Bath secure vital comeback

Guinness Premiership 19/04/09
Newcastle 14, Bath 15

In form Bath had to come back from a two try deficit to spoil Newcastle’s final home game of the season, and did so securing their twelvth Guinness Premiership win. Owning most of the territory and possession throughout Sunday’s encounter it was a surprise to see the men from the Rec trail by such a margin. It was even more of a surprise however to see a Falcons side playing with the malice missed in their European exit only a week ago – a contrast as black and white as the team’s return to home colours following the loss at Vicarage Road.

Butch James failed to produce the kicking form that overwhelmed the Falcons side in the corresponding fixture a month ago, instead missing two simple penalty opportunities on a rare day of glorious North-East sunshine. Tom May was the first to pull a chance wide of the posts however, but could only be forgiven after his inside half Micky Young produced a performance worth savouring. Two moments of individual brilliance from Young helped give his Falcons side a fourteen point lead that would add insult to an injured James’ kicking game, which again continued with familiar inconsistency.

With a Falcons changing room said to involve a mix of emotions after the announcement that club captain Phil Dowson was on the move next season, the Northampton Saints player to be led his side like there was no tomorrow at Kingston Park. More power upfront was the most noticeable difference in the Falcons camp, even in the absence of Hayman, and as the youthful exuberance of Young shone through hard forward-graft, Newcastle began to turn lack of possession into a counter-attacking force to be reckoned with.

A hacked kick and chase from a loose ball, Young gathered and stepped inside before playing Danny Williams in with a kick rather than the sleight of hand, enabling the league convert to slide onto the ball, his momentum taking him away from the chasing defence and over the line for the score. Williams proving his desire for more tries in the thirteenth minute.

Bath continued to pursue the Falcons’ twenty-two. Frustration mounting, possession gained and then lost, the Bath game plan slowed almost to a stop. A boost then for the Falcons side to find themselves still ahead five minutes before the half, which was made sweeter as a quick tap and go from Young beat the retreating Bath pack and was finished with a dive for the line full of showman swagger.

After a day of contrast however, the Bath comeback was almost scripted. Changes from Bath director of rugby Stephen Meehan were made and proved dividend. Resilient Newcastle defence stood firm for 59 minutes only until a Bath quick tap and go forced its way past a normally reliable Jamie Noon. Bath’s Michael Claassens was the number nine this time to open the visitor’s account. A missed conversion from replacement fly-half Ryan Davis resumed the efforts of James from the first half, but he did make amends five minutes later converting another Bath try – centre Shontayne Hape going over in the corner.

14-12 still in the Falcons favour, but this wouldn’t last for long as 12 minutes from time new-comer Davis stole the game from the Falcons’ clutches, slotting a penalty neatly through the posts. Losing the two try cushion deservedly built in the first forty, Newcastle were left behind for the first time in the game, and after an immediate May penalty fell short of the posts, Bath found the gears to see out the win.

Bath were now the more organised. Replacement Rob Miller was introduced to increase the Newcastle speed of play, but the home support may believe a drop-goal opportunity was overlooked by the player in the side’s search for a five-pointer. A lowly point separated the sides at the final whistle, ironically a penalty kick making the difference. Territory and possession doesn’t tell a lie, and in this case it would be said Bath were deserved winners in an outstanding comeback that the Falcons may now look back on and ponder.