Hook boots Gloucester to victory over Bath

Gloucester came from behind to upset West Country rivals Bath 11-15 at the Recreation Ground in the Aviva Premiership.

Bath scored the only try of the match in the first half and Gloucester won the match through former Wales international James Hook’s boot.

The result pushes Gloucester up the table and into the top six and is the Cherry and Whites first win in Bath for four years.

Dominic Day’s try and Tom Homer’s penalty helped the hosts into an 8-0 advantage before David Humphreys’ team got themselves back in the contest by the break via James Hook’s three-pointer.

Homer and Hook then traded efforts off the tee but Gloucester controlled the second-half and their fly-half added three more penalties to secure the victory.

Both West Country sides have endured inauspicious campaigns so far this season but the hosts opened confidently. Their power up front was particularly prominent and the first 10 minutes was played exclusively in the visitors’ half. That pressure led to a yellow card for Tom Savage following a collapsed drive; an indiscretion that was one too many for referee Matthew Carley.

The maul, a tactic which was proving to be profitable for Mike Ford’s men, then led to the first score as Day crossed the whitewash from close range. Homer missed the conversion but managed to add a penalty seven minutes later to extend Bath’s buffer to eight points.

It was a score their territorial dominance deserved but the away team soon managed to gain a foothold in proceedings. They duly reduced the arrears at the interval when Hook kicked a penalty.

Early in the second period the fly-half was at it again, adding another three-pointer, before Homer made the score 11-6 in Bath’s favour from the tee.

With the weather worsening, the game became even more attritional and it was Gloucester who took charge.

Humphreys’ side managed to put their arch rivals under significant pressure and win penalties in the opposition half. That gave Hook chances to go for goal and three successive efforts allowed the visitors to edge 15-11 in front, a lead that was enough to give them the win.

Final Score Bath 11 (8) Gloucester 15 (3)

Scorers

Bath
Tries – Day
Pen – Homer (2)
Con –
Drop –

Gloucester
Tries –
Pen – Hook (5)
Con –
Drop –

Match Officials
Referee :Matthew Carly (38th Premiership game).
Assistant Referees: Andrew Jackson & Simon McConnell.
TMO: Sean Davey.

Teams

Bath

15 Tom Homer , 14 Semesa Rokoduguni , 13 Matt Banahan , 12 Kyle Eastmond , 11 Horacio Agulla , 10 Dan Bowden , 9 Chris Cook , 1 Max Lahiff , 2 Rob Webber , 3 David Wilson , 4 Stuart Hooper (c) , 5 Dominic Day , 6 Matt Garvey , 7 Francois Louw , 8 Leroy Houston

Replacements: 16 Tom Dunn , 17 Nathan Catt , 18 Henry Thomas , 19 Charlie Ewels , 20 Tom Ellis , 21 Alafoti Faosiliva , 22 Niko Matawalu , 23 Max Clark

Gloucester

Billy Burns; Charlie Sharples, Bill Meakes, Billy Twelvetrees (capt), Steve McColl; James Hook, Willi Heinz; Paddy McAllister, Richard Hibbard, John Afoa; Tom Savage Mariano Galarza; Sione Kalamafoni, Jacob Rowan, Ben Morgan

Replacements: Darren Dawidiuk, Nick Wood, Nicky Thomas, Elliott Stooke, Matt Kvesic, Callum Braley, Mark Atkinson, Ross Moriarty