Ollie Lawrence marked his full return to fitness with a stunning performance as Bath Rugby clinched a 28-16 victory against Sale Sharks, moving to the top of the Gallagher Premiership table.
After making a remarkable comeback from an Achilles injury three months ahead of schedule, Lawrence was instrumental in Bath’s bonus-point win. He was directly involved in two of Bath’s four tries, with teammates Henry Arundell, Cameron Redpath, Beno Obano, and Max Ojomoh also crossing the line.
This match marked Lawrence’s fourth appearance since his recovery, having featured in pre-season fixtures against Munster and Worcester Warriors, and started last weekend against Harlequins. Despite relentless rain and wind, Lawrence’s display was a significant step back to the form that made him a central figure in England’s midfield under Steve Borthwick.
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Sale Sharks showed resilience, led by fly-half George Ford, who contributed two remarkable drop goals, a penalty, and converted Nathan Jibulu’s try. However, Bath’s powerful forward pack outmatched Sale’s, preventing them from gaining the upper hand.
Bath’s head of rugby, Johann van Graan, faced concerns with injuries to second rows Charlie Ewels and Quinn Roux, followed by Ted Hill leaving the pitch. Meanwhile, Max Ojomoh continued to hold the number 10 jersey in Finn Russell’s absence, with captain Ben Spencer reliably converting all four tries and managing crucial kicks under pressure.
Sale opened the scoring with a George Ford penalty, but Bath quickly responded when Lawrence burst through defense, offloading to Henry Arundell for the first try, which Spencer converted. Despite struggles from Ewels and Roux due to injuries, Bath maintained pressure, and Redpath scored following a sharp line-out move.
Ford’s drop goals kept Sale within reach, but Obano powered over from close range, extending Bath’s lead before halftime. After halftime, Sale’s Nathan Jibulu scored to narrow the gap, but worsening rain made play challenging.
Throughout the second half, Sale struggled to secure clean possession and conceded penalties. Bath’s patience paid off when Ojomoh scored off Spencer’s clever chip, sealing the victory and the bonus point.
Line-ups:
Bath Rugby: Tom de Glanville, Joe Cokanasiga, Ollie Lawrence, Cameron Redpath, Henry Arundell, Max Ojomoh, Ben Spencer; Beno Obano, Tom Dunn, Vilikesa Sela, Quinn Roux, Charlie Ewels, Ted Hill, Guy Pepper, Miles Reid.
Replacements included Dan Frost, Francois van Wyk, Archie Griffin, Ross Molony, Sam Underhill, Tom Carr-Smith, Will Butt, Alfie Barbeary.
Sale Sharks: Joe Carpenter, Tom Roebuck, Rob du Preez, Sam Bedlow, Tom O’Flaherty, George Ford, Gus Warr; Bevan Rodd, Nathan Jibulu, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Ben Bamber, Hyron Andrews, Ernst van Rhyn, Ben Curry, Sam Dugdale.
Replacements included Ethan Caine, Simon McIntyre, Willgriff John, Tom Burrow, Tristan Woodman, Dom Hanson, Arron Reed, Marius Louw.
Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe.