Bath clung on to European survival as they took Munster's 100% Heineken Cup
record at a windswept Recreation Ground on Saturday night.
But a quarter final place could still prove beyond the 1998 European champions
as Munster kept them try-less for a second successive Pool Four weekend.
Try counts will ultimately separate teams level on points, and Bath have so
far managed just three touchdowns in four matches.
After defeats against Newport and Munster though, victory was the
all-important scenario, and it was duly delivered by substitute scrum-half Jon
Preston.
New Zealand All Black Preston kicked four penalties after replacing the
injured Gareth Cooper a minute before half-time.
England full-back Matt Perry had already booted Bath into a 6-0 lead by the
time Preston appeared, and their combined accuracy silenced Munster's sizeable
travelling support.
The visitors would have had even more fans among a capacity 8,200 crowd had
bad weather not caused three ferries from Ireland to be cancelled on Saturday morning.
Munster flanker David Wallace scored the solitary try of an error-strewn
encounter, but they never recovered from losing captain Mick Galwey through a
knee injury after just 27 minutes.
Last season's Heineken Cup runners up had won their opening three Group games,
yet fly-half Ronan O'Gara missed four kicks at goal, blowing a possible 11
points which would have made Bath's task far tougher.
Munster didn't help their cause when prop Peter Clohessy was sin-binned in the
second half, and despite them throwing everything into attack during the closing
minutes, Bath held out.
However, the home side's spirited defending may have come at a cost.
Centre and former England captain Phil de Glanville needed treatment on the
pitch after the final whistle, and was gingerly helped away nursing what
appeared to be a serious shoulder injury.
Bath still have it all to do in Europe, but victory in their remaining two
matches against Castres and Newport when the tournament resumes next January
could put them in the quarter final picture.
Munster, despite Saturday's loss should still finish top of Pool Four, given
that their remaining fixtures are against the same opponents, yet Bath provided
some overdue success for England's beleaguered Heineken Cup challenge.
None of England's six representatives could manage a win between them last
weekend, and with Saracens, Northampton and Gloucester having already lost this
time around, the English bid for European glory is fading fast.
Mike Catt made a solid return for Bath after seven weeks out injured,
providing some all-important crucial touches, but it wasn't a night for pretty
rugby, or about the percentage game.
Perry struck two penalties in the opening 15 minutes, and as O'Gara struggled
desperately to find the target, Preston slotted his first goal to give Bath a
9-0 interval lead.
Wallace ploughed over for a try on 44 minutes, but that score galvanised the
Bath defence and the remainder of proceedings belonged to Preston as he slotted
three further penalties during an eight-minute spell in the third quarter.
Munster finished strongly, yet presented with such difficult conditions, a
13-point deficit was always going to prove too much.
Teams:
Bath: Perry, Balshaw, De Glanville, Tindall, Maggs, Catt,
Cooper, Emms, Regan, Horsman, Haag, Borthwick, Gardiner,Clarke, Lyle.
Not Used: Preston, Long, Mallett, Berne, A. Adebayo, G. Thomas,N. Thomas.
Pens: Perry 2, Preston 4.
Munster: Crotty, Kelly, Mullins, Holland, Horgan, O'Gara,
Stringer, P. Clohessy, Sheahan, Hayes, Galwey, Langford,Quinlan, Wallace, Foley.
Not Used: Tierney, Keane, Staunton, O'Driscoll, McMahon,Blaney, Horan.
Sin Bin: P. Clohessy (58).
Tries: Wallace.
Att: 8,200
Ref: N Whitehouse (Welsh RFU).
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