Bath Rugby rounded off their pre-season preparations in style with an emphatic 53-5 away victory against a youthful Glasgow Warriors side at Old Anniesland. Featuring several international players returning to the fold, Bath established an early dominance, leading 22-0 at halftime courtesy of tries from Bernard van der Linde, Joe Cokanasiga, and a brace from Santi Carreras.
Despite a significant number of substitutions in the second half, Bath continued to extend their lead. Cam Redpath scored twice, Bernard van der Linde notched his second try, and both Ollie Lawrence and Claudius Wheeler crossed the line. Glasgow managed a consolation try through Alex Bryden.
Playing in challenging, wet conditions, Bath secured two wins out of three in their pre-season campaign, showcasing impressive power and defensive resilience. The return of key players, including Finn Russell, bolstered the visitors' performance dramatically.
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Bath dominated possession in the opening stages, with a strong defence forcing several mistakes from the hosts. The scoring commenced with a remarkable finish from Santi Carreras following a precise chip kick from Russell. Squashing Glasgow’s early bright moments, Bath’s pack and powerful running game overwhelmed their opponents. A pivotal turnover at a five-metre scrum led to Joe Cokanasiga’s try on the 20-minute mark.
Max Ojomoh’s incisive break, supported by slick passing from Russell, set up Bath’s third try, followed by van der Linde finishing off a driving maul. Glasgow attempted to respond by targeting the wider channels, but were held firm by resolute defence from Lawrence and Ojomoh.
On the verge of halftime, Carreras secured his second try after patient build-up play and an opportunistic offload from Russell maintained Bath’s commanding lead.
The second half saw Bath maintain their intensity despite personnel changes. A clever cross-field kick from Ojomoh found Cokanasiga, who flicked inside to Redpath, resulting in Bath’s fifth try. Glasgow continually pressed, opting for tactical kicks, but Bath’s defence held strong. Replacement Charlie Griffin produced an exceptional catch from a kick, setting up a break away for Miles Reid, who offloaded to van der Linde for his second try.
Capitalising on another Glasgow error, Redpath sped away for a solo try, further extending Bath’s advantage. With momentum firmly on their side, fresh players combined effectively as Ciaran Donoghue and Austin Emens linked up to set up Lawrence for Bath’s eighth try.
Glasgow managed to cross the line late on through Alex Bryden, benefiting from a lapse in Bath’s defence. Bath concluded the game emphatically, with Claudius Wheeler powering over following strong forward play, sealing a comprehensive 53-5 victory.
Bath’s pre-season concluded on a confident note, signalling strong form ahead of the competitive season.