: No fuss, no frills, just got the job done. Considering England’s hooker injury crisis, Steve Borthwick could do a lot worse than Dunn, who always gets his job done and done well. Got his customary try at the back of a maul before Dan Frost came on. 7
1 Scott Kirk: Had a harsh penalty go against him in the scrum but, like with his propping partner, it didn’t matter much at all. Impressed in attack when he carried to the line but has a deft touch for a front rower too. 6
Replacements: Rather predictably, the Bath Bomb Squad came on and had a huge influence on the match. South African props Francois van Wyk and Thomas du Toit gained real parity at scrum time, shifting Quins’ front row into reverse, and they were ably assisted by Frost. The trio were just as powerful in the carries and on defence. Ross Molony and Miles Reid brought work rate and accuracy with Quins starting to tire while Josh Bayliss scored another blinder. Louie Hennessey was solid as ever while Bernard van der Linde completed the romp with a try at the end after being denied earlier. 9