Match Centre: Gallagher Premiership: Gloucester 27-45 Bath
Finn Russell kicked five conversions and a penalty goal
©PA
Gloucester Rugby 27-45 Bath Rugby, Kingsholm
Bath returned back to winning ways as they defeated Gloucester 45-27 in the fifth round of the Gallagher Premiership at Kingsholm on Friday.
The visitors started the game with a setback as skipper Ben Spencer was sin-binned for an offside in the third minute following which George Barton and Finn Russell traded penalties as the scores remained levelled by the end of the 10th minute.
Chris Harris, who was captain of Gloucester in the previous game powered over as he went past Bath's defence in the 18th minute and Barton improved to make it 10-3 but once again Bath responded back with Ollie Lawrence shrugging off two players to dot down. Russell once again got the kicking right as the scores were levelled for the second time in the game.
The momentum once again shifted towards Gloucester as Santiago Carreras on his return from World Cup dived in the corner and he also improved with the conversion to make it 17-10.
Russell missed a chance to narrow down the gap as his penalty goal drifted wide but Barton landed a three-pointer after a high tackle as Gloucester completed the opening half with a 20-10 lead.
Bath showed better intent at the start of the second half as Will Muir went past Joe Cokanasiga for their second try while Thomas du Toit and Beno Obano followed the suit as they extended the lead to 20-31 by the end of the third quarter.
The 64th minute saw Gloucester's Jack Clement yellow carded for bringing down a driving maul that also resulted in a penalty try for Bath making it 20-38 before Matias Alemanno dived from close range in the 69th minute to give Gloucester some hope.
Nevertheless, Bath ensured there was no slip up as Lawrence completed his double to seal a 18 point victory.
Team line up:
Gloucester: Carreras, May, Harris, Atkinson, Thorley, Barton, Varney; Vivas, McGuigan, Balmain, Clarke, Alemanno, Clement, Tuisue, Ludlow.
Reserves: Socino, Ford-Robinson, Gotovtsev, Thomas, Donnell, Young, Llewllyn
Bath: De Glanville, Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Ojomah, Muir, Russell, Spencer; Obano, Dunn, Stuart, Lee-Warner, Ewels, Reid, Barbeary, Underhill.
Reserves: Annett, Schoeman, Du Toit, McNally, Coetzee, Carr-Smith, Harris, Gallagher.
