Bath v Bristol: Five takeaways as ‘anchor’ Ollie Lawrence revels in ‘slapstick theatre’ against ‘patched-up’ visitors

James While
Bath v Bristol: Five takeaways as ‘anchor’ Ollie Lawrence revels in ‘slapstick theatre’ against ‘patched-up’ visitors

Ollie Lawrence was immense for Bath in their win over Bristol, led by Fitz Harding, inset

Following a 40-15 victory for Bath over Bristol on Saturday, here are our five takeaways from the PREM Rugby clash at The Rec.

The top line

Bath’s win over Bristol was shaped by rhythm, or more accurately, the restoration of it in an impressive close-out to a quite madcap match that lasted some 92 minutes, a timeless test in everything but name.

The first half was chaos: wind, charge downs and a ball that refused to behave. But once Bath found their footing, the game tilted.

Missing a host of starters, including AJ MacGinty, Harry Randall, Rich Lane and Gabriel Ibitoye, Bristol leaned on system and spirit and for 30 minutes, it worked as they pushed Bath as hard as their injury list allowed.

Guy Pepper opened Bath’s account with a sharp line and a finish full of intent. Ollie Lawrence, who could have had a hat-trick, powered over for one and threatened throughout.

Cameron Redpath added another, and Joe Cokanasiga finished a sweeping move sparked by Finn Russell’s cross-field kick, a moment of Test-class clarity in the howling winds.

Bath’s bench made a big difference after the initial platforms set by their pack – in particular, their back row. Will Stuart anchored the scrum. Sam Underhill brought defensive bite. Alfie Barbeary carried with venom as the final quarter belonged to the home team, not just in scoreboard terms but in control.

It was an ill-tempered day that ended in unedifying scraps, with blood pressures flaring and structure abandoned. The officials had a chaotic afternoon, struggling to impose order into their warring charges as the wind, the tempo and the players all conspired against clarity.

It was one that ended in near farce as Henry Arundell went the length of the pitch to add a rather unfair hammer blow to the spirited Bristol effort.

It was not perfect, but it was decisive. Bath absorbed the chaos, then imposed their shape. Bristol fought hard, committed brilliantly, but Bath finished and took the points.

Wind, wreckage and wry smiles

Crowded House’s Kiwi tunesmith Neil Finn is said to be a great fan of rugby and in the first half, this west country derby truly gave us Four Seasons in One Day. It was rugby rewritten by the elements, with just as much melody as the great songwriter himself.

The Rec became a stage for slapstick theatre, with gusts so violent they turned tactical kicking into a game of roulette. Usually the conductor, the other Finn – Russell – was reduced to a wind-blown soloist; charged down four times and twice launching kicks that ended up behind him.

Yes, you read right, behind him! It was like watching a golfer tee off at Royal Troon only to see the ball land in the car park.

Bath’s shape collapsed early as lineouts became guesswork and kick after kick received charge downs courtesy of the wonderful pressure exerted by the Bears centres.

But Bristol’s maul defence was a paper boat in a storm; the ball moved like it had a vendetta; hanging, veering, then darting sideways like a rogue frisbee. Players laughed mid-phase and coaches stopped gesturing. Even The Rec faithful gave up trying to predict anything.

And yet the comedy had bite. Pepper’s try was a punchline delivered with venom. Lawrence ran like he was chasing a hat blown off in the wind and Redpath’s finish was instinctive brilliance in a period that defied logic as he managed to slide under the headwinds into the corner.

This wasn’t so much rugby as the Prem wants to market it; it was rugby as nature mocked it. And Finn? He kept trying. Swinging, kicking, smiling. Even when the wind swung back harder.

It was chaos, yes, but the kind that makes you grin. A match where rugby met farce, and there were moments where farce won on points.

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Lawrence, Russell find their rhythm

After a first half that resembled a wind-blown training session, Bath’s international class took over in the second.

Russell, who spent the opening forty being charged down like a man playing rugby in a phone box, finally found his groove and his vision. His cross-field kick for Cokanasiga’s try was pure theatre; flat, fizzed, and perfectly judged against a wind that had mocked him all afternoon.

Player of the match Lawrence, playing at 13, was Bath’s midfield anchor. He could have had two more tries – one held up, one just short, one chalked off – but his lines, footwork, and ability to beat defenders in traffic gave Bath momentum when the game was still in the balance.

