Match Centre: Champions Cup: Bath 37-14 Ulster

Bath 37-14 Ulster Rugby, Pool 2, The Recreation Ground

Bath came up with a five try performance as they defeated Ulster 37-14 in their opening round of the Investec Champions Cup at The Recreation Ground on Saturday.

The victory for Bath comes despite Ulster having a 8-14 lead at the break following which the home side scored four tries to make a terrific second half comeback.

Scotland fly-half Finn Russell made his European debut but his 14th minute penalty kick for Bath drifted wide as the teams remained scoreless. The first points eventually came in the 27th minute when Bath won a 5m scrum following which Ben Spencer sent a perfect pass for Joe Cokanasiga to touchdown.

Spencer missed the conversion but made amends with a penalty goal shortly as Bath took a 8-0 lead but it was short lived as Ollie Lawrence sent a clearance kick for Billy Burns to crossover in the 33rd minute and four minutes later Stuart McCloskey, James Hume and Robert Baloucoune combined to send Nathan Doak over for a converted try as Ulster completed the opening half with a six point lead.

Bath were the quickest to get off the block in the second half as Tom Dunn dived over following a powerful driving maul and Spencer followed with a conversion and a penalty goal to make it 18-14 before Ulster back row Matty Rea was sin-binned for not rolling away.

With the numerical advantage on their side, Bath added two further tries coming from Thomas du Toit and Cokanasiga to extend their lead to 30-14 heading into the final phase. As Ulster were found wanting, Matt Gallagher rounded off a fantastic game for Bath with the fifth and final try in the 78th minute to complete a 23 point victory.

Team line up:

Bath: Gallagher; Cokanasiga, Redpath, Lawrence, Muir; Russell, Spencer (capt); Obano, Dunn, Stuart, Stooke, Ewels, Reid, Underhill, Barbeary.

Reserves: Annett, Schoeman, Du Toit, Van Velze, Coetzee, Schreuder, Bailey, Butt.

Ulster: S Moore, Baloucoune, Hume, McCloskey, Stockdale, Burns, Doak; Kitshoff, Stewart, O'Toole, O'Connor, Henderson (capt), Ewers, Timoney, McNabney.

Reserves: Herring, Warwick, M Moore, Treadwell, Rea, Cooney, Flannery, Lowry.