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Orlando Bailey missed the chance to be the hero for Bath as their comeback attempt away to Sale Sharks fell just short in the season opener, going down 20-19 at the AJ Bell Stadium.
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Bailey replaced the returning Danny Cipriani early in the second half as Bath came from 17-0 down to lead, only for Kieran Wilkinson to put Sale back in front before a long-range miss from Bailey in the final play.
The first points of the match did not arrive until the 23rd minute. Rob du Preez scored Sale’s first points of the new season as the South African slotted a penalty after Bath were offside.
The home fans did not have to wait too long to celebrate their first try of the campaign. Captain Jono Ross decided to kick a penalty to the corner and he won the resulting lineout to set up a rolling maul from which Akker van der Merwe dotted down.
Raffi Quirke, wearing the nine shirt in Faf de Klerk’s absence, set up the second try on 35 minutes. The young scrum-half stepped through the Bath defence before offloading to Byron McGuigan to allow the Scot to cross.
Bath’s first attack of any note was in the 39th minute. Good handling from Beno Obano, Charlie Ewels and Tom De Glanville meant they were held up under the Sale posts. The Sharks full-back Simon Hammersley was adjudged to have cynically killed the ball, meaning he was sent to the sin-bin, and Cipriani kicked the resulting penalty to make the score 17-3 at the break.
The visitors made their extra man count at the beginning of the second half. Cipriani slotted another penalty to make it 17-6 after Sale’s defence did not roll away.
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On the 54th minute, Bath scored their first try. A strong break by Miles Reid allowed substitute Juan Schoeman to dot the ball down beside the posts with Bailey’s conversion bringing the score to 17-13.
After being 17-0 down, Bath brought it back to a one-point game on the 66th minute as Bailey kicked a penalty to make it 17-16.
Sale then thought they had scored a try in the corner, but Du Preez knocked on as he dived for the line and it meant a nervous last 10 minutes for the home crowd.
In the 75th minute, their fears came true as a great break from Sam Underhill led to a penalty in front of the posts which Bailey converted. It meant the visitors led for the first time in the afternoon with just five minutes to go.
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But substitute Wilkinson came to the rescue for Sale as the young fly-half slotted a simple penalty before Bailey’s last-gasp miss from almost halfway.
Comments on RugbyPass
Great try by van Poortvliet.
1 Go to commentsThey have been cruelled by injuries but almost nobody (Sevu Reece and Fletcher Newell big exceptions) has played above himself which regularly happened before. Surely Scott Robertson had maintained the recruitment programme and it looks like a reasonable squad. Last in this competition will stall a lot of careers. Penny seems likeable. But it’s not enough even though this was better. We haven’t been good enough and it’s not helped by the “it’s been 15 years since… “etc “after nearly every match. Seems somehow a soft gifting of something once valuable. Kieran Read giving comments last week almost choked describing the easy surrender of possession by the forwards. I’d love to think that the senior players some of whom are back can show enough pride in the jersey to test the Blues next week.
3 Go to commentsWho will Joe select for the back three with so many in form candidates? Just hope he doesn’t get shafted like Dave Rennie and to a lesser extent Deans.
5 Go to commentsAlways reluctant to blame a coach when losses rack up, but Penney must go. The backline is dysfunctional and the coach must carry the can. No cohesion, no idea and in many cases, minimal skill. The trains out of Roma St depart faster than the ball from Crusaders’ set pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if the forwards went on strike.
3 Go to commentsAdding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
5 Go to commentsWe dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
4 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
4 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
5 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
4 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to comments