Gloucester crush Bath
May 4, 2002

Relegation-haunted Bath were humiliated beyond recognition at a packed Kingsholm as they crashed to a club record 68-12 league defeat.

Bath were simply torn to shreds as second-placed Gloucester scored nine tries, including a hat trick for their exciting young English wing prospect James Simpson-Daniel.

Bath, who were without five injured international backs, were unable to give Gloucester anything other than an end-of-season work-out.

And Bath's 11th successive away defeats of the Premiership campaign means that they are still racked by relegation worries.

The fallen West Country giants, six-times English champions and kings of Europe just four years ago, must beat Wasps in their final game at the Recreation Ground next Sunday.

If they fail, and bottom club Leeds can beat either Sale on Wednesday or Gloucester next Sunday, then bonus points permitting, Bath will probably finish 12th and last, and provided that English rugby chiefs sanction Rotherham's promotion from National League One then Bath will play Second Division Rugby next term.

Such a demise is an astonishing prospect for a club that has won 16 domestic titles and lifted the Heineken Cup with victory over Brive in 1998.

But the current Bath set-up is a shambles, and this defeat comfortably eclipsed their previous worst all-time league loss - a 48-9 reversal against Premiership champions Leicester last September.

Bath's combination of youthful inexperience and under-performing international players was simply blown away.

Gloucester effectively made certain of Heineken Cup rugby next season by romping home as they cut open the Bath defence with ludicrous ease.

Without the likes of injured stars Mike Catt, Matt Perry and Mike Tindall, Bath offered nothing in attack and were unable to stem the relentless Gloucester tide.

Gloucester had collected a four-try bonus point before half-time, such was their dominance in every department.

Simpson-Daniel collected the first on five minutes, and when number eight Junior Paramore added a second just 10 minutes later, Bath were already facing a damage-limitation exercise.

Further scores from centre Robert Todd and French prop Patrice Collazo kept Bath totally on the back foot, and fly-half Ludovic Mercier, who finished with 23 point from the boot dropped an injury time goal to make it 35-0 at the break.

Bath tried everything to halt the points flow, but worse was to follow after the break when centre Terry Fanolua and full-back Henry Paul touched down after capitalising on weak tackling during a seven-minute spell.

Bath centre Sam Cox grabbed a consolation try just 60 seconds after Paul's efforts, but the closing stages belonged to Simpson-Daniel, who showed his blistering pace and finishing power to add two further tries either side of Fanolua completing his double.

Bath substitute Garry Delve had the final say when he was driven over from a late line-out, but Bath had already been subjected to an embarrassing mauling and derisory chance of "going down, going down," from a capacity 11,000 crowd.

On this dismal evidence, it would be hard to disagree with the Gloucester faithful.


Teams

Gloucester: Paul, Albanese, Fanolua, Todd, Simpson-Daniel, Mercier, Gomarsall, Collazo, Azam, Pucciarello, Fidler, Cornwell, Forrester, Boer, Paramore.

Replacements: Frape for Albanese (78), Beim for Fanolua (68), Woodman for Collazo (58), Fortey for Azam (51), Pearce for Cornwell (40), Sewabu for Paramore (69).

Not Used: Vickery.

Tries: Simpson-Daniel 3, Paramore, Todd, Collazo, Fanolua 2, Paul.

Cons: Mercier 7.

Pens: Mercier 2.

Drop Goals: Mercier.

Bath: Thirlby, Voyce, Cox, Davy, Danielli, Barkley, Dalzell, D. Barnes, Regan, Emms, Borthwick, Grewcock, G. Thomas, N. Thomas, Lyle.

Replacements: Delve for Thirlby (64), Crockett for Davy (69), Cooper for Dalzell (46), Mallett for D. Barnes (51), Long for Regan (46), Knox for N. Thomas (62).

Not Used: Gabey.

Tries: Cox, Delve.

Cons: Barkley.

Att: 11,000

Ref: David McHugh (Ireland).

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