Josh Bayliss gallops 70 metres to score and become Bath's clock-at-zero hero
A sun-kissed Recreation Ground welcomed nearly 3,000 supporters to witness Bath secure a place in Europe’s elite club competition next season thanks to a 30-24 Gallagher Premiership victory over Northampton. They managed it in the most nerve-jangling fashion, hanging on to a one-point lead at the death until replacement flanker Josh Bayliss galloped 70 metres for the clinching try with the clock at zero.
For much of the second half, they had been straining for a try bonus point, which would have been enough on most calculations. In the closing seconds, conceding a converted try and scraping a losing bonus point might have sufficed but it would have been a demeaning end to the season.
Saints, already confirmed as fifth-place finishers in the Premiership, looked off the pace in the first quarter. The visitors, who were without suspended lock Dave Ribbans, saw their reorganised line-out malfunction, badly handing Bath easy possession.
But apart from a Rhys Priestland penalty after four minutes, and for all the threat posed by Anthony Watson, Joe Cokanasiga and Tom de Glanville from deep, the home side just could not get points on the board.
Northampton needed all of Tommy Freeman’s pace to snuff out the danger when Priestland hacked-on into the in-goal area and a Ben Spencer touchdown was ruled out for a fumbled offload in the build-up. Instead, the first try came after 20 minutes at the other end of the field as Taqele Naiyaravoro strode in unopposed, with James Grayson converting from the touchline.
Eddie Jones has touched on the infamous match-cancelling drinking incident from eight month ago https://t.co/kd8gMSDP9v
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 11, 2021
Bath’s riposte came immediately with Sam Underhill’s charge-down try from Alex Mitchell’s box-kick from the restart and the home side quickly added another from Taulupe Faletau, thanks to Watson’s quicksilver break. Priestland’s conversion put them 15-7 ahead but they paid dearly for Watson’s fumbled attempt at a simple touchdown seven minutes before half-time. A superb finish by centre Rory Hutchinson – converted by Grayson – and another stroll-in try by Naiyaravoro, both in that vulnerable corner, left Bath trailing 15-19 at the break.
Spencer, whose fine tactical kicking had been a reassuring feature of Bath’s game, had another ‘try’ disallowed at the start of the second half, but the pack soon fashioned a catch-and-drive score for hooker Jacques Du Toit before Priestland’s kick edged the home side back in front.
But the unstructured see-saw nature of the second half did not faze Saints who looked dangerous attacking from any point on the field. Grayson finished off a sustained attack to earn a try bonus point on the hour – albeit unconverted – before Priestland snatched back the lead with a penalty.
What Bath really needed to secure a place in the Champions Cup was a bonus try themselves, but Northampton were not ready to oblige, although the TMO had to step in again to deny replacement hooker Tom Doughty, after spotting a block off the ball by Bayliss. The last few minutes were a rearguard action, trying to stave off wave after wave of Saints attacks until Bayliss broke clear to seal the win.
RugbyPass Offload EP 33 with Jack Nowell & Freddie Burns ?
Massively excited to announce @nowellsy15 as a new panellist on the podcast ?
Jack talks us through his return from injury while we are also joined by Freddie Burns fresh from Japan ??
?? – https://t.co/Jk2H9HA0ci pic.twitter.com/g39WMcNQzf
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 9, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments