Bath confirm top seeding in the play-offs with victory over Newcastle

Runaway leaders Bath ruled out any chance of being overtaken by their Gallagher Premiership rivals with a 55-19 bonus-point victory against Newcastle that secures top seeding in the play-offs.

However, it took a flurry of second-half tries to subdue the Falcons, who were leading just after half-time despite having lost full-back Louis Brown to a red card.

Bath’s eventual eight tries not only secured a 13th win in 15 matches but took their points difference to an unassailable 238.

Rookie fly-half Ciaran Donoghue announced himself to the Premiership with a stunning solo try after just 107 seconds of his league debut. Collecting a pass a few metres outside his own 22, he jinked and weaved past several hapless defenders before touching down at the other end and then also landed the conversion from a narrow angle.

A charged-down kick and a few loose passes were reminders of his inexperience at this level, though, and the Falcons pulled back an unconverted try by Cameron Neild.

Fixture

Gallagher Premiership

Bath

55 - 19

Full-time

Newcastle

All Stats and Data

Sam Underhill was back in the Bath team following his red card for a head-high tackle in the European Challenge Cup clash with Pau. Despite attending the tackle course, he was pinged for a similar but less dangerous offence against Falcons skipper Callum Chick, this time collecting a yellow card.

Despite the fine weather it was a scrappy affair and Bath were content for Donoghue to kick a penalty in front of the posts to ease into a 10-5 lead on the half-hour. That spurred them to raise their game and Tom Carr-Smith touched down after wing Louie Hennessey broke clear. Donoghue’s conversion was good.

Despite losing full-back Brown to a red card in the 35th minute for a reckless, high body-check on Austin Emens, the visitors responded with a neatly-worked set move off a line-out which saw Connor Doherty stroll over for a try converted by Brett Connon. Significantly Cameron Redpath was also off the field at this point, shown a yellow for a deliberate knock-on.

Just after half-time Doherty did it again, striding though untouched after clean line-out possession. With Connon on target again with the conversion, the Falcons were now leading by two points – but not for long.

Donoghue slipped through heavy traffic to send Quinn Roux over for a rare, if well-deserved, try and added the conversion too.

The all-important bonus-point score went to Underhill after the Newcastle defence had been sliced open by Donoghue’s pace. His conversion put Bath 31-19 ahead and all hope evaporated for Newcastle when Emens scored in the corner and Finn Russell led the home side’s ‘bomb squad’ onto the field.

Emens, supporting another break from Donoghue, added a second almost immediately, with Russell converting, and Hennessey scampered up the touchline to score Bath’s fifth try and put the result beyond doubt at 48-19. Redpath added an eighth try in time added on, with Russell converting.