Well it certainly was a night that lived up to all expectations, Bath running in a further 4-try bonus point and coming away worthy 23-27 winners, with Butch James giving possibly his finest masterclass to date for the visitors, in controlling a rugby match.

Bath charged at Wasps from the off, clearly determined to make inroads into the 56-point 8-year aggregate league deficit, and following an Abendanon high kick, the ball was gathered by Stevens who in turn fed Dixon and Johnny F before Michael Claassens slid in under the Wasps radar and static pack to garner the first try on 5 minutes. The conversion was missed, although many of us thought it looked perfectly placed.

Wasps pack were off the pace with high tackles flying in left right and centre as Bath carved opening after opening, fantastic angles being run by backs and forwards alike, with Wasps having very little answer to Bath's pace and technique. The rampaging Stevens was all over the place as Bath surged in waves through the middle and distributed out wide in the first 20. On two occasions Maddock and then Abendanon could have gone wide and got in, but it was the irrepressible Stevens who went in on 14 minutes after the ball had once again passed through a wonderful handling phase that involved Jack Cuthbert, Johnny F, and Joe Maddock. James converted for 0-12.

It was one-way traffic for the first 20 until the early-returning Cipriani put 3 points on the board for Wasps after 23 minutes (3-12), following which Wasps started to get limited possession and make a game of it. Haskell replaced Worsley (tactical) on 30 minutes which also gave focus to Wasps work around the fringes. In a further example of bizarre officiating Cipriani was denied a penalty on 33 minutes, not given by Sean Davey as his assistant referees dithered, but boy wonder put three more on for Wasps after 35 and some illegal Bath use of the boot for 6-12. Wasps then put together their best phases of the first half and after a storming break by Bath old boy Voyce from his own half, Flutey was eventually put over after a brave attempt by Byrne to halt proceedings.

With the try converted by Cipriani, bizarrely Bath found themselves down 16-12 at half-time, following a further Wasps penalty, in a forty minutes that ranked as one of the best I have seen in ages and in which Bath had applied nearly all of the pressure, and flowing rugby.

Scaysbrook replaced Lipman at the start of the second half, both Lipman and Harrison having taken some solid treatment from the home team in the first half. Justin Harrison, for me one of the most astute Meehan signings, is going to be an awesome pairing with Danny Grewcock when the latter returns. It was Harrison's brand of courage that differentiated Bath in the second half - as with the game on a knife edge, the many steady Bath hands at the helm came good and with Butch James calling most of the shots, the longer it went on, the better it looked. Indeed, the Classens-James-Byrne axis looks more comfortable with every game. Classens was majestic, both with speed of distribution and his general agitation of the play.

It was Bath who once again took the initiative and offensive to Wasps at the start of the second half - Pieter Dixon going over for a try after 6 minutes following more Stevens power from the 22, putting the hooker over at a canter after repeated pick and drive work. Conversion  missed 16-17. Sean Davey missed a blatant body check of Abendanon on Wasps 22 on 10 minutes but Bath did subsequently get a penalty for offside which James converted for 16-20.

Mears, Bell and Higgins replaced Dixon, Barnes, and Cuthbert on 12 minutes and whilst the newcomers tried to settle, after numerous attempts on the Bath line, and Davey adjudging Bath not to be binding properly, the subsequent play from the set scrum saw Rees burrow his way over in the corner. Staunton who had replaced Cipriani, converted for 23-20.

At this point, the onlooking faithful were perhaps considering a bonus point as a decent result, but the onfield contingent were having none of it. Joe Maddock was eventually able to go over out wide midway through the half after a rampant handling phase started by our new back Duncan Bell at the base of a ruck with Johnny F, Abendanon and latterly Maddock all enjoying the party. Butch converted for 23-27.

Bath under James were never in doubt in the closing 15 minutes, having secured the try bonus point. James's kicking from hand was glorious, one clearance from 22 to 22 trickling into touch on about 10 metres as Bath wrapped up territory and possession to secure a wonderful win for the team and the travelling faithful who turned out in numbers to sample the midweek bill of fare.

It was a night to think the unthinkable. The only thing that didn't happen was the uncontested scrums although with Bath in such belligerent mood, I doubt even that from Wasps would have made much difference.

Steve Meehan's comments post-match indicated that in his "phase 1" of the current season, he is delighted, although a little surprised, for Bath Rugby to be at the top of the GP - and certainly he is ahead of where he had targetted to be. If Bath can deliver at this level consistently, and find cover for James for some games later in the season, just maybe it is time to start to consider the unthinkable, even if we want to watch a few more teams dispatched before we really believe.

Teams

Wasps

                                                       
15. Tom Voyce
14. Paul Sackey
13. Dominic Waldouck
12. Ricky Flutey
11. Josh Lewsey
10. Danny Cipriani
9. Eoin Reddan
1. Tim Payne
2. Raphael Ibanez (c)
3. Phil Vickery
4. Simon Shaw
5. Tom Palmer
6. Joe Worsley
7. Tom Rees
8. John Hart

16. Rob Webber
17. Tom French
18. Richard Birkett
19. James Haskell
20. Mark Robinson
21. Rob Hoadley
22. Jeremy Staunton

Bath Rugby

15 Nick Abendanon
14 Joe Maddock
13 Alex Crockett
12 Shaun Berne
11 Jack Cuthbert
10 Butch James
9 Michael Claassens
1 David Barnes
2 Pieter Dixon
3 Matt Stevens
4 Justin Harrison
5 Peter Short
6 Stuart Hooper
7 Michael Lipman ©
8 Jonny Faamatuainu

16 Lee Mears
17 Duncan Bell
18 Josh Ovens
19 James Scaysbrook
20 Scott Bemand
21 Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu
22 Andrew Higgins

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon

SPORTNETWORK SPECIALS