In their opening game of the 2026/27 PREM Rugby Cup, a youthful Bath Rugby side battled hard but succumbed to a 50-28 defeat away at a strong Sale Sharks team at the CorpAcq Stadium. Despite the loss, Bath earned a valuable try-bonus point thanks to their resilient performance.
Bath trailed early after an opening try from Sale’s Tom Roebuck but responded well with two quick-fire tries from Kepu Tuipulotu and Charlie Griffin, momentarily taking the lead against a Sale squad that featured numerous internationals.
However, Sale regained momentum with two late first-half tries, including a brace from Joe Carpenter, to lead 17-14 at the break.
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The second half was dominated by Sale, who crossed the line five more times. Carpenter completed his hat-trick, and tries from Tye Raymont, Xavier Roe, Nathan Jibulu, and Alfie Longstaff extended Sale’s advantage to 50-14 with just 10 minutes remaining.
Despite the scoreline, Bath showed great spirit in the closing stages, scoring two late tries through Jasper Spandler and Tom Carr-Smith to secure their bonus point.
Rugby writer Sam Jess provides detailed individual player assessments:
15 Jack Woods – 6: Returning from a hamstring injury, Woods exhibited flashes of promise but struggled defensively, notably being beaten by Carpenter for a try. His agility was evident in a near-breakdown but ultimately was thwarted by the opposing flanker.
14 Tyler Offiah – 6: In his first outing since November 2025, Offiah showed intensity in defence and speed in the kick chase, contributing to turnovers. He made some defensive lapses late in the first half, allowing Sale’s fourth try.
13 Charlie Griffin – 5: Making a rare appearance in the centres, Griffin’s ball handling was inconsistent but he made a critical defensive read leading to a turnover and finished a well-crafted try with a strong finish.
12 Declan Treacey – 5: On his Bath debut, Treacey delivered some forceful tackles but was hampered by handling errors, limiting Bath’s attacking opportunities.
11 Sam Winters – 4: Winters had a subdued game with limited involvement, missing a key offload chance and appeared somewhat out of position at times.
10 Ciaran Donoghue – 5: Post-injury Donoghue showed early promise but his passing accuracy wavered under pressure, and some questionable decisions led to costly turnovers.
9 Ieuan Davies – 5: Rejoining Bath, Davies struggled to find rhythm and was caught out by Sale’s kicking game, conceding the opening try.
1 Scott Kirk – 7: Kirk demonstrated solid scrum performance and a highlight moment came with a powerful interception and run. He faced increasing pressure as the match progressed, conceding some penalties.
2 Kepueli Tuipulotu – 7: The hooker impressed with strong defensive efforts and accurate lineout throws after an early miscue, contributing to both territory gains and scoring from a maul. His breakdown work was instrumental.
3 Kieran Verden – 6: Verden showed early promise but had a positional error conceding a scrum penalty. He recovered well to complete a solid 65-minute shift.
4 Will Jeanes – 5: Effective in tight play but struggled during lineouts throughout the game.
5 Ewan Richards – 6: As captain, Richards led by example with impactful tackles and turnovers but appeared to sustain an injury that affected his tackling.
6 Jack Bennett – 7: Bennett was a bright spot, matching up against British and Irish Lion Courtney Lawes, securing turnovers and maintaining a high work rate throughout.
7 George Timmins – 6: Known for his big hits in defence, Timmins occasionally allowed opponents to break through but his relentless physicality helped force key turnovers.
8 Enoch Opoku-Gyamfi – 7: The Italian number eight delivered a commanding performance in both attack and defence, providing momentum and powerful carries, including notable hits on prominent opponents. He sadly left the field with an injury before halftime.
Replacements:
16 Jasper Spandler – 6: Came on to control lineouts effectively and contributed to Bath’s third try with commanding maul leadership.
17 Ioan Emmanuel – N/A
18 Alfie Griffin – N/A
19 James Maloney – N/A: Made a positive impact off the bench, including securing a turnover.
20 Alex Ridgway – 6: Struggled with defensive duties after coming on, missing tackles and allowing a try-scoring break.
21 Tom Carr-Smith – 6: Entered late in the game and made a decisive snipe to secure Bath’s final try and crucial bonus point.
22 James Linegar – N/A
23 Jack Harrison – N/A
Bath Rugby’s display showed encouraging moments from several players, highlighting their potential as they look to build on this experience in the competition ahead.