| London Irish: (35) 47 |
| Tries: Hassell-Collins 3, Loader 3 Jackson Cons: Jackson 6 |
| Bath: (5) 38 |
| Tries: Hamer-Webb, Gallagher, Cokanasiga, Annett 2, Francis Cons: Bailey 4 |
London Irish made more trouble for struggling Bath by scoring seven tries in an entertaining 47 to 38 win.
Ollie Hassell Collins scored a hat trick and Ben Loader twice as Irish got a bonus point within half an hour – Gabriel Hamer Webb’s attempt was a rare plus for Bath.
Just after the break, Joe Cokanasiga was able to score for Bath. Loader had already completed his hat-trick.
Niall Annett, a Bath debutant scored twice late to secure a losing bonus points.
However, any hopes of a comeback were dashed when Paddy Jackson scored a seventh Irish try for the Exiles in the last minutes of the game before Piers Francis crossed the finish line for Bath.
Irish started off well as Hassell-Collins, winger, walked in four minutes after a Will Joseph break. Loader’s acrobatic attempt in the corner ten minutes later was the catalyst.
Gallagher’s brilliant offload of Hamer Webb appeared to have won the Blue, Black, Whites and Whites back into the game, but Irish quickly restored their superiority after Hassell-Collins fed Loader.
GJ van Velze and Josh McNally were both injured. Bath’s problems continued. Josh Bayliss was slapped for not rolling away, and Hassell-Collins used the extra man to cross in the corner for his second, before doing the same for his threerd. Bath’s defense of wide areas was poor.
Bath needed to improve after the break, and they did. Gallagher found an overlap following some excellent counter-rucking from Wesley White. Cokanasiga fought his way through a few tackles for Bath’s second six minutes later.
Loader was impressed by Hassell-Collins’ three tries. Loader ran between Francis and Max Ojomoh, to reach the posts just 24 minutes later.
Bath won the game with three tries in 10 minutes. Annett, who was in suspension after receiving a red card last month as a substitute, scored twice from close range before Jackson, an ex-Ireland flyhalf, responded.
After Will Goodrick-Clarke and Api Ratuniyarawa were yellow-carded for their crimes, Irish was reduced to 13 men. Annett, a former Worcester hooker, found the space to place Francis in Bath’s sixth attempt.
London Irish Arundell; Loader; W Joseph, van Rensburg. Hassell-Collins. Jackson, White. Fischetti, Creevy.
Replacements: Vajner, Goodrick-Clarke, Hoskins, Caulfield, Gonzalez, Cunningham-South, Englefield, Stokes.
Bath: Gallagher, Cokanasiga; J Joseph, Ojomoh and Hamer-Webb, Bailey, Schreuder, Schoeman, Dunn, Stuart, Roux (capt), McNally, van Velze Reid, Bayliss, Bayliss
Replacements: Annett, Boyce and Rae Ellis, White, Green Francis, McConnochie
Referee: Karl Dickson