Rhys breaks kicking record
Records really matter when you achieve something.
If Bath had lost to Northampton Saints, Rhys Priestland’s record breaking string of successful kicks would have been a nice footnote.
But the 50-cap Welsh international hit the nail on the head when he outlined the importance of his dead eye accuracy in front of goal, saying: “If I had missed one today we wouldn’t have won the game.”
Priestland surpassed two kicking greats from the history of Premiership Rugby, Newcastle Falcons’ Jonny Wilkinson and Wasps’ Mark van Gisbergen, when he landed his 29th consecutive kick in a run of success dating back to November 21.
His 30th, 31st and 32nd kick helped Bath come back from being 16 points down in the first half to win 23-22 on Sunday, following up a 78th minute effort back at The Rec the previous week to beat West Country rivals Gloucester 16-14.
Goal kickers win and lose tight games, as Saints found to their misfortune.
Two tries from Zach Mercer and the 13 points from Priestland’s boot secured the victory despite a brace of tries from scrum-half Tom James and a score from full-back Tommy Freeman, along with seven points from the boot of Piers Francis.
However crucially Francis missed his first kick of the match which eventually cost his side the game.
At the final whistle, a pumped Priestland said: “I think that is one of the best wins I have ever been involved in.
“From where we came from in terms of them being on top of us at the start of the game, I have been involved in teams in the past, Bath teams as well, where we would have crumbled but we stuck to our system.
“We could easily have gone outside of that and gone chasing the game in the first half but it just shows when everyone is on script how good we can be because that is a good Saints team that is.”
After winning the Premiership Golden Boot last season, Priestland, who will leave Bath at the end of the season for Cardiff Blues, reflected on what the new kicking record means to him.
Having taken over the captaincy following a failed HIA for Josh Bayliss in the first half his answer typifies the former international’s character.
“I would have given the record up for the win today,” the Welshman said.
“I know you expect me to say that but I genuinely would. I am pleased to get it because it shows how hard I work on it, kicking is not something that came easy to me.
“At the start of my career my kicking probably cost teams I played for so it is good for me to knock them over now and keep building points and if I had missed on today we wouldn’t have won the game.”