Bath delight at reaching their 'third final in a row'

BATH head of rugby Johann van Graan described his side’s European Challenge Cup semi-final contest against Edinburgh as being like a Test match after a brutal and bruising 80-minute battle in the Scottish capital.

- JOHN EVELY

Played at ‘The Hive, in the shadow of Murrayfield, Bath’s international-packed set of forwards won the fiercest of arm wrestles with the United Rugby Championship side to earn a place in the final in Cardiff in three weeks’ time.

While much of the attention pre-match was on fly-half Finn Russell ahead of the British & Irish Lions squad being named on Thursday, for the Blue, Black & Whites it was the forwards at the heart of the narrative.

A brace of tries from hooker Tom Dunn and scores for player of the match Sam Underhill, fellow back rowers Alfie Barbeary and Guy Pepper, and replacement hooker Niall Annett, powered the Gallagher Premiership leaders to victory despite scores in reply from Mosese Tuipulotu and Ali Price, plus a penalty try from the home side.

‘A pair of yellow cards for Will Muir and Tom de Glanville made it a tougher road to victory for the away side, but van Graan heralded the maturity his men showed to stick to their game plan.

Once again, Bath's outrageously strong bench, which contained Thomas du Toit, Archie Griffin, Ted Hill and Barbeary, helped power Bath over the finishing line in the closing stages to pull away from a stubborn Edinburgh side who fought relentlessly to stay in the contest.