Bath back in business
Bath kicked off their Guiness Premiership campaign with a 29-15 victory over Worcester.
By Phil Jackson
Last Updated: 15/09/07 8:00pm
Bath kicked off their Guiness Premiership campaign with a 29-15 victory over Worcester on Saturday.
Debutants Michael Claasens, Jack Cuthbert (two) and Daniel Browne scored the tries, while Shane Berne kicked the rest of the points.
Matthew Powell and Thinus Delport grabbed the consolation tries for Worcester, but poor handling proved their downfall in the end.
Despite missing six players because of the World Cup and having Danny Grewcock suspended, Bath claimed a welcome five-point haul as a result.
Turnaround
Shane Drahm's early penalty gave the visitors the lead, but Bath quickly countered when South African scrum-half Claasens finished off Berne's jinking run on eight minutes.
Winger Cuthbert then made Worcester pay for their rustiness with the ball in hand, by finishing of a move working off a scrum on 19 minutes.
On the half hour mark scrum-half Powell kept the visitors in the game with a simple try straight from the lineout, but that only stirred the home side into further action.
Youngster Cuthbert scored Bath's third try of the match after a strong run from Matt Banahan to send Bath into the interval 19-10 up.
Close
Poor finishing continued to cost Mike Ruddock's side dear though, and Marcel Garvey spilled their best try-scoring chance just short of the line after the restart.
Bath went on to claim their four-try bonus point by winning a scrum against the head, with Ryan Davis putting replacement number eight Browne over for a converted try with 10 minutes left to go.
Delport managed to get in at the corner for the final try of the match, but Worcester finished two converted tries adrift at the end.
Ruddock will be eager to get missing men Rico Gear, Sam Tuitupou and Greg Rawlinson into the team when they are finished with domestic competition in New Zealand.
