Bok brothers score in Rec stalemate
PREMIERSHIP REPORT: Joe Cokanasiga’s late try rescued a share of the spoils for Bath in a wet and windy low-scoring Premiership clash with Sale Sharks on Sunday.
With points at a premium in tough conditions at the Rec – the game was scoreless in the first half.
That was the first time since April 2016 that no team had scored a point in the first half of a Premiership game as both Freddie Burns and Rob du Preez missed penalties.
Denny Solomona thought he had crossed for a try on the stroke of half-time, when he collected his flyhalf’s cross-field kick but Cokanasiga did just enough to put him off and the TMO adjudged it a knock on.
The Sharks had mounted a fine defensive stand in the first half and it was they that finally drew first blood on the resumption.
Springbok loose forward Jean-Luc du Preez managed to burst over the line from close range and his Bok brother Robert added the extras for a vital 7-0 lead.
And for long periods it looked like that might be enough as James Wilson pushed a penalty wide for Bath.
But replacement Cooper Vuna then came on and created Bath’s score.
He evaded two tacklers to get clear down the left and then put a clever kick back infield for Cokanasiga to collect and slide over.
Wilson added the extras to level the scores at 7-all and that was how it stayed, enough for Sale to climb off the foot of the table and back above Newcastle – while Bath sits sixth in the standings, but have still not won successive home games in the league since February.
Joe Cokanasiga rescued @bathrugby with a late try to secure a share of the spoils at a wet & windy Recreation Ground 🏉
REPORT 👉: https://t.co/1tIzmM0ZeZ pic.twitter.com/R03sK9cd48
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) December 2, 2018
The scorers:
For Bath:
Try: Cokanasiga
Con: Wilson
For Sale Sharks:
Try: JL du Preez
Con: R du Preez
Teams:
Bath: 15 Ruaridh McConnochie, 14 Semesa Rokoduguni, 13 Jackson Willison, 12 Max Wright, 11 Joe Cokanasiga, 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Kahn Fotuali’i, 8 Zach Mercer, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Charlie Ewels (captain), 4 Elliott Stooke, 3 Henry Thomas, 2 Jack Walker, 1 Nathan Catt.
Replacements: 16 Ross Batty, 17 Jacques van Rooyen, 18 Max Lahiff, 19 Matt Garvey, 20 Tom Ellis, 21 Will Chudley, 22 James Wilson, 23 Cooper Vuna.
Sale Sharks: 15 Chris Ashton, 14 Denny Solomona, 13 Sam James, 12 James O’Connor, 11 Byron McGuigan, 10 Rob du Preez, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Jean-Luc du Preez, 7 Ben Curry, 6 Jono Ross (captain), 5 James Phillips, 4 Josh Beaumont, 3 WillGriff John, 2 Rob Webber, 1 Ross Harrison.
Replacements: 16 Curtis Langdon, 17 Tom Bristow, 18 James Jones, 19 Andrei Ostrikov, 20 Bryn Evans, 21 Will Cliff, 22 Luke James, 23 Josh Strauss.
Referee: Luke Pearce
Assistant referees: Christophe Ridley & Jonathan Healy.
TMO: Geoff Warren.
Source: @premrugby
