LV= Cup: Bath brush aside London Welsh at the Recreation Ground

Bath brushed aside an experimental London Welsh side 47-7 at the Rec to get their LV=Cup campaign off to a flying start.

Academy flanker Max Northcote-Green scored two tries on his debut while Gavin Henson converted three of his side's seven scoresm as well as kicking two penalties.

London Welsh fielded just four of the starting line-up from the European Rugby Challenge Cup defeat at home to Newcastle last weekend. It might have been even more of a second string if they had any more than two centres available.

Bath wasted no time in taking control, the first try coming from Northcote-Green. The 20-year-old took catch-and-drive just four minutes into his maiden appearance. 

Henson's conversion struck the post but he added a penalty on 11 minutes as London Welsh barely threatened to get out of their own half, let alone pick up points.

Ollie Woodburn crossed in the corner for Bath's second try after 24 minutes, thanks to a miss-pass by Luke Arscott, and Henson added the conversion to make the score 15-0.

The home team might have scored again when David Sisi burst through in midfield but lock Tom Ellis spilled a pass under the posts. 

Straightforward penalty

Henson kicked a straightforward penalty as London Welsh continued to fall foul of the officials. Their problems at scrum time continued until they eventually conceded a penalty try on 35 minutes.

On the stroke of half-time, Matt Banahan finished off a flowing move down the left wing involving Ollie Devoto, Horacio Agulla and Nick Auterac, with the extras making it 30-0 at the interval.

It took just 11 minutes for the scoring to resume after the break, as Northcote-Green supported Banahan to take a nicely judged chip from Devoto.

The Exiles had come out for the second half in far livelier mood, however, and Arscott did well to mark a crossfield kick under pressure on the hour. Former Bath player Nick Scott scored in the corner soon afterwards, Will Robinson converting.

With both benches fully utilised, the game became a shapeless affair and it took until the 75th minute for Bath to add a sixth try, Richard Lane squeezing in at the right corner.

Replacement lock Marcus Garratt also touched down on his debut in the final attack to round out the scoring and rub further salt into Welsh's wounds.