Bath Rugby have clinched a spot in the PREM Rugby Cup semi-finals after a thrilling 38-26 victory against West Country rivals Gloucester Rugby. This decisive win in the final pool stage match saw Bath eliminate the Cherry and Whites from the competition.
The match was highlighted by outstanding performances from Bath’s half-backs, with Tom Carr-Smith scoring two tries on his birthday and Max Ojomoh adding a try in the corner. Will Muir, the player of the match, celebrated his 40th try in Bath colours, contributing significantly to the team’s total. Additional tries came from Kepueli Tuipulotu and Ethan Staddon.
Despite valiant efforts from Gloucester, including tries by Ben Redshaw, Ollie Thorley, Max Knight, and Deian Gwynne, their four-try haul only earned them a losing bonus point. Gloucester now face a two-week break before resuming league play, while Bath heads to Leicester Tigers next Sunday, aiming to reach back-to-back finals in the competition they won in 2025.
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The opening stages were fiercely contested, with both teams feeling out their rhythm after some time apart. Gloucester appeared to have early momentum, but a crucial knock-on ruled out a potential try by Arthur Clark. Bath broke the deadlock in the 15th minute when Will Butt exploited a gap before setting up scrum half Carr-Smith for the try, converted by Tom de Glanville.
Bath’s pressure resulted in their second try just five minutes later, as Kepueli Tuipulotu powered over from a well-executed maul. Gloucester responded as Redshaw scored amid relentless pressure on Bath’s line, keeping their semi-final hopes alive.
Just before halftime, Muir extended Bath’s lead with a cleverly constructed try, finishing off a wide pass from Carr-Smith. Early in the second half, Ojomoh added another try for Bath, which brought the bonus point and further cemented their advantage.
Gloucester fought back with tries from Thorley and Knight, capitalizing on Bath’s sin binning of Francois van Wyk. However, Bath quickly regained control with Staddon’s try following a chargedown and a spectacular try by Ojomoh, despite Bath playing with 14 men at the time.
Gloucester earned a consolation try from Deian Gwynne in the closing moments, but it was not enough to turn the tide. Bath’s solid performance alongside key individual efforts earned them a hard-fought and well-deserved victory.
Bath Rugby: Tom de Glanville (15), Joe Cokanasiga (14), Chris Harris (13), Will Butt (12, c), Will Muir (11), Max Ojomoh (10), Tom Carr-Smith (9); Francois van Wyk (1), Kepueli Tuipulotu (2), Vilikesa Sela (3), Will Jeanes (4), Charlie Ewels (5), Ted Hill (6), Ethan Staddon (7), Miles Reid (8).
Replacements: Tom Dunn (16), Beno Obano (17), Mikey Summerfield (18), Quinn Roux (19), Alfie Barbeary (20), Bernard van der Linde (21), Will Roue (22), Cameron Redpath (23).
Gloucester Rugby: Ben Redshaw (15), Will Joseph (14), Josiah Edwards Giraud (13), Seb Atkinson (12), Ollie Thorley (11), Charlie Atkinson (10), Caolan Englefield (9); Ciaran Knight (1), Seb Blake (2), Afo Fasogbon (3), Arthur Clark (4), Matias Alemanno (5), Deian Gwynne (6), Lewis Ludlow (7, c), Will Trenholm (8).
Replacements: Jack Innard (16), Dian Bleuler (17), Nepo Laulala (18), Danny Eite (19), Josh Basham (20), Rhys Price (21), Max Knight (22), George Barton (23).
Referee: George Selwood
Assistant Referees: Sara Cox, Simon Harding
TMO: Andrew Jackson