Burns the star of the show as Bath beat Wasps
PREMIERSHIP REPORT: Bath picked up an important 24-14 win over Wasps as Freddie Burns shone brightest at a wet and wintery Ricoh Arena.
The 28-year-old scored 19 points in a man-of-the-match display that included four penalties and an opportunistic try.
The victory moves Bath to within a point of their matchday opponents with both sides firmly in the running for the lucrative semifinal spots.
Burns and Billy Searle traded penalties in the early stages of a first-half that saw a combined 15 penalties given away.
Here’s what you’ve all been waiting for – the #GallagherPrem Christmas table 🎄@ExeterChiefs sitting pretty as they toppled @Saracens, while @SaleSharksRugby, @LeicesterTigers and @SaintsRugby all move up 🙌
A significant weekend in the long run? pic.twitter.com/Bwt4LZnuYc
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) December 23, 2018
Both of the No.10s made good use of the greasy surface as the scores were tied at 6-6 with 20 minutes played.
It was the Bath flyhalf who got the first try of the match when he ignored his backs and tucked the ball under his arm to dot down himself from 40 metres out.
The conversion attempt produced the first miss of match and kept Wasps within touching distance.
Five minutes before half-time Nizaam Carr was sent to the sin bin for a high tackle on Semesa Rokoduguni but Burns kicked wide.
Another exchange from Searle and Burns meant it was just the latter’s opportune try that separated the sides, 14-9 at half-time.
After the restart Burns knocked over his fourth penalty of the match before captain Will Chudley made the most of some sustained bath pressure he lunged for the bottom of the post on his 100th Premiership appearance.
Just as Wasps looked out of it they had a try of their own, Thomas Young peeling off blind from a driving maul. A missed Searle conversion made it 24-14.
Both sides rung the changes in the final 20 minutes but the scoreline remained the same to give the visiting Bath fans a welcomed early Christmas present.
The scorers:
For Wasps:
Try: Young
Pens: Searle 3
For Bath:
Tries: Burns, Chudley
Con: Burns
Pens: Burns 4
Yellow card: Nizaam Carr (Wasps, 34 – foul play, high tackle)
Teams:
Wasps: 15 Willie Le Roux, 14 Ross Neal, 13 Elliot Daly, 12 Michael Le Bourgeois, 11 Josh Bassett, 10 Billy Searle, 9 Craig Hampson, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Thomas Young, 6 Brad Shields, 5 Kearnan Myall, 4 Will Rowlands, 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 2 Ashley Johnson (captain), 1 Ben Harris.
Replacements: 16 Tom Cruse, 17 Zurabi Zhvania, 18 Kieran Brookes, 19 Charlie Matthews, 20 Nathan Hughes, 21 Dan Robson, 22 Lima Sopoaga, 23 Michele Campagnaro.
Bath: 15 James Wilson, 14 Semesa Rokoduguni, 13 Max Wright, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 Ruaridh McConnochie, 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Will Chudley (captain), 8 Francois Louw, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Tom Ellis, 5 Elliott Stooke, 4 Dave Attwood, 3 Henry Thomas, 2 Tom Dunn, 1 Nathan Catt.
Replacements: 16 Ross Batty, 17 Jacques van Rooyen, 18 Max Lahiff, 19 Matt Garvey, 20 Zach Mercer, 21 Max Green, 22 Max Clark, 23 Cooper Vuna.
Referee: Matthew Carley
Assistant Referees: Jonathan Healy & Roy Maybank.
TMO: Keith Lewis.
Source: @premrugby
So that concludes the pre-Christmas collection of classics 🙌
MASSIVE results for @SaintsRugby, @ExeterChiefs, @LeicesterTigers, @SaleSharksRugby, @bathrugby and @gloucesterrugby 👏
What was the #GallagherPrem game of the weekend in your eyes? 👀 pic.twitter.com/BpbDlS1Luj
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) December 23, 2018
