Banahan shows Bath what they’ll be missing
WHAT a way to finish! Matt Banahan didn’t quite bring the house down at The Rec on his 264th and final appearance for Bath, but he did get the capacity crowd on their feet as he signedoff with a hat-trick.
And he was only inches short of picking up the fourth try that would have taken his Bath tally to 100 with 36 seconds left to go in his amazing 12-year career at the club. The TMO and referee decided it was no try and the last laugh went to London Irish with their third try to round off their relegation campaign on a positive note.
While the emotional send-off for the 16-cap Banahan dominated the day, the most important factor was that Bath picked up the bonus-point and moved into sixth place in the Premiership table to secure Champions Cup rugby next season.
The bonus they needed was picked up in half-anhour and they ended the game with nine tries in all. Results went well for them elsewhere and by overtaking Gloucester, next week’s Challenge Cup finalists, it means there will be seven Premiership sides in the top-tier of Europe next season.
“That’s the best way to end your career – going out at the top with a hat-trick,” said Bath director of rugby, Todd Blackadder, of Banahan’s final fling. “We are really proud of what he has done for the club over an amazing 12-year career, and his family should be proud of him as well.”
Declan Kidney decided to give some of his younger players a chance to taste Premiership rugby before they head back into the Championship. His hope is that they will have enjoyed their brief flirtation with the top flight and will work even harder over the next year to secure a return.
They opened brightly, but then conceded a turnover on their 10 metre line. Bath took full advantage and Banahan and Coopper Vuna combined to clear a path to the line for Taulupe Faletau to celebrate signing his new contract earlier in the week.
That try came after three minutes and Vuna was next to score, picking up at the base of a ruck two metres out. Then came a trademark Banahan charge as he took a crash ball from a five metre scrum and went over the line with three players hanging off him.
Even though they were down to 14 men with Matt Garvey in the sin-bin for persistent infringement, there was simply no stopping the home hero. Moments later, his cocentre, James Wilson, did exactly the same thing to bring up the bonus-point.
The fifth and final try of the first-half came courtesy of some neat footwork wide out by the lock Elliott Stooke. Rhys Priestland brought the half to a close with his fifth conversion to make it 35-0.
The Irish held their line for the opening 12 minutes of the second half, but then it was business as usual. Banahan joined the forwards to grab two more tries to take him to 99 in his career, Wilson got a second and Will Vaughan got his first taste of scoring after coming off the bench.
To their credit, Irish picked up two tries from back row man Josh McNally and grabbed another from wing Ben Loader. As ever, though, this season, it was too little, too late.