Gloucester 19  V Bath Rugby 24

(aet 19-19 after 80 mins)

It was one of the most memorable matches in recent times, but John Connolly’s side left it late in defeating Gloucester in a thrilling derby  match at Kingsholm.

Locked at 19-19 after more than 103 minutes on the clock and it seemed destined that a cup match would be destined to be decided by a penalty shoot out for the first time ever, but Andy Williams had other ideas. The former Wales scrum half, playing on the wing due to Bath’s chronic injury problems in the three quarters, won the race for his own deep chip ahead to touch down in the corner for a score which silenced a Kingsholm crowd who were contemplating the penalties.

 Williams, who had moments earlier received treatment for cramp, surprised the Gloucester cover and his burst of speed took him past full back Jon Goodridge to claim the score. Although video referee Geoff Warren needed fully 90 seconds to award the try Williams was confident that he had scored the try that booked Bath’s place in the final.

“I was confident that I had got the ball down,” he explained. “It was such a great feeling and after extra time when everyone was dead on their feet.”

Referee Ashley Rowden did not blow the final whistle after Malone’s conversion attempt drifted wide of the posts and it took a clean take from the restart, a drive and Martyn Wood to boot the ball out to signal the end of the game after 105 minutes of energy sapping, hammer and tongs rugby.

Bath Rugby had lost in the league here two weeks ago having been the better side, and despite a spirited Gloucester rally in the second half, Connolly’s men were well worth their place in the final on April 16th.

Much earlier in the afternoon, Bath Rugby had come out at Kingsholm with all guns blazing. Malone fired the visitors into an early lead with a penalty after two minutes when Gloucester were penalised for impeding the chase of Olly Barkley’s speculative kick ahead. Whilst impressive fly half Malone had brought his boots New Zealander Henry Paul struggled to find his radar missing his first effort a minute earlier.

The pair exchanged penalties before Bath Rugby broke the deadlock in eighteenth minute when Joe Maddock scored his first try for the club. Maddock may have struggled with hamstring problems this season, but the Kiwi was outstanding on the wing. The score was created by Geraint Lewis, who has grown in stature since profiting from Andy Beattie’s misfortune. Lewis showed superb pace to make a fantastic blindside break, sell Marcel Garvey an outrageous dummy before feeding Maddock the scoring pass. Malone’s touchline conversion gave Bath a deserved 6-13 lead after a period of dominance.

The lead could have been stretched on thirty-eight minutes when Andrew Higgins’ strong break took Bath close to the Gloucester line. Zak Feaunati drove the ball on and Walshe was impeded somewhat cynically by Noel Curnier leading to a penalty which Malone duely converted. It was a frustrating moment as there was perhaps a case for a penalty try with a Gloucester side at full stretch killing the ball on their own line. As it happened Curnier was asked to have a ten minute break.

Gloucester, down to fourteen men and with a rare attack inside the Bath twenty-two, were awarded a penalty when Matt Stevens was adjudged to have killed the ball. With Curnier’s binning fresh in the memory of ref Rowