Relegation-haunted Bath were humiliated beyond recognition at a packed
Kingsholm as they crashed to a club record league defeat.
Bath were simply torn to shreds as second-placed Gloucester scored nine tries,
including a hat trick for their exciting young English wing prospect James
Simpson-Daniel.
Bath, who were without five injured international backs, were unable to give
Gloucester anything other than an end-of-season work-out.
And Bath's 11th successive away defeats of the Premiership campaign means that
they are still racked by relegation worries.
The fallen West Country giants, six-times English champions and kings of
Europe just four years ago, must beat Wasps in their final game at the
Recreation Ground next Sunday.
If they fail, and bottom club Leeds can beat either Sale on Wednesday or
Gloucester next Sunday, then bonus points permitting, Bath will probably finish
12th and last, and provided that English rugby chiefs sanction Rotherham's
promotion from National League One then Bath will play Second Division Rugby
next term.
Such a demise is an astonishing prospect for a club that has won 16 domestic
titles and lifted the Heineken Cup with victory over Brive in 1998.
But the current Bath set-up is a shambles, and this defeat comfortably
eclipsed their previous worst all-time league loss - a 48-9 reversal against
Premiership champions Leicester last September.
Bath's combination of youthful inexperience and under-performing international
players was simply blown away.
Gloucester effectively made certain of Heineken Cup rugby next season by
romping home as they cut open the Bath defence with ludicrous ease.
Without the likes of injured stars Mike Catt, Matt Perry and Mike Tindall,
Bath offered nothing in attack and were unable to stem the relentless Gloucester
tide.
Gloucester had collected a four-try bonus point before half-time, such was
their dominance in every department.
Simpson-Daniel collected the first on five minutes, and when number eight
Junior Paramore added a second just 10 minutes later, Bath were already facing a
damage-limitation exercise.
Further scores from centre Robert Todd and French prop Patrice Collazo kept
Bath totally on the back foot, and fly-half Ludovic Mercier, who finished with
23 points from the boot dropped an injury time goal to make it 35-0 at the
break.
Bath tried everything to halt the points flow, but worse was to follow after
the break when centre Terry Fanolua and full-back Henry Paul touched down after
capitalising on weak tackling during a seven-minute spell.
Bath centre Sam Cox grabbed a consolation try just 60 seconds after Paul's
efforts, but the closing stages belonged to Simpson-Daniel, who showed his
blistering pace and finishing power to add two further tries either side of
Fanolua completing his double.
Bath substitute Garry Delve had the final say when he was driven over from a
late line-out, but Bath had already been subjected to an embarrassing mauling
and derisory chance of "going down, going down," from a capacity 11,000 crowd.
On this dismal evidence, it would be hard to disagree with the Gloucester
faithful.
Teams
Gloucester: Paul, Albanese, Fanolua, Todd, Simpson-Daniel,
Mercier, Gomarsall, Collazo, Azam, Pucciarello, Fidler,
Cornwell, Forrester, Boer, Paramore.
Replacements: Frape for Albanese (78), Beim for Fanolua (68),
Woodman for Collazo (58), Fortey for Azam (51),
Pearce for Cornwell (40), Sewabu for Paramore (69).
Not Used: Vickery.
Tries: Simpson-Daniel 3, Paramore, Todd, Collazo,
Fanolua 2, Paul.
Cons: Mercier 7.
Pens: Mercier 2.
Drop Goals: Mercier.
Bath: Thirlby, Voyce, Cox, Davy, Danielli, Barkley, Dalzell,
D. Barnes, Regan, Emms, Borthwick, Grewcock, G. Thomas,
N. Thomas, Lyle.
Replacements: Delve for Thirlby (64), Crockett for Davy (69),
Cooper for Dalzell (46), Mallett for D. Barnes (51),
Long for Regan (46), Knox for N. Thomas (62).
Not Used: Gabey.
Tries: Cox, Delve.
Cons: Barkley.
Att: 11,000
Ref: David McHugh (Ireland).
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