Zak Feaunati scored a try on his return to Headingley as Bath pulled off a
shock win over Leeds and picked up a bonus point into the bargain.
The Samoan number eight, snapped up by the West Country side in the close
season, took only 20 minutes to get on the scoresheet and played a full part in
an irresistible display by the new-look Bath pack.
Already it looks as if their summer signings, prop David Flatman in
particular, may turn their fortunes around after two seasons in the doldrums.
Leeds, with a 28% rise in season ticket numbers adding to the sense of
optimism after a fifth-place finish in last season's Zurich Premiership, look to
have gone backwards.
The way their scrum disintegrated must have been painful watching for director
of rugby Phil Davies.
The home side might have scored within a minute but Duncan Hodge's clever
cross kick only resulted in a five metre scrum which Bath successfully
repelled.
A succession of big drives from their line-out signalled Bath's intention and,
when Leeds fell offside in the 13th minute, Olly Barkley was left with a simple
penalty to open the scoring.
New full-back Tim Walsh kicked out on the full from the restart and Bath piled
on the pressure again after Rob Fiddler snaffled a loose ball.
Brendan Daniel, one of six former Bristol players on the field, committed the
cover on the right before the ball came back for Alex Crockett to send Feaunati
over and Barkley added the conversion.
Bath quickly stretched their lead to 17-0 when another simple overlap
presented a try for former England full-back Matt Perry, Barkley finding the
mark again with his kick.
Although Hodge put three points up for Leeds on the half-hour a long-range
drop goal from Bath fly-half Chris Malone sent the visitors in at half-time with
a 20-3 lead - and this from a side for whom away victories have been
extraordinarily rare events in the last couple of seasons.
Barkley added a penalty soon after the restart and then Leeds lost yet another
line-out in their own 22 and swift Bath hands presented a try for Daniel on the
left wing.
At that point, however, Bath dropped their guard and another former Bristol
wing, David Rees, posted a try at the other end, Hodge converting and also
kicking a penalty immediately from the restart to make the scoreboard slightly
easier reading at 13-28.
Crockett went over at the posts almost immediately for Bath however and
Barkley's conversion restored the lead to 22 points.
At least Leeds could say they scored the try of the match when Alan Dickens
finished off a length-of-the-field move on 59 minutes and there was further
encouragement as new number eight Colm Rigney and Dan Scarborough earned the
home side a bonus point for achieving four tries in defeat.
But it was Barkley's kicking, three superb penalties in the last 15 minutes
that ensured Bath began the campaign on an encouraging note under new head coach
John Connolly.
Teams
Leeds: Walsh, Rees, Christophers, Davies, Scarbrough, Hodge,
Stuart-Smith, Shelley, Rawlinson, Holt, Morgan, Hooper, Salter,
Hyde, Rigney.
Replacements: Powell, Cusack, Campbell, Ponton, Dickens, Cardey,
Botham.
Tries: Rees, Dickens, Rigney, Scarbrough.
Cons: Hodge 3.
Pens: Hodge 2.
Bath: Perry, Best, Crockett, Barkley, Daniel, Malone, Wood,
Flatman, Humphreys, Bell, Fidler, Borthwick, Beattie, Lipman,
Fea'unati.
Replacements: Martens, Mears, Stevens, Kydd, Williams, Scaysbrook,
Gray.
Tries: Fea'unati, Perry, Daniel, Crockett.
Cons: Barkley 3.
Pens: Barkley 5. Drop Goals: Malone.
Att: 4,095
Ref: Ashley Rowden (RFU).
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