VIDEO: Bath run in seven tries but still have to dig deep for BUCS Super Rugby home victory over Swansea
The University of Bath men’s 1st XV were involved in a second-successive high-scoring BUCS Super Rugby showdown but came out on top this time as they fought out a 50-40 home victory over Swansea.
A week after their 53-36 defeat at Hartpury, the Bath Building Society-sponsored hosts looked set to bounce back with a comfortable victory as they ran in four tries inside the opening 30 minutes through Max Pearce (2), Sam Mercer and Jack Bennett.
Iwan Price-Thomas also kicked three conversions but a converted try just before the interval, Swansea’s second of the half, cut Bath’s lead to 26-14.
Price-Thomas kicked a penalty early in the second half but Swansea scored tries either side of that, one of them converted, to make it a one-point game with Bath’s lead now 29-28.
It remained nip and tuck as Will Roue’s converted try was quickly cancelled out but Bath finally regained some breathing space as Archie Stanley and Josh Dingley touched down, Price-Thomas again adding both conversions to bring up the 50-point mark.
Swansea had the final say, scoring a late unconverted try, but it was a return to winning ways for Bath, who are also supported by Rengen.
They now have a week off before heading to Nottingham on Wednesday 28th February. Bath’s final home game of the regular league season is a tasty one as they welcome table-topping Exeter to the Team Bath Sports Training Village on Wednesday 6th March (6.30pm kick-off, free to watch).
Watch the tries here:
Match stats
University of Bath 1st XV: 1 Scott Kirk, 2 Max Pearce, 3 Alfie Griffin, 4 Josh Dingley, 5 Will Jeanes, 6 Max Mayor, 7 Tom Cowan (c), 8 Jack Bennett; 9 Elis Horgan, 10 Raff Weston, 11 Sam Mercer, 12 Will Roue, 13 Rory Crum, 14 Neo Ivanovic-Brown, 15 Iwan Price-Thomas. Replacements: 16 Yujian Zou, 17 Archie Stanley, 18 Jacob Yates, 19 Eddie Erskine, 20 Rory Cameron, 21 Iwan Coyle, 22 Ioan Lewis, 23 Gus Stapleton.
Tries: Pearce (2), Mercer, Bennett, Roue, Stanley, Dingley.
Conversions: Price-Thomas 6.
Penalty: Price-Thomas.
Swansea 1st XV: 1 Max Marshall (c), 2 Jamie Phillips, 3 Paula Fifita, 4 Ben Roberts, 5 Chris Thompson, 6 Alex Bairstow, 7 Will Plessis, 8 Tom Gardner; 9 Ben Thomas, 10 Fraser Jones, 11 Willis Wood, 12 James Price, 13 Callum Dodd, 14 Elliot Smith, 15 Tim Davies. Replacements: 16 Morgan James, 17 Tom Zoogah, 18 Matthew Pryce, 19 Gethin Howell, 20 Bob Bray, 21 Gruff Williams, 22 Tom Allen, 23 Aran Parsons.
Tries: Wood (2), Price, Phillips, Fifita, Plessis.
Conversions: Jones 5.
