Bath 44-20 Gloucester: Match report and reaction

Match stats: Bath 44-20 Gloucester

Bath tries: Faletau (28,71,76), Brew (43), Clark (49), Fruean (67)
Conversions: Priestland (28,43,49,67)
Penalties: Priestland (22,56) 

Gloucester tries: May (34, 74), Halaifonua (80)
Conversions: Hook (80)
Penalties: Hohneck (26) 

Match report: Bath too hot

Taulupe Faletau scored a hat-trick as Bath secured bragging rights in a 44-20 victory over Gloucester.

Wales international Faletau scored half of his side's six touchdowns at the Rec.

Aled Brew, Max Clark and Robbie Fruean also went in, with Jonny May (two) and David Halaifonua responding.

Bath are now just four points behind fourth-placed Leicester but a losing bonus point in the final match would be enough for the Tigers to claim the remaining semi-final place.

The sluggish opening 20 minutes was to belie the second period in which both sides hardly had time to draw breath.

Rhys Priestland booted a penalty after 22 minutes when Gloucester went offside at a maul, but James Hook replied shortly after.

It was Faletau who grabbed the first try of the match straight from the restart of Hook's penalty when Bath retrieved the ball on the left and a box kick from scrum-half Kahn Fotuali'i put the home number eight over ahead of Gloucester number nine Willi Heinz.

Priestland added the conversion before a clever cross-field kick by centre Henry Trinder gave May an easy run-in to the corner from 10 metres for the first of his tries.

Bath director of rugby Todd Blackadder's half-time words of wisdom worked wonders, though, with Brew scoring just four minutes after the restart from extensive pressure inside the Gloucester 22.

And the Cherry and Whites were unzipped when Clark went on a straight line past hooker Richard Hibbard to romp over from 30 metres, Priestland adding the conversion.

That made it 24-8 and, from there, it was just a matter of whether Bath could get their bonus point as they upped their game into top gear.

Priestland kicked his second penalty of the match before replacement Fruean was put away to get over for the bonus point try.

Bath were now taking full advantage of some weak Gloucester defence and Faletau was on hand to take a great offload from fellow Wales international Luke Charteris on the right corner for his second.

May stormed over for his second try, thanks to a pass from replacement Charlie Sharples, but there was no stopping Bath and, with just four minutes left, the outstanding Faletau scored his third in the left-hand corner.

Halaifonua stepped inside the defence on the left to give Gloucester the last word but their chances of a top-six finish for European Champions Cup qualification are now gone and they will be aiming to win the European Challenge Cup on May 12 for any chance of entering the biggest continental competition next season.

Match reaction

Bath director of rugby Todd Blackadder on the club's play-off hopes: "We cannot control what the other teams are doing going forward but, when you leave these things to chance, these things happen.

"I am pleased we played the rugby we are capable of today. When I reflect on the season, inconsistencies have certainly really killed our chances. We can only really look at ourselves so it is what it is.

"But we wanted to finish things off today, particularly at home. There are a lot of guys who played their last home games and to make the top six in the Premiership was the goal."

On Faletau: "He was just unbelievable today. There was a world-class player right there."

Gloucester director of rugby David Humphreys on the injury to Motu Matu'u: "BT Sport thought Mots had been (knocked) out. I have not seen it at all. I was not with our comms (department during the game) but our discussion was that he had picked up a 'stinger' injury.

"He was taken off for an HIA (head injury assessment) on the back of what footage had been seen. He passed that in the dressing room and was able to come back onto the pitch.

"I was not aware of any issue or concern. We have got a top-quality medical team at Gloucester and everyone is aware of player welfare."

As for the game: "Embarrassing is probably the word. It is a huge sense of embarrassment and probably the worst 10 minutes of rugby in the last three years."