Bath v Montpelier

Not expecting much from this game - but those tend to be the ones you enjoy.

Early pressure from Bath, penalty under the posts 3-0.

Mmmmm this was not part of the script.

Just as the commentary team talk him up, bad throw by Montpelier hooker.

Bath win ball and score in teh right corner. Conversion attempt hits post.

8-0

Interception by Donald - not quite enough speed to make try line. Recycled ball and try for Flatman

Conversion attempt hooked wide 13-0.

Trinh-Duc who made the tackle back leaves pitch injured. Oops no. yellow card for killing the ball.

Yellow card for Trinh-Duc

Donald looks excellent

Montpelier right back in the game, try in left corner. Scoring pass was a long way forward.

16-10

bath seems to struggle now specially in the scrum. luckily for them montpelier are quite clumsy today.

16-13 final

frustrating for montpelier who went awol during the 1st 25 minutes...

bath was nicely organised in defence and donald put a good performance but appart from that didnt show much. leinster can already plan themselves a home qf.

Good result for Bath well done.

Thought Rolland managed the game well but has no idea how to ref a scrum and had no help from the AR's on forward passes, of which there were a few.

Montpelier try was off a forward pass after a blatant offside, and when Lilley came on Montpelier put the squeeze on him every time, Lilley had no help off his props and Rolland was oblivious to it.

Bath had plenty of posession again, made some bad calls late on in terms of closing the game out and got consistently pumped in the scrum for pretty much the entire second half.

To be fair, the fact that they won the game is a massive positive for me, but I have to say that it's no good having mobile ball-carrying forwards if they're getting hockeyed at scrum time.

I think Bath have plenty of potential but are badly in need of some serious scrum coaching.

As for Leinster planning a home QF, I would be happy for them to be so stupid as to assume that at this stage.

Cymroglan wrote:Good result for Bath well done.

Thanks Cymro.

Well that's a game that we could have easily lost so I'm very pleased that there was no repeat of last week! Our front 5 is still looking underpowered, but most clubs are unlikely to look great in the scrum with their 4th choice hooker player.

Donald looked good too, so hopefully him and Barkley can start to gel in the next few weeks.

I thought the game was up midway through the second half, Bath have lost close games like that consitently for the last three seasons, it was a massive boost for the boys to come through that on the back foot for almost all of the last 40 minutes.

I think the mix is there for the tight five, but it hasn't come together yet. Caldwell and Hooper look to be settling in well together but the front row still hasn't gelled in any combination tried so far.

When you look at the players unavailable at the moment that was a massive 4 points for Bath, I'm looking forward to December 11th already and I can start to see a possibility that Bath can beat Leinster, where as before today I thought it was nigh on impossible.

It's not likely that Leinster will have the same freedom in the scrum as Montpelier did, and if Bath can produce a fit first choice backline by then, the game's afoot I reckon.

That's good positive thinking PJ! Hopefully we will be in a better position squadwise by then, a good run in the league before is what we need.

On the front 5, Caldwell has started his bath career well, but I like to see the grunt of Attwood

in there too. I don't really know what our best front row is, beech looked good when he came on but we will need some solidity come scrum time.

And to carry on, the backline should be looking good, as long as there is at least parity at least.

Anyway, for now, a good victory!

Yep, the front row is a puzzle at the moment, if you look at the squad on paper it looks like Bath have no end of choice there, but I've yet to be convinced by any of the combinations played so far.

To be fair the replacement front row in the second half was on a hiding to nothing and to give them their due Montpelier smelt blood.

I do like Attwood and he seemed to steady the lineout when he came on, something Bath were desperate for at the time, but Caldwell was imense with ball in hand today and really put himself in the frame for man of the match for me, hey, it's good to have competition, let's be positive.

As far as the backs are concerned, if Bath can get Banahan, Carraro and Barkley into match start condition for the Leinster game, I can see Leinster struggling to contain them.

The option of Donald/Vesty as first reciever today gave Montpelier food for thought, and as much as I like Vesty, it has to be said that Barkley is the better 12 and I can see him and Donald really mixing things up if they get to start on the 11th.

'Mon Barf!

How was Barkley playing? This was his first game in a long time wasn't it? And will he be doing the kicking seeing as it's not Donalds strong point?

Barkley only played 10mins. He took the first penalty after he came on, which was 50yards, just in from the touchline. Classic Barkley arrogance, taking that on, come up 5 yards short and wide. Instead of getting some possession and territory, we were on the back foot again. Brain dead decision!

