Rugby Union: Swift's turn of foot lifts Bath

Bath. . .18

Bristol .l9

ONLY 20 years ago Bath represented an easy day out for the top teams, but for the past decade they have shown an overpowering commitment to championship-winning rugby with a balanced style. A once sedate team are a perennial phenomenon who regularly put to shame the leading sides from London and the Midlands. But their problem now lies in the question of whether there is life after Stuart Barnes, or perhaps more importantly, Jack Rowell, who is now attempting to conquer lusher fields. On yesterday's evidence it appears that the template is being enthusiastically followed and that they are still hard to beat.

It was the first league match to be televised by Sky Television under the new pounds 7m deal with the Rugby Football Union. Paradoxically Nigel Starmer- Smith was also there to commentate off the Sky pictures for today's Rugby Special; to add spice, the referee was wired for sound to the commentators.

The Bristol captain Derek Eves's assertion that the Bath pack were afraid of the Bristol forwards was scarcely borne out, for there was little question that Bath had the better of affairs. They were more organised and composed in their forward drives and more able and willing to stretch the ball to the backs. But their pressure brought them just one penalty goal by Jonathan Callard in the first half, after nine minutes, when Bristol persistently dropped a scrum.

Gradually Bristol grafted their way back into the game and equalised with a penalty goal by Mark Tainton when Andy Robinson got on the wrong side of a ruck. This and a dangerous break by Kyran Bracken, Bristol's best player, together with a forceful run by Paul Hull, began to revive Bristol's confidence, and at half- time it was 3-3 and anybody's game in what so far had been a turgid match of continuous abortive forward drives, so typical of the battering-ram rugby provided by the recent law changes. This and the constant blowing of the referee's whistle, all interspersed by a little kicking up in the air, made it a disappointing derby match.

Early in the second half Bristol created a glorious opportunity when Bracken spread the ball beautifully and the centre Mark Denney, with men outside him, attempted to break the mould and go for a try when he had men to spare, but failed disastrously.

Bath then went ahead with another penalty by Callard for a front-row offence, and Victor Ubogu returned the compliment by boring in on his opposite number and Tainton again levelled the score with a penalty.

It seemed perhaps fitting that the first try of the game at the three-quarter stage was a penalty try converted by Callard when Bristol collapsed a scrum to prevent a pushover, for it looked the only way that either side would score a try. Tainton then kicked a penalty goal for the visitors.

However, just as one began to believe that there were more thrills on the adjoining croquet lawns and that Sky Television could be forgiven for believing that they had bought another pup, Bath, as is their wont, came with a terrific surge and produced a splendid try when Tony Swift slipped the ball to Mike Catt, who ran well before going inside to the ubiquitous Swift, a great Bath servant if ever there was one, who put Audley Lumsden over for the clinching touchdown.

Bristol were left to rue the fact that they are yet to beat Bath in the League after nine encounters.

Bath: J Callard; T Swift, P De Glanville, A Lumsden, A Adebayo; M Catt, I Saunders; D Hilton, G Dawe, V Ubogu, A Reed, N Redman, A Robinson, B Clarke, J Hall (capt).

Bristol: P Hull; D John, M Denney, D Wring, G Sharpe; M Tainton, K Bracken; A Sharp, M Regan, D Hinkins, S Shaw, A Blackmore, B Armstrong, I Patten, D Eves (capt).

Referee: B Campsall (RFU). .