Bath lose again despite improved second half

BATH suffered a second defeat in two weeks as they went down 20-13 to the Newcastle Falcons at The Recreation Ground.

A lack of first-half discipline and attacking creativity cost them for the second week running as they found themselves down 20-3 at the halfway stage. However, it was not all doom and gloom for Stuart Hooper’s men, who showcased a promising young half back pairing.

The Blue, Black and Whites were given the chance to flex their defensive muscles early, defending on their own try-line for a sustained period, but the attacking pressure eventually proved too much as Falcons’ winger Adam Radwan put the visitors up by five.

Will Haydon-Wood extended the lead with a penalty minutes later, before Orlando Bailey responded with one of his own to put Bath on the board. After the responsibility of taking on the win-or-lose kick after the timer had gone dead last week, it would have be understandable if the 19-year-old had carried the disappointment, but he did no such thing, demonstrating a promising half-back pairing with fellow youngster Ollie Fox.

The Falcons, however, would widen the gap with a brace of tries in the final five minutes of the first half, with Iwan Stephens touching it down in the corner, before George McGuigan barrelled over

BATH ...................................13 NEWCASTLE FALCONS.. 20

just before the whistle. The first half also saw increasing injury problems for Hooper, with England international Sam Underhill being replaced in the opening minutes.

However, Bath came out of the blocks in the second half looking ambitious in attack, as Max Ojomoh proved the catalyst of the improvement. Bath’s patience was rewarded as the game reached its final ten minutes, as Ojomoh touched down for a try, before Bailey’s conversion set up a tense conclusion. However, the deficit proved too much. A late Bailey penalty earned bonus point.

Bath (3) 13 Newcastle (20) 20

Bath: Tries: Ojomoh. Cons: Bailey. Pens: Bailey 2. Bath: de Glanville, Rokoduguni, Joseph, Ojomoh, Muir, Bailey Fox, J. Schoeman, Dunn, Jonker, Williams, Ewels, Reid Underhill, Bayliss.

Replacements: Clark for Joseph (61), Green for Fox (61) Obano for J. Schoeman (41), Du Toit for Dunn (48) Rae for Jonker (41), Coetzee for Williams (53) Ellis for Underhill (10).

Not Used: Butt.

Sin Bin: Reid (52).

Newcastle: Tries: Radwan, Stephens, McGuigan. Cons: Haydon-Wood. Pens: Haydon-Wood. Newcastle: Penny, Radwan, Stevenson, Lucock, Stephens Haydon-Wood, Schreuder, Brocklebank, McGuigan, Palframan Peterson, Robinson, Van Der

Walt, Welch, Fearns.

Replacements: B. Connon for Haydon-Wood (50) Cooper for Brocklebank (66), Blamire for McGuigan (72) Tampin for Palframan (30), Fuser for Peterson (72) Graham for Fearns (61).

Not Used: Nordli-Kelemeti, Wacokecoke.

Sin Bin: Stephens (88).

Att: 12,569

Ref: Craig Maxwell-Keys (England).