Bath finished five tries short of securing a Heineken Cup quarter-final place
as they became the fourth English club to make their European exit.
The 1998 European champions followed Northampton, Wasps and Saracens into
Heineken Cup oblivion, although Bath's failure was an heroic one in appalling
conditions.
They needed 11 tries to steal a final runners-up spot, knocking Pau out of
contention and clinching a last-eight clash against French champions Stade
Francais in Paris next Saturday.
It predictably proved beyond them, yet they could hardly have given much more
as Ben Clarke and company trudged through ankle-deep mud that sapped stamina
from an early stage.
However, Leicester and Gloucester are left to fly the English flag - Tigers
hosting Welsh-Scottish League leaders Swansea and Gloucester entertaining
Cardiff.
A pre-match thunderstorm left large areas of the Recreation Ground under
water, while lightning also caused a brief partial floodlight failure.
With the pool four clash having already twice been postponed in controversial
circumstances due to a frozen pitch, French referee Daniel Gillet clearly felt
that this third attempt had to go ahead.
Despite the downpour, he made no pitch inspection, and Bath simply got on with
their job, wading through huge puddles against a Newport combination minus seven
first team regulars.
Both sides played their part in producing a match of high quality against all
odds, but the home side's task ultimately proved insurmountable, punished for
their lack of tries during home and away games against Munster last October.
Scrum-half Gareth Cooper claimed Bath's opening try inside six minutes,
skating clear through a blindside break that took him 35 metres to Newport's
line.
Flanker Gareth Thomas rounded off Mike Catt's searing break for a second
touchdown just three minutes later, full-back Matt Perry converting, and Bath
were on their way.
Newport, already out of Heineken Cup contention this season, manned the
barricades well after such a one-sided opening, although Bath's cause was
seriously hindered when Cooper limped off nursing a leg injury.
It upset their early rhythm, and Newport sensed a chance to get themselves
back into contention, which wing Martyn Llewellyn confirmed through an
impressive 30th-minute score that Shane Howarth miraculously converted from a
touchline flood.
Bath acknowledged their wake-up call though, and Cooper's replacement - New
Zealander Jon Preston - notched a 38th-minute score, converted by Perry, after
Newport flanker David Gray was sin-binned for killing possession.
But still the fates conspired against Bath, underlined just before the break
when Catt limped off - just 11 days prior to England launching their Six Nations
campaign against Wales in Cardiff - and Australian Shaun Berne went on.
Berne needed less than five minutes of the second period to make his mark,
charging down Howarth's sloppy attempted clearance and grabbing a gift try that
he also converted.
The clock ticked relentlessly against Bath's quarter-final hopes, but after
Howarth kicked a short-range penalty, home hooker Mark Regan ploughed over to
give an enthralled crowd renewed hope.
Bath subsequently laid siege to the Newport 22 - Berne adding his second
touchdown, and converting - but that was that.
Teams
Bath: Perry, Balshaw, Maggs, Tindall, Voyce, Catt, Cooper,
Emms, Regan, Mallett, Haag, Borthwick, G. Thomas, Clarke, Lyle.
Replacements: A. Adebayo for Balshaw (62), Berne for Catt (38),
Preston for Cooper (11), Barnes for Emms (49),
Long for Regan (64), Gabey for Haag (64), N. Thomas for Clarke (57).
Tries: Cooper, G. Thomas, Preston, Berne 2, Regan.
Cons: Perry 2, Berne, Lyle.
Newport: Pini, M. Llewellyn,
Howarth, Pritchard, Breeze,
Mitchell, Edwards, C. Jones, Young, Garvey, Raiwalui, Gough,
Popham, D. Gray, Teichmann.
Replacements: Burn for Edwards (71), Fortey for C. Jones (77),
Richards for Young (64), Taylor for Gough (69),
Powell for D. Gray (72).
Not Used: M. Watkins.
Tries: M. Llewellyn.
Cons: Howarth.
Pens: Howarth.
Sin Bin: D. Gray (37).
Att: 3,500
Ref: Daniel Gillet (France).
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