Banahan bows out with berth in Champions Cup secured

Matt Banahan signed-off in style at Bath as he marked his final appearance after a 12-year stint at the club with a hat-trick of tries in a win that earned his team-mates a ticket into the Champions Cup next season.

That was the ultimate goal of the game against London Irish, the four tries needed to secure the vital bonus point coming up in the opening halfhour. After that it was party time.

The weather was perfect, the Rec was full and the fact the final game of the season was against an already relegated side made Banahan’s farewell a little less tense than many of his previous 263 games in Bath colours. The only shame was that he ended one try short of the century.

It was not for the want of trying, though. With 36 seconds left of his Bath career he went careering up the left touchline, picked himself up after being knocked down once and seemed to have reached the corner with two men on his back, only for the spoilsport TMO and referee to award a penalty against him.

“That’s the best way to end your career – going out at the top with a hattrick,” said Bath director of rugby, Todd Blackadder. “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.”

Irish’s last hurrah in the Premiership started brightly, but no sooner had they turned over the ball on their 10-metre line than Bath took advantage. The ball was swept wide and Taulupe Faletau loped over for the first try of the day with only three minutes gone.

Cooper Vuna was next to score, picking up at the base of a ruck two metres out. Then came the Banahan charge. Even though they were down to 14 men with Matt Garvey in the sin-bin, the Bath pack secured safe ball at a scrum five metres from the line and Kahn Fotuali’i picked out his 6ft 7in centre and over he went with three defenders on his back.

How the Bath fans loved that moment, and how they will miss Banahan when he moves on to Gloucester. Rhys Priestland maintained his 100 per cent conversion record off the kicking tee and he made it four out of four after 30 minutes when James Wilson followed Banahan’s example and powered over at the posts.

The fifth try, this time courtesy of some neat footwork out wide by the lock Elliott Stooke, brought the half to a close, albeit with another Priestland conversion that made 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.