Match Centre: Gallagher Premiership: Newcastle Falcons 17-28 Bath Rugby
Joe Cokanasiga was one of the try scorer for Bath Rugby
©Steve Haag
Newcastle Falcons 17-28 Bath Rugby, Kingston Park
Bath scored four first half tries as they went on to beat Newcastle Falcons 28-17 in the 17th round of the Gallagher Premiership at Kingston Park on Friday.
Bath now have drawn level with Northampton at 55 points but continue to remain second while Newcastle are languishing at the bottom after losing all their 17 matches.
Bath made a promising start to the encounter as Thomas du Toit dived from close range in the 4th minute and Finn Russell kicked the conversion to make it 0-7.
They doubled their tally in the 13th minute as scrum-half Ben Spencer picked the ball from the base of the ruck to touchdown in the 13th minute and shortly as Joe Cokanasiga powered over in the corner for their third try that came in the 26th minute. Russell kicked his third conversion as the visitors extended their lead to 0-21.
The first response from Newcastle came in the 30th minute when Jamie Blamire dotted down at the back of a maul but Bath claimed the bonus point in the 38th minute when Matt Gallagher showed great pace to dive in the corner making it 5-28.
Just at the stroke of half time, Newcastle narrowed down the deficit with Jamie Blamire diving over at the back of a driving maul but Connon's missed conversion meant Bath still had a 10-28 lead at the end of the opening half.
Both sides were desperate for a breakthrough in the second half which did not come until the 63rd minute when scrum-half Sam Stuart scored at the back of close range ruck and Connon improved making it 17-28.
Any chance of a Newcastle late surge was put off with Bryan Byrne sin-binned in the 79th minute as as Bath completed a 11 point victory.
Team line up:
Newcastle: Brown, Radwan, Moroni, Hutchison, Redshaw, Connon, Stuart; Brocklebank, Blamire, Bello, Cardall, De Chaves, Cross, Pepper, Chick
Reserves: Palframan, B Byrne, Dormer, Hawkins, Lockwood, Spencer, Elliott, Jennings.
Bath: Gallagher, Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Redpath, Muir, Russell, Spencer; Obano, Dunn, Du Toit, Rowe, Ewels, Hill, Underhill, Barbeary.
Reserves: Bayliss, Annett, Stuart, Schoeman, Schreuder, Bailey, Reid, Du Plessis.
