Faletau demonstrated real quality – Hatley

BATH head coach Neal Hatley had fulsome praise for Taulupe Faletau on his farewell to a packed Rec – with two match-winning moments against London Irish.

Faletau made a stunning break from a restart, creating a try for Ben Spencer, and made a try-saving tackle three minutes from time to secure Bath – who trailed by ten points in the second half – a 27-24 comeback victory.

The Wales and British & Irish Lions number eight, who will join Cardiff during the summer, still has one last outing for his current club at Worcester, now propping up the Premiership table instead of Bath.

Hatley said: “Whether players were leaving or not, that was the result we wanted. It was special for Roko (Semesa Rokoduguni) and Toby (Faletau) and for Val Morozov and Max Clark.

“You see Toby make a 60-metre break for Ben’s try and then, with three minutes to go, make a tackle he’s no right to make. It just shows what a quality player he is and how much he puts in.”

London Irish were in control for much of the first half, as Hatley conceded: “We got a little loose in the first 25 minutes. We had talked all week about playing a much more structured game – and we didn’t.

“But I thought the leadership from Charlie (Ewels), Ben Spencer and Orlando Bailey to pull that

BATH RUGBY ................... 27 LONDON IRISH ............... 24

back and to play the game we wanted to play was great and, to end up with the result, I’m really pleased.”

Hatley is confident that fly-half Bailey can make his mark in the 36-man England squad announced last week by Eddie Jones, who was at the game.

“I’m not surprised Orlando is in the squad. He’s a young man, but he’s someone we trust implicitly. His understanding of how to manage a team and his forward pack, he’s getting better and better. In a tough season there have been a few bright sparks and he’s been one. We’re over the moon that he’s potentially got an opportunity to go to Australia with England.”

Bath: De Glanville; Rokoduguni, Joseph, Clark, Cokanasiga; Bailey, B Spencer; Morozov, Doughty, Stuart, Williams, Ewels, Reid, Underhill, Faletau. Not Used: Dunn for Doughty (43), Obano for Morozov (54), Richards for Williams (62), Muir for Cokanasiga (63). Not Uded: Fia, Coetzee, Simpson Cipriani.

Scorers – Tries: Williams, B Spencer, Muir. Cons: Bailey 3. Pens: Bailey 2.

Sin Bin: Ewels (5).

Irish: Parton; Rowe, Rona, Janse Van Rensburg,

Loader; Jackson, Phipps; Goodrick-Clarke, Creevy, Hoskins, Nott, Coleman, Donnell, Pearson, O’Brien. Replacements: Arundell for Parton (65), White for Phipps (61), Gigena for Goodrick-Clarke (63), Cornish for Creevy (53), van der Merwe for Hoskins (42),

Munga for Nott (63), Gonzalez for Donnell (41), Cunningham-South for O’Brien (68).

Scorers – Tries: Loader, Rowe, Creevy 2. Cons: Jackson 2.

Referee: Christophe Ridley (RFU).