Bath (5) 11
Tries: Jarvis Pens: Barkley 2

Newcastle (6) 6
Pens: Gopperth 2

Bath's Brian McMillan is tackled during his side's LV= Cup tie against Newcastle Falcons

Olly Barkley kicked two late penalties to keep Bath's LV= Cup hopes alive with a hard-fought victory over Newcastle.

Two Jimmy Gopperth penalties gave the Falcons the early advantage.

Bath overcame the loss of flanker Josh Ovens to a suspected broken leg to score through Aaron Jarvis, who was then forced off with a shoulder injury.

Barkley missed the conversion and hit the post with a second-half penalty before finally punishing the visitors' indiscipline with two successful kicks.

Bath head coach Steve Meehan:
"We spoke about this during the week, how important it was to win this match, because we have them twice in the Premiership before the end of the season.

"They have come down with a very good side while we've got a number of guys away with England and Saxons, or resting, so our players did a great job and under difficult circumstances."

On Aaron Jarvis's injury:
"I'm a bit upset about that. The referee's blown the whistle and the Newcastle scrum continues. That happened on a number of occasions and you've got a guy out with a shoulder injury.

"Their scrum had already been spoken to about that. There was some action that could have been taken there. It continued for a couple of scrums and then they cut it out."

Newcastle head coach Alan Tait:
"We were doing well, then 20 metres in front of their posts one of our players starts 'chopsing off' at the referee. We gave away daft penalties like that.

"But the boys were really frustrated because the ref seemed to be letting Bath get away with things."

Bath: Abendanon; Boussuge, Barkley, Williams, Biggs; Vesty, McMillan; Flatman, Dixon, Jarvis, Fernandez Lobbe, Van der Glessen, Beattie, Ovens, Skirving.

Replacements: Palma-Newport for Jarvis (39), Grewcock for Fernandez Lobbe (67), Watson for Ovens (26). Not Used: Stagg, Barnes, Claassens, Roberts, Scott.

Newcastle: A. Tait; Fielden, Eves, Tu'ipulotu, Bobo; Gopperth, Young; Golding, Thompson, Murray, Hudson, Swinson, M. Wilson, Welch, Hogg.

Replacements: Fitzpatrick for Eves (66), Shiels for Golding (60), Vickers for Thompson (52), van der Heijden for M. Wilson (52). Not Used: Hall, Williamson, Pilgrim, Hodgson.

Att: 11,631

Ref: Rob Debney (Leicestershire).

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version