Drahm Drop Goal Wrecks Bath Hopes For Survival

By Glen Leat
May 5 2003

You sometimes wonder why you bother, after expending time, energy and emotion on the merger issue after watching Bath play Bristol the question you must ask is "Is it all worth it?". This 30 - 20 defeat could well push Bath Rugby in to the First Division and on this showing we deserve to go down.

On the basis of the appalling display today the First Division is about our limit; but before the Bristol fans start puffing out their chests, with the sort of smug satisfaction people who boo and blow horns during opposition penalty kicks are known to enjoy, Bristol were just as bad but were fortunate enough to take advantage of a catalogue of basic Bath errors and a team of visiting backs who looked as though they had never met before.

But before we get on to the match in detail let's reflect for a moment on the Bristol crowd. There it was, all 20,693 of it, with the vast majority loyal (sic) to the Bristol cause. "Bristol, Bristol" they roared in unison; it's amazing how much noise 5,000 people can make and how, with the help of free tickets, they can turn themselves in to 15,000. If I was a religious man I would ask the good people of Bristol to take loaves and fishes to the deserts of Africa and feed the starving millions!

Those Bristolians who only turned up for this game should be ashamed of their actions; if you can shout with a patriotic zeal for your team on a sunny afternoon at Ashton Gate then why couldn't you get yourselves off your idle backsides to the Memorial Ground all season and ensure those who do love Bristol Rugby Club have not spent the last few weeks wondering if their club has a future! You may have beaten Bath today, and bear in mind that the Avon Minis could have dented Bath's pride today, but at least the Bath fans can walk away with pride knowing we actually support our club week in and week out.

Take a look at this picture, it represents the shame of Bristol as thousands of "so-called" supporters crowd in to the Dolman Stand with the sort of enthusiasm shown by shallow zealots who can convince themselves that one trip a year to watch a team makes them supporters. How many actually understood what was happening on the pitch and knew which way Bristol were playing? About 5000 I would suggest.

As with most games this season we started the first 10 minutes in total control and walked away with...nothing! After the game had been delayed for 15 minutes Bath were just about late for everything else and this was one of the saddest displays of the season - and we have seen some sad ones! Someone said, "Oh it feels like a Cup Final atmosphere", yes of course it did. We were playing in an unfamiliar stadium and surrounded by people who know as much about rugby as Communications Ali knew about the truth!

It was mildly amusing to see the Rag Doll hanging forlornly from the posts at the Atyeo Stand end as this was a reminder of a bygone and somewhat purer age before the moneymen took control and tried to treat our rugby clubs as franchises to be bought and sold on the market. The irony of buying and selling our heritage cannot have been lost on many who saw the residential tower blocks behind the Dolman Stand that were used as a back drop for Del Boy's Nelson Mandela House in Only Fools and Horses - luvley jubley!

Despite Bath pummelling the Bristol 22 for the first 10 minutes it was the home side that took the lead after Bath were adjudged off-side. But this appeared to be just a hiccough in the Bath offensive plan and it was only another 10 minutes before Gavin Thomas opened the visitors' account with the first try of the game. Mind you, the Bath backs looked sluggish and heavy legged prior to this score and it took numerous waves of attack before the Bristol defence gave way. This has been a common complaint all season with our international backs unable to work out how to penetrate opposition defences.

Bristol pulled Bath back towards them with another penalty after 23 minutes and a few minutes later referee Ashley Rowden controversially ignored a Bath call for a penalty or even a penalty try as Elvis Seveali'i was chopped across the throat as he chipped the Bristol full back. Even a smack in the face to Gareth Cooper in an off the ball incident whilst Elvis was lying on the ground went unpunished. All of this may have been acceptable had Iain Balshaw not been penalised later in the game for a late challenge on Shane Drahm who, after appearing to be pole-axed by the Bath full-back, immediately jumped to his feet as soon as the penalty had been awarded.

Bath extended their lead through an Olly Barkley penalty on the half-hour and our young wonder kicker kept his nerve despite the cat-calling and horn blowing from a wholly rugby ignorant contingent of Bristol supporters; this is ironic given the grief Bath get when someone deigns to make a noise at the Rec when an opponent is kicking for goal!

Bristol grabbed the initiative through a Daryl Gibson try after Bath had their clearance kick charged down so the lineout was close to the try line. The Humphreys throw was crooked and Bristol set up Gibson from the resulting scrum. Bath levelled the scores at 13-13 by half-time after Balshaw ran 30 yards out of defence, passed on to Voyce who made a similar dash only for the Bristol tacklers to clog up the ruck and give away a kickable penalty.

With Dan Lyle making a welcome return to the Bath team shortly after the start of the second half the visitors again spent the first 10 minutes attacking the Bristol line but gaining no advantage - if we got a bonus point for possession we would not be experiencing the relegation mire we find ourselves in today, somehow we have to learn how to convert possession in to points. But as in the first half, despite controlling the play Bath suddenly found themselves under the cosh once again as Felipe Contepomi took advantage of a pathetic clearance kick from Mike Tindall. At 20-13 ahead Bath had to score next but with just 9 minutes left on the clock Contepomi stole a Cooper pass in the Bristol twenty-two and dashed 80 yards up-field to break Bath hearts. But the show was not yet over and a late Kevin Maggs try and Olly Barkley meant Bath could have grabbed a losing bonus point only to see this lifeline snatched away by a 50 yard drop goal from Drahm. Nightmare!

The thought of facing first Newcastle and then Wasps whilst playing to this standard can not warm the cockles of many Bath hearts and unless a serious changeabout occurs over the next week then we are doomed to lower league rugby.

Let's have a look at the latest league table.

So what did you think of the Bath players in this game? Vote by clicking on to here

Bristol 30 Tries: Gibson, Contepomi (2) Cons: Drahm (3) Pens: Drahm (2) Drop goal: Drahm Bath 20 Tries: G Thomas, Maggs Cons: Barkley (2) Pens: Barkley (2)

Bristol: Drahm, Rees, Gibson, Higgins, Christophers, Contepomi, Pichot, Sheridan, Johnstone, E. Bergamaschi, S. Morgan, A. Brown, Short, Lipman, Oakley. Replacements: Skuse, Nelson, C. Morgan, Styles, Carrington, Hodgson.

Bath: Balshaw, Voyce, Maggs, Tindall, Seveali'i, Barkley, Cooper, Barnes, Humphreys, Mallett, Borthwick, Grewcock, G. Thomas, Beattie, N. Thomas. Replacements: Blake, Long, Stevens, Malone, Danielli, Scaysbrook, Lyle.