Bath v Gloucester: Five takeaways as hosts bale Barbeary out after astonishing brain freeze moment
Alfie Barbeary in action for Bath v Gloucester and Max Ojomoh celebrating try in Premiership clash.
Following a 42-26 victory for Bath against Gloucester in the Gallagher Premiership, here are our five takeaways from Sunday’s West Country derby at the Rec.
The top line
Alfie Barbeary had his blushes spared as Bath overcame a moment of madness from their number eight to beat Gloucester and move six points clear at the top of the table.
In an astonishing moment, Bath’s big-haired forward gifted the visitors a try by kicking the ball dead with what he wrongly thought was the final play of the half. There was in fact 30 seconds left and Gloucester immediately scored.
George Barton’s try reduced the deficit to two points and, to Barbeary’s horror, despite losing Christian Wade to the sin bin the Cherry and Whites were firmly in the game until the final quarter.
It was then Will Stuart, coming off a stunning Six Nations campaign with England, scored the home side’s fifth try before Sam Underhill marked his return from surgery off the bench with the clincher.
The win puts last season’s beaten Premiership finalists 15 points clear of fifth place with just six rounds of the regular season to go.
Oh Alfie, what have you done?
Barbeary had already raised eyebrows with a tap-and-go followed by an attempted chip and chase kick in the first five minutes which wasted Bath’s first attacking opportunity.
But that was nothing compared to the 40th minute when he fielded the ball, turned towards his own posts and kicked it dead. Sitting in the changing room after Barton’s subsequent try, the back-row star appeared to be blanked by Bath director of rugby Johann van Graan.
“Someone had just called before that, ‘last play’,” protested Barbeary later. “We can all laugh about it now but I got stitched up with that call. I had to do something after that. I couldn’t leave that being the last thing I did.”
Of Van Graan’s half-time reaction, Barbeary denied being cold-shouldered. “He actually gave me a little wink,” he claimed, a little unconvincingly. “He said: ‘Put it behind you’.”
Confidence born of trophy win
Treble-chasing Bath came into the game on a high after a Premiership Rugby Cup final triumph a week ago which gave the club its first major trophy for 17 years.
As Northampton, who edged them in last season’s Premiership final, go from bad to worse in the league, the Blue, Black and Whites demonstrate an ever firmer resolve to go one better this term.
Inspired by man of the match Guy Pepper, Bath raced to their four-try bonus-point in 36 minutes through Pepper, Max Ojomoh, Thomas du Toit and Finn Russell.
It was then Will Muir, back in the side after recovering from a hamstring injury, produced the single moment which defined their total commitment.
Gloucester had scored under the posts and Santi Carreras, who moves to the Rec next season, lined up the simple conversion. To his horror, ‘Horse’ galloped so fast towards him that he charged down the attempt.
Finn Russell v Santi Carreras
All eyes were on the clash of the playmakers and, other than his embarrassing charge-down, Carreras had a lovely game – the master of the counter-attack.
Russell, however, matched him and more, turning down three-pointers to attack at every opportunity. He put Ojomoh in with a sumptuous pass round the back, scored himself from a quick tap and produced a sublime 50:22 to dispirit Gloucester late on.
“He’s one of the very best that I’ve coached,” said delighted boss Van Graan.
Lessons learned from first meeting
When these sides met in October at Kingsholm, Gloucester led 21-10 and looked a million dollars going forward but spectacularly blew their victory chance by leaving not only the back door open but every window too.
Stung by the memory of what ended up as a 55-31 rout, the Cherry and Whites made the 40-mile trip south with a determination to contest every minute and every point.
They showed it in Jack Clement’s early try, a wondrous counter-attack sparked by Carreras and involving Barton, and a beautiful pass from Afo Fasogbon for the flanker to complete the 80-metre move.
Chris Harris and Ruan Ackermann then combined powerfully to put Tomos Williams in for their second on the half-hour and, despite the shock of Carreras’ blocked conversion, Gloucester won the restart and scored again through Seb Blake.
When Barton scored from Barbeary’s brain freeze, the visitors had a first half bonus-point in the bag. Yet perhaps most heartening for boss George Skivington was the way his side defended in the third quarter.
With Wade harshly sin-binned and Barbeary on a one-man mission to make amends, Gloucester could have been blown away. Instead they tackled as if their lives depended on it and did themselves enormous credit.
Ultimately, it still wasn’t enough. Bath ground out the win and with the regular season finish line coming into view, look ever more likely to advance to the post-season as top seeds. That they are the class acts of the league to date is not up for debate.
