Bath ……………………………… 28pts
Tries: Arundell 7, Redpath 24, Obano 35, Ojomoh 77
Conversions: Spencer 8, 25, 36, 78
Try: Jibulu 47
Conversion: Ford 48
Penalty: Ford 3
Drop goals: Ford 19, 33
On a wet and stormy night at the Rec, skipper Ben Spencer plotted safe passage for the champions with yet another immaculate display at scrum-half with England coach Steve Borthwick in the stands to note and inwardly digest.
Spencer steered Bath around the pitch adroitly, kicked superbly, and his calmness and good decision-making conjured another fine performance out of stand-in fly-half Max Ojomoh.
Indeed, the half-back pairing combined brilliantly at the death to garner the bonus point try with Ojomoh reading Spencer like a book to race onto a chip into the small in-goal area and touchdown with inches to spare.
It was a strong finish for Bath, who had started well only to encounter stern resistance from the visitors after the break on a night when much of the rugby defied the awful conditions.
Match action
It was one of those wild, sodden West Country evenings when the proposed stadium developments at the Rec not only make infinite sense, they seem more of a humanitarian issue. You cannot expect people to pay good money to sit under a cold sluicing shower for two hours, no matter how good the action. That 18,000 all-seater new stadium can not come quickly enough.
Bath and North East Somerset Council have given the green light, and the government has indicated that they won’t be challenging that decision, so it’s time for the talking to stop.
Notwithstanding the elements, there was plenty of good action to lift the spirits, even if Bath did suffer an early setback with Charlie Ewels going down with a disabling knee injury.
Sale struck first with an early penalty from George Ford before Bath replied with a sharply taken try by Henry Arundell after good work from Ollie Lawrence down the left touchline, although the final pass, as seems obligatory these days, appeared well forward.
Bath thought they were over for a second from Guy Pepper, but the young tearaway was adjudged to have crawled over from close range. Correct call and, having dodged a bullet, Sale rallied a little with a smartly taken Ford dropped goal, followed by a dangerous counter-attacking run from Joe Carpenter.
As huge curtains of rain blew up the pitch, Bath went through again, this time resulting in a try for Cam Redpath, who was on Miles Reid’s shoulder after the No.8 made a strong bust at the back of a lineout.
The weather was getting silly now, but Ford wasn’t bothered, and after smacking the post from 55 yards with a penalty attempt, he then dropped a 45m goal from the restart. Nor did it hamper Bath, who went over for a third try, this time from Beno Obano, although you would question whether Tom Dunn took the tapped penalty correctly. Did the ball leave both hands in the action of kicking the ball through the mark?
Sharp thinking: Henry Arundell goes in for the first try
PICTURES: Getty Images
Second half
Sale rallied well after the break and, after a well-deserved try for the promising and industrious Nathan Jibulu, they spent much of the second half poised at 21-16 down.
Bath struggled to put the visitors away and, until Ojomoh struck right at the end, the prospect of Sale sneaking a win could not be entirely rejected. Spencer, though, was still on the case and guided the ship safely home.
Touchdown: Cam Redpath dives over to score
READ MORE: Sale Sharks 27-10 Gloucester: George Ford on song to get Sharks off to a flyer
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