Cavalry comes to rescue for Bath

■ By ROGER PANTING

Bath ……………………………… 24pts

Tries: Emens 12, Spandler 21, Coetzee 42, Offiah 46

Conversions: Burns 5 McCarthy 25, 38

Munster ……………………….. 21pts

Tries: Hodnett 5, McCarthy 25, Barron 38

Conversions: Bailey 12, Russell 46

REMARKABLY this was the first meeting of these clubs since October 2020 when they contested a double-header in the European Cup competition.

This fixture was a far cry from those full-blooded encounters but there was the added spice of Munster facing their former head coach, Johann van Graan, who spent five seasons there before joining Bath in September 2022.

Before the interval Bath’s second string were easily second best as Munster dominated with impressive forwards, John Hodnett and replacement, Jack Daly, to the fore to allow Billy Burns to make a promising debut with powerful wing, Shay McCarthy, always causing problems. There was also a welcome return for full-back, Patrick Campbell, on his comeback from a long-term shoulder injury.

For the second half Bath sent on the cavalry to secure a morale-boosting win but the Irish province made them fight all the way with a typically gutsy performance.

Bath’s wings, Joe Cokanasiga and Tyler Offiah looked sharp ahead of the forthcoming season but the side still lacked cohesion and will need to improve ahead of their tasty Premiership opener with Northampton at The Rec.

Van Graan said: “It was a game played in good spirit between two very proud clubs with Munster always standing up for the fight as it’s in their mantra.

“We want to win every game but it is more about the performance as we mix and match in pre-season.

“We pretty much know our first-choice side, it’s the one who played in the Premiership final in June, so it’s up to the others to show whether they can put in a real challenge to anyone in that team.

“Ross Molony had a decent debut for us, especially in the lineout, while special mention has to go to Jasper Spandler who came on very early for his first game at this level.”

Bath suffered two early blows. First hooker John Stewart departed with a leg injury before Burns and McCarthy combined neatly to create the opener for Hodnett.

Burns was instrumental in Bath drawing level as his aimless kick gave Ciaran Donoghue the chance to win a 50/22 before the full-back quickly took the resulting line-out for debutant, Austin Emens to dash over.

Munster lost Gavin Coombes to a yellow card for bad language with Bath immediately capitalising when replacement hooker, Spandler, crashed over from a driving line-out for his first try for the club.

Coombes was still in the bin when his side regained the lead with McCarthy rewarding a sustained period of pressure but the lock had returned in time to see Diarmuid Barron finish off another flowing move to give Munster a deserved 21-12 half-time lead.

At half-time, Bath changed their entire team and it took less than seven minutes to make that decision count with tries from Jaco Coetzee and Offiah putting them back in front.

The rejuvenated home side looked on their way to a comfortable victory but the Munster replacements dug deep to frustrate them and could have easily stolen it at the death.