MAY 22, 2024
By Harry Mottram: After thumping Northampton Saints by 43-12 Bath Rugby Club take on Sale Sharks on the Recreation Ground on Saturday June 1st for a place in the final. A win will transport the Blue, Black and Whites to Twickenham on Saturday 8th June to contest the title as one of the four highest finishers in the league. Some rugby supporters feel there is a certain injustice in the end of season competition since both Saints and Bath finished on 60 points and Sale and Saracens finished on 56 points. However, those are the rules as they say so it’s eyes down for a crunch match with the Sharks from Sale. Nobody wants to get ahead of themselves but having put Saints to the sword at the Rec last week Bath are looking good for the Premiership title.
In the game against the Saints there were tries from Josh Bayliss, Will Muir with a brace, Ben Spencer and Alfie Barbeary with Ben slotting one conversion, and Finn Russell’s boot securing four conversions and one penalty kick.
Russell has been influential since joining the club. The Scottish fly-half’s mercurial presence is like an added X-factor ingredient when he plays not only securing points with his boot but giving opponents something to think about with his unexpected switches of play. Ben Spencer has also had a terrific season and has added to the BB&W’s self-belief in propelling them to the top of the table. Beno Obano is another player who has had a good campaign with a break-through season and an England call up in the Six Nations while the Premiership title could well be seized with the presence of Thomas du Toit in the team. It is arguably one of the strongest Bath sides in recent seasons.
The squad that saw off the Saints was as follows: 1 Beno Obano, 2 Tom Dunn, 3 Thomas du Toit, 4 Quinn Roux, 5 Charlie Ewels, 6 Ted Hill, 7 Sam Underhill, 8 Josh Bayliss, 9 Ben Spencer (c), 10 Finn Russell, 11 Will Muir, 12 Cameron Redpath, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 15 Matt Gallagher. Replacements: 16 Niall Annett, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Elliott Stooke, 20 Alfie Barbeary, 21 Louis Schreuder, 22 Orlando Bailey, 23 Miles Reid.
The game on Saturday, June 1st, kicks off at 3.30pm.