Bath produce brilliant comeback to confirm qualification
BATH, ENGLAND - JANUARY 14: Will Muir of Bath celebrates at the final whistle during the Investec Champions Cup match between Bath Rugby and Racing 92 at Recreation Ground on January 14, 2024 in Bath, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
By TOM JEFFREYS
Bath…………………………………………29
Tries: Du Toit 35, Barbeary 60, Cokanasiga 63, Muir 72
Conversions: Spencer 61, 64, 73
Penalties: Spencer 13
Racing……………………………………..25
Tries: Le Garrec 18, Kamikamica 43, Arundell 53
Conversions: Le Garrec 19, 44
Penalties: Le Garrec 8, 68
Bath kept up their winning habit at the Rec, coming from behind twice to beat the star-studded Top 14 leaders Racing 92.
Racing were 22-8 ahead on the hour mark thanks to tries from Nolann le Garrec, Kitione Kamikamica, and Henry Arundell.
But the liquid rugby that has defined Bath’s renaissance season was too much even for Siya Kolisi, Gael Fickou and co., as tries from Thomas du Toit, Alfie Barbeary, Joe Cokanasiga and Will Muir earned them a bonus point victory, and qualification for the knockout stage.
Racing may rue a lack of game management to lose a 14 point, and then a 25-22 lead, which may only increase their interest in Owen Farrell with knockout stage qualification this season now a tough ask for the Parisians.
Speaking to TNT Sports before the game, head coach Stuart Lancaster stoked fire to the rumours, saying: “I can’t confirm nor deny. I certainly can’t say anything official has happened. Racing are often linked with key players and I’m lucky my relationships with England are all part of it.
“He’d be a great signing wouldn’t he, and who wouldn’t want someone like Owen Farrell.”
However, an intriguing first half’s narrative was steered by the scrum halves: the visitor’s talismanic scrumhalf Nolann Le Garrec, and Bath’s omnipresent captain Ben Spencer.
With the France nine shirt up for grabs, le Garrec showed the same unshakeable self-assurance often associated with Antoine Dupont. He grabbed the game’s first try from inches out after a string of Bath try saving tackles, most notably from Spencer who inexplicably rejected Max Spring a try despite the fullback being already over the line.
The scores remained 10-3 for the next 10 minutes, with Spencer missing a penalty to add to Bath’s place-kicking woes this season; they’re 65% from the tee in the Premiership this year.
It was beginning to feel as though Bath were letting Racing off the hook having failed to captialise on big linebreaks from Alfie Barbeary and Joe Cokanasiga. However, Spencer ensured their fortunes changes when he broke down the right flank off turnover ball.
Some lovely combination play from Ollie Lawrence and Cokanasiga was stopped by an excellent try-saving tackle from Nolann Le Gerrec, but Will Rowlands was binned for a professional ruck foul. The prolific Thomas du Toit then bundled over from the consequent pick and goes to make the score 10-8 to Racing at half time.
After a balanced first half, Racing took the initiative in the second through a Kitione Kamikamica try as the number eight walked in a crossfield kick to punish some narrow Bath defence.
Following a quiet ten minutes, Henry Arundell showed trademark pace to score Racing’s third try, after the English flyer was released down the right following some slick Racing hands.
Kicked into gear, Bath reignited their first half scrum dominance to produce a fourth scrum penalty – this one earned by Beno Obano against World Cup winner Trevor Nyakane – to earn possession in the Racing 22. Having just had a try mysteriously disallowed, Alfie Barbeary shrugged off a Siya Kolisi tackle to dot down on the hour mark.
Shortly after, Bath displayed the effortless coherence that has earned them 15 tries in three Champions Cup games this season, with a fizzed Spencer pass left by Russell, claimed by Cam Redpath and released for Cokanasiga to score, before the scrum-half’s post-and-in conversion equalised the scores at 22-22.
A le Garrec penalty was a subheading in a crucial passage of play for Bath, who returned a goalline drop out with typical Lawrence linebreak, allowing Will Muir to score in his favoured left corner and secure the bonus point required to send Bath to the knockout stages.
From the consequent Racing territory, Barbeary made his second yellow card-worthy infringement with a mistimed tackle on le Garrec. If his disallowed try was controversial, this one wasn’t and Bath were forced to close the game out with 14 men.
A tense final five minutes was underlined by poor discipline from either side; Bath gave Racing two lifelines but both were squandered by attacking infringements meaning Bath secured a 29-25 win.
High-flying Bath remain unbeaten in the tournament, whilst the Top 14 leaders head to Cardiff needing a win and an Ulster loss at Harlequins.Speaking after the game, Ben Spencer credited his team’s resilience for their win: “We never gave up, we stuck in right to the end. A few points down but we were nice and calm, we knew exactly what to do and executed the game plan.”
Speaking about his potential England spot, he said “it’s always a burning desire to play for my country, and if I get that opportunity again, hopefully I can take it with both hands.”
Bath: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Redpath, Muir; Russell, Spencer (capt); Obano, Dunn, Du Toit, Roux, Ewels, Van Velze, Reid, Barbeary.
Replacements: Annett, Schoeman, Stuart, Stooke, Bayliss, Schreuder, Harris, Cloete.
Racing: Spring; Habosi, Fickou (capt), Chavancy, Arundell; Gibert, Le Garrec; Kolingar, Chat, Laclayat, Woki, Rowlands, Lauret, Kolisi, Kamikamica.
Replacements: Tarrit, Ben Arous, Nyakane, Palu, Baudonne, Diallo, Tedder, Saili.
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Ita)
For exclusive stories and all the detailed rugby news you need, subscribe to The Rugby Paper website, digital edition, or newspaper from as little as 14p a day.
