Following a 40-14 victory over Munster in the Investec Champions Cup clash at the Rec on Saturday, here are the player ratings for Bath.
Backs
15 Tom de Glanville: Did his job reasonably well but rather let Munster have a 50/22 after allowing the ball to roll out, giving the Irish province an opportunity to attack. 5
14 Joe Cokanasiga: A couple of needless errors, but he chased hard and caused the visitors problems in the air. However, it wasn’t really a game where we saw the Bath back three with the ball in hand on too many occasions. 5
13 Max Ojomoh: Some great work defensively and he had the odd foray into the opposition defence but it was more about what he did without the ball. 7
12 Cameron Redpath: Similar to Ojomoh but he was also a threat at the breakdown and Redpath set up Arundell’s try with a pinpoint kick through. 7
11 Henry Arundell: Looks an even better player having worked on his basics. Everyone knows about Arundell’s ability in attack but he chased hard and defended well. 7
10 Finn Russell: It’s been an odd couple of matches from the Scotland star. As he did against Saracens, there were some really poor errors and Russell was perhaps fortunate they did not prove costly, but there were also some exceptional moments. 7
9 Ben Spencer (c): For the second week in a row, Spencer made up for his half-back partner’s inaccuracies by putting in a consummate display after terrorising the Munster back three. Bath’s game plan was based around kicking, and the England international did his job superbly well. 9
Forwards
8 Miles Reid: Another game where the number eight was mightily effective at close quarters, making life very difficult for Munster at the breakdown. Usually, that is the Irish side’s speciality but they were outdone by the hosts. 7
7 Guy Pepper: Similar to Reid, his job was to disrupt and Pepper managed that rather well. It did not look spectacular but it was ideal performance for the conditions. 7
6 Josh Bayliss: Has improved his tight game over the years but it’s Bayliss’ athleticism which is his greatest strength and he roamed around the field to great effect. 7
5 Charlie Ewels: Part of a lineout defence which utterly dominated Munster’s set-piece. Ewels had his best game of the season to provide Bath with platform to claim an important Investec Champions Cup victory. 8
4 Quinn Roux: Similar to Ewels, it was his efforts in the set-piece proved crucial to their win. Roux got up to compete and managed to disrupt the Munstermen as the unheralded lock pairing shone. 8
3 Will Stuart: Worryingly went off injured early in the second period but before that he did a very good job. His physicality at close quarters was a real asset as he sent the Munster scrum into reverse. 7
2 Tom Dunn: Another big shift from the hooker, who did his core set-piece roles well and was a ubiquitous presence in the loose. It was the type of game he thrives in. 7
1 Beno Obano: Just as effective as his propping partner with Obano aggressive in the carry and the scrum. 7
Replacements: Bath had lost some of their momentum when they made mass changes around the hour mark. It did bring a bit more energy but there were still a few too many mistakes. However, Springboks prop Thomas du Toit was, as ever, immense and made an impact in both the scrum and the loose. Sam Underhill, who came on at the start of the second period, was equally impressive, throwing himself into contact and winning a turnover at the breakdown. 7