Having said that, give him a couple of games and a backline of

Donald
Barkley
Banahan/Hipkiss

Looks very exciting!

'As for Leinster planning a home QF, I would be happy for them to be so stupid as to assume that at this stage.'

I don't think 'stupidity' comes into it, but I don't think Leinster will be trembling in their boots either, no matter how much you try to talk up your teams chances.

Don't think Leinster should be worried and they won't be, but thats fine by me. Think we play our best rugby when are underdogs and don't have any pressure.

Admire Leinster massively as a team, full of so many of my favourite players, so I'm just hoping for a cracking game, regardless of result. Still haven't made my mind up on Sexton, so no doubt he'll have a blinder!

Bathite wrote:Still haven't made my mind up on Sexton, so no doubt he'll have a blinder!

Have a look at the last game he played in England..... Saracens in Wembley. 23 25 to Leinster and who scored all 25 of the points?
I was at it, it was a thing of beauty.

Was that the HC final? The turn around at half time? If so, yes that was and he was the orchestrater. Thats the game I saw that really made me take notice of him, previously, wasn't impressed with him in the 6Ns at all. Hence why I can't make up my mind!

Always been a ROG fan, which doesn't help!

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

Bathite wrote:Still haven't made my mind up on Sexton, so no doubt he'll have a blinder!

Have a look at the last game he played in England..... Saracens in Wembley. 23 25 to Leinster and who scored all 25 of the points?
I was at it, it was a thing of beauty.

Bathite wrote:Was that the HC final? The turn around at half time? If so, yes that was and he was the orchestrater. Thats the game I saw that really made me take notice of him, previously, wasn't impressed with him in the 6Ns at all. Hence why I can't make up my mind!

Always been a ROG fan, which doesn't help!

I'm sure you're taking the pi$$ but I'll take the bait.

Yes of course it was the HC final. Because that was played in England, the Millennium Stadium is in England right? against Northampton (otherwise known as Saracens) Wembley being another name for Millennium Stadium. He did score 24 points which is the closest you got. But not 25, and Darce and Hines scored tries too, so it was not ALL our points.

He was all class looong before he hit the Millennium stadium. Rog has his good points too, great player. He has benefited hugely form the competition with Sexton.

Sexto hasn't played in England since Round 2 in the HC last year. 6N, England were over with us, same again in August, and the only other English team he played was Leicester which was..... you guessed it, in the same stadium as the 2 England games.

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

Bathite wrote:Still haven't made my mind up on Sexton, so no doubt he'll have a blinder!

Have a look at the last game he played in England..... Saracens in Wembley. 23 25 to Leinster and who scored all 25 of the points?
I was at it, it was a thing of beauty.

Bathite wrote:Was that the HC final? The turn around at half time? If so, yes that was and he was the orchestrater. Thats the game I saw that really made me take notice of him, previously, wasn't impressed with him in the 6Ns at all. Hence why I can't make up my mind!

Always been a ROG fan, which doesn't help!

I'm sure you're taking the pi$$ but I'll take the bait.

Yes of course it was the HC final. Because that was played in England, the Millennium Stadium is in England right? against Northampton (otherwise known as Saracens) Wembley being another name for Millennium Stadium. He did score 24 points which is the closest you got. But not 25, and Darce and Hines scored tries too, so it was not ALL our points.

He was all class looong before he hit the Millennium stadium. Rog has his good points too, great player. He has benefited hugely form the competition with Sexton.

Sexto hasn't played in England since Round 2 in the HC last year. 6N, England were over with us, same again in August, and the only other English team he played was Leicester which was..... you guessed it, in the same stadium as the 2 England games.

Jen, not to take away from your point. But he scored 28 points in the Heineken cup final. 2 tries, Darcy had one that wasn't allowed...

Thanks Micko.
See he's even more awesome than I thought.

memory's a funny thing.

It's amazing what can happen with a spot of luck and a good bounce of the ball.

I remember that if he had not missed 1 kick he would have broken diego dominguez's record for points in a final.

Yes, amazing isn't it.

Especially when it happens over 4-5 years consistantly.

mankiaow wrote:Yes, amazing isn't it.

Especially when it happens over 4-5 years consistantly.

I was thinking that, he must be the luckiest player in the world!

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:I remember that if he had not missed 1 kick he would have broken diego dominguez's record for points in a final.

He does have something Dominguez will never have though, 2 HC medals. I'm sure the record was far from his thoughts.