Skip to main contentSkip to navigationSkip to navigation
Rob Lyttle dives over for Ulster’s second try in their victory at the Recreation Ground.
Rob Lyttle dives over for Ulster’s second try in their victory at the Recreation Ground. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA
Rob Lyttle dives over for Ulster’s second try in their victory at the Recreation Ground. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA

Jacob Stockdale helps Ulster hang on for hard-fought victory at Bath

This article is more than 4 years old
Bath 16-17 Ulster
English club fall to agonising defeat

There is a significant difference between the best in Europe and the rest. Bath and Ulster are two previous winners of the tournament but their heyday was in a different decade and, for all the endeavour and spirit the two sides showed in providing an exciting end to an uninspiring encounter, a lack of quality told.

Bath welcomed back three of their England World Cup players, only one of whom, Sam Underhill, started the final against South Africa two weeks ago. He was at the heart of the action but, unsurprisingly, was not at his most bruisingly effective. The statistics had him missing one third of the tackles he attempted, only one of which was glaring after an Ulster counterattack in the second half that should have led to a try.

The move summed up the game. Bath’s captain, Charlie Ewels, threw a pass in Ulster’s 22 that was picked off by Stuart McCloskey. The visitors quickly switched from defence to attack and, when Luke Marshall, missed by a stretching Underhill, invaded the home 22, John Cooney had a second try of the match presented to him but the scrum-half knocked on.

Ulster’s two tries had come from Bath’s possession. Cooney charged down his opposite number, Will Chudley, after 13 minutes, hacked the ball over halfway and beat Rhys Priestland to the bounce for a 60-metre try. At the end of the third quarter Semesa Rokoduguni, who had spent most of the afternoon coming off his wing to look for the ball, made a break but passed to an opponent.

Ulster countered and, although Luke Marshall’s long pass looked to have bounced forward, Will Addison picked up and chipped to the line for Rob Lyttle to collect and score. It put his side 14-6 ahead against a team that had threatened without looking threatening. Bath’s form this season had been consistently inconsistent, following every defeat with a victory and every win with a loss.

They were due to be beaten here after overcoming Northampton last week but they fought back to take the lead with 10 minutes to go. Gabriel Hamer-Webb had been on the field for 45 seconds when Zach Mercer picked up from a scrum and passed to Jonathan Joseph in the centre rather than Priestland at fly-half.

The ploy forced the defence to check so, when Joseph’s long pass found Hamer-Webb on the left, the wing had the time to fix Addison before stepping outside the full-back. Ulster defended stoutly all afternoon, not inconvenienced by doubt, but indiscipline prevented them from building up a lead that provided them with insurance and, when Alan O’Connor caught Josh Bayliss in a neck roll, Priestland nailed the kick from just inside Ulster’s half.

It was the first time Bath had led but it did not last long. Cooney, who at the end of the first half missed a penalty from virtually in front of the posts, was on target after Mercer infringed following a lineout and Ulster looked to be seeing out the match comfortably when Underhill and Bayliss forced a turnover penalty in their 22.

Bath kicked long to touch. The lineout throw was clearly crooked but play went on and the home side was taking play through phases when Marcell Coetzee was a fraction quicker to react after a tackle than Underhill and won a penalty with less than a minute to go. By the time Ulster took the throw, there were five seconds remaining. When Rob Herring, who in the first period had blown a chance by dropping the ball having broken the defence, was called for being not straight, even though it was no wonkier than the one that had been waved on a minute before, Bath had a final chance.

Ulster thought time was up but there was enough for a final scrum. Bath moved the ball and took play through five phases before Mercer took a pass above his head and bluffed his way into Ulster’s 22. He waited for Rokoduguni to catch up to provide the wing with the opportunity to win the match but Jacob Stockdale, realising he had to go for the ball rather than the man because momentum would have taken the Fijian over the line, intercepted and fell into touch to leave Bath, like Gloucester the night before, reflecting on an opening home defeat that showcased their shortcomings.

Bath’s director of rugby, Stuart Hooper, bemoaned his side’s lack of accuracy. “We let ourselves down,” he admitted. A trip to Harlequins next weekend will not be any easier.

Comments (…)

Sign in or create your Guardian account to join the discussion

Most viewed

Most viewed