Bath Rugby head of rugby Johann van Graan celebrated his team’s emphatic second-half display that saw them put 31 unanswered points on the board to secure a resounding 50-14 Gallagher Premiership win away at Newcastle Red Bulls on Sunday.
The first half was a tightly contested affair, with Ollie Leatherbarrow opening the scoring for Bath. Newcastle responded with a try from Amanaki Mafi, but Dan Frost crossed twice for Bath, and Archie Griffin’s powerful effort gave the visitors a slender 19-14 lead at halftime.
The defining moment came shortly after the break when van Graan brought on all eight replacements in a bold tactical move during the 54th minute. This switch completely overwhelmed the Newcastle side, who were at the bottom of the table, and Bath went on to dominate the remainder of the match.
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Francois van Wyk and Will Butt were among those to score in the ruthless second half, as Bath extended their lead. Tom de Glanville, Ben Spencer, and Ted Hill added further tries in the final quarter, propelling Bath back to the top of the Premiership standings.
Van Graan reflected on the game: “It was a satisfying performance. We showed Newcastle the respect they deserve—they have been competitive this season. The game was tight in the first half; both teams traded scores. We addressed a few things at halftime and then completely controlled the second half, outscoring them 31-0.
“To score 50 points on the road is a true testament to the quality of the group, the squad depth, coaching, and staff. I’m very pleased to take the full five points.”
Despite rotating key players such as Fin Russell, Ollie Lawrence, Max Ojomoh, Henry Arundell, Charlie Ewels, and Quinn Roux, van Graan fielded a strong bench featuring seven internationals alongside promising talent Alfie Barbeary.
Explaining his decision to introduce all eight substitutes simultaneously, van Graan said: “We planned for various scenarios. Obviously, injuries can force changes early, but when we extended our lead to 12 points, I felt that putting the game beyond doubt was crucial. The impact was immediate—the replacements scored and even made an instant mark from the kick-off.
“There’s no perfect formula, but it worked exceptionally well today. To secure 50 points away from home and be top at Christmas—that’s exactly what we hoped for going into the match.”
After a promising start, Newcastle struggled to mount a response in the second half as Bath’s bench-powered surge sealed a memorable victory.