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Richards left it to the leaders

Two late tries from Mark Wilson and Ben Harris sealed a late comeback which moved them into sixth on the table. For Bath, it was their third league defeat in a row, despite a pair of tries for Semesa Rokoduguni to take him second on the club's all time try scorers list.

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And Richards said the turnaround was all down to the leaders on the field and the vocal home support.

"I didn't say much at half-time, the players were saying it themselves and you don't have to say anything when they do that. The players have to take a lot of credit themselves. We leaked a couple of soft tries but this side does have belief to go out there and come back and win a game.

"The crowd were outstanding, especially that last five minutes, the players came in afterwards and said the crowd carried them through. We knew it was going to be nip and tuck because they [Bath] are a really good side. The boys had belief and really stuck at it.

"We went 12 points down and just went for it. They showed a lot of courage to do that and come back against a side like Bath," Richards said.

Bath remain fourth on the table and had taken the lead early in the second half when George Ford ran in under the posts. That was followed up by two tries for Rokoduguni, who surpassed Iain Balshaw on the Bath's try scorers list and is now only behind Matt Banahan.

But director of rugby Todd Blackadder was left to rue soft errors which cost his side – who had been 12 points to the good going into the final 10 minutes.

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"I think it's being really clinical at the right time. The ability to do the basics well under a  lot of pressure, you can't take the ball into contact and be turned over and giving away penalties.

"You have to get the simple things right because if you don't you certainly pay for it. Newcastle are a good side, they never gave up, we certainly had a good chance to get control of the game but were put under pressure and those little passes didn't go to hand.

"You make few mistakes in this competition you really pay for it," Blackadder said.

@premrugby

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