Bath Rugby player ratings from Bedford Blues pre-season victory – ‘Clunky’ at times

Bath Rugby overcame a two-point deficit at half-time to triumph 76-33 over Bedford Blues at Goldington Road on Friday night, in their second last pre-season friendly fixture.

Bedford Blues crossed the line five times through Lucas Titherington (outside centre), Oisin Heffernan (prop), Louis James (full-back), Charlie Ulcoq (flanker) and Ryan Hutler (winger). Despite this spirited showing, Bath responded emphatically with an impressive twelve tries.

Winger Henry Arundell led the charge with a hat-trick, while tries also came from back-rowers Dan du Preez and Arthur Green; winger Joe Cokanasiga; full-backs Tom de Glanville and Jack Woods; hooker Dan Frost; flankers Ewan Richards and Joe Cokanasiga; scrum-half Bernard van der Linde; and back James Linegar.

South West rugby correspondent John Evely provides a detailed assessment of Bath Rugby’s individual player performances:

15 Tom de Glanville – 6: The full-back scored Bath’s standout try via a clever round-the-corner finish.
14 Joe Cokanasiga – 6: The powerful winger took his try well just before half-time, evading two tackles in the corner. He made some excellent efforts reclaiming box kicks but also erred in mishandling a deflected ball near his line, which resulted in a Bedford try.
13 Ollie Lawrence – 5: The England centre had substantial game time but his usual fluency with Cam Redpath was lacking. Improved his impact at inside centre in the second half with some neat footwork and delivered the tackle of the game with a strong midfield hit.
12 Cameron Redpath – 5: Showed flashes of quality with precise passing, including a key split pass to de Glanville. However, an overall clunky display with too many passes dropped, although managed a clever bounce pass to Cokanasiga.
11 Henry Arundell – 7 (Player of the Match): Simply too quick for the Bedford defence, scoring a hat-trick exclusively on the wing. His final try highlighted his strength as he powered through two tacklers. His speed also contributed to de Glanville’s impressive try.
10 Ciaran Donoghue – 5: Continues to be a potent attacking threat, directly assisting several tries. Still, his game management needs refinement.
9 Tom Carr-Smith – 5: Battled with Bedford’s scrum-half Alex Day, who outplayed him tactically in the opening half.
1 Claudius Wheeler – 6: Held his own admirably, especially in the set-piece work.
2 Dan Frost – 5: Scored from a driving maul but showed inconsistencies in the lineout.
3 Archie Griffin – 6: Returning from toe surgery, contributed to a solid scrum and made several impactful runs.
4 Quinn Roux – 5: Penalised a few times for high tackles and ruck offences, conceding dangerous territory.
5 Ross Molony – 5: Did not stand out and struggled to assert dominance in the forward exchanges.
6 Arthur Green – 6: Playing at blindside, demonstrated power with a well-executed try and pace with a strong break.
7 Miles Reid (c) – 6: Put in a workmanlike performance though lacked memorable moments.
8 Dan du Preez – 6: Opened Bath’s try-scoring with a forceful run from a 5-metre scrum, showcasing the impact he was recruited for. However, he immediately dropped the restart.

Replacements: Jack Bennett (6), Tom Dunn (6), Austin Emens (6), Louie Hennessey (6), Will Jeanes (6), Scott Kirk (6), James Linegar (6), Ewan Richards (7), Will Roue (7), Will Stuart (7), Bernard van der Linde (7), Jack Woods (7), George Timmins (6), Kepu Tuipulotu (6). Several replacements did not feature sufficiently for a rating.

Overall, Bath Rugby produced a dominant second-half performance after a slightly clumsy start, with standout brilliance from Henry Arundell and solid contributions across the squad.