Bath 22-11 Newcastle

sundaymirror.co.uk 9/03/2008

GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP

Stand-in skipper Alex Crockett scored Bath's only try as they leapfrogged Gloucester and Leicester at the top of the Guinness Premiership.

Newcastle were in touch until the hour mark, but Olly Barkley was again the vital steadying influence for Bath with a conversion and four penalties.

As if the loss of Steve Borthwick, Lee Mears, Matt Stevens and Michael Lipman to England was not disruptive enough, Bath had injuries to David Barr and Andy Beattie.

Head coach Steve Meehan said: "Given all the changes and the effort of the win over Bristol, I am pleased. It was an untidy game but one that showed an awful lot of character."

Meehan also has to contend with yet more injuries ahead of a tricky visit to Harlequins.

He said: "Joe Maddock needs an X-ray after getting a bang just above the eye. And Andrew Higgins also had to come off after a head knock."

Newcastle director of rugby John Fletcher was left regretting the absence of his clutch of England players, including Jonny Wilkinson.

He said: "Bath's inside backs controlled the game. It's tough when your own backs go away en masse and that's where we were found lacking."

Tom May kicked a goal into the wind but Barkley replied after 14 minutes.

Five minutes later, a move from a scrum saw Crockett racing 35 metres to the line for a try converted by Barkley and a Shaun Berne penalty made it 13-3 at half-time.

May kicked his second penalty after 52 minutes but Barkley hit back with three more before Russell Winter claimed a late pushover try for the visitors.