Lawrence was central to Bath’s attacking ambition, especially once the game settled into something resembling structure. He finished with 121 metres gained, the most of any player on the pitch, and beat eight defenders with a mix of power and footwork that Bristol simply couldn’t contain.

His 12 carries weren’t just volume; they asked questions and each one dragged Bath forward, each one asked questions of the Bristol defence. With England’s midfield still unsettled, Lawrence may well find himself wearing 12 against Australia. He has got the power, the timing, and the defensive edge to make it work.

Bath’s bench added the final layer. Stuart brought scrum stability and breakdown bite. Underhill, fresh and firing, delivered a trademark turnover and defensive clarity. Barbeary, all energy and intent, carried like a man who had been waiting all week to hit something.

This was a reminder that Bath’s spine is built on Test pedigree. Russell and Lawrence didn’t just play well in that second half period, more so, they led the charge. And with the bench firing, Bath look like a side with depth, clarity, and serious ambition, despite an inconsistent start to this season’s campaign.

Bristol’s patchwork effort

Bristol arrived at The Rec with a squad list that looked more like a physio’s clipboard than a matchday 23. No MacGinty, Randall, Lane, Williams, Ibitoye, LRZ… and that’s just the backs. Yet for long stretches, and to their credit, they made Bath sweat.

Skipper Fitz Harding led with bite and was absolutely relentless. Thirty-two tackles in a single match was absurd; it’s the kind of number that makes you check the stat sheet twice and a third time just for good measure.

In a game full of chaos and broken play, Harding was Bristol’s metronome, tackling everything that moved and he is another outstanding back-rower in England’s bulging cupboard of great flank options.

Matias Moroni slotted in seamlessly alongside Benhard Janse van Rensburg, and the Bears’ defensive shape held longer and applied a lot more pressure than expected. The scoreboard didn’t flatter them, but the performance had substance.

Sam Worsley, handed the No.10 shirt in a windstorm, looked like the only man who had packed a compass as he game-managed with clarity beyond his years, whilst his opposite number Russell was launching kicks into the ether and watching them land behind him.

Worsley didn’t just cope, more so he adapted and England selectors should be circling this fine young talent, even if it’s initially at A level.

Behind him, Benjamin Elizalde continued his impact at full-back. In broken field, he was electric; gliding through traffic, stepping off both feet, and turning defensive scraps into attacking platforms.

He didn’t get the headlines, but he gave Bristol shape when the game was unstructured and he looks to be another outstanding Pat Lam signing, adding to the Argentinian influence that’s benefitting the Prem this season.

This wasn’t a win for Lam’s men, but it wasn’t a white flag either. Bristol’s patched-up side gave Bath a proper contest and Worsley, Moroni and Elizalde gave The Rec a fine response to the usual local derby pressure.

Piano pushers in a hurricane

On a day when the rugby resembled a weather experiment, Pepper and Miles Reid were at the heart of the Bath effort, especially in the madcap first half, as they imposed wet-weather skills with great rugby intellect.

This was a match for the piano pushers of the back row, and Bath’s duo played with grit, humour and a touch of menace.

Pepper was everywhere and had a hand in the Redpath try as well as his own. He made 21 tackles and scored Bath’s opening try, combining with Reid with a line that split Bristol like an ice axe.

His timing couldn’t be better; with England selection looming, this was a performance that screamed readiness for test rugby. In the wind, in the chaos, he was the one constant performer of excellence in the Blue, Black and White.

Reid, too, was immense. 17 tackles, no misses, and a carrying game that gave Bath shape when the ball refused to behave. He has been ignored too long as a genuine option at No.8.

England have flirted with hybrids and headline acts, but Reid is the kind of player Springbok coaches would pick without blinking; no fuss, no frills, just impact and it’s time he was given his chance for greater honours, despite a little knock on that saw a Lawrence try chalked off.

Together, they anchored Bath’s defensive spine and gave Russell the freedom to keep swinging, even when the wind swung back. In short, they stabilised it Bath and, in a match where the ball moved like a balloon in a gale, Pepper and Reid were the sandbags.

If England are serious about winning collisions in November, they would do well to start here with these two fantastically talented players.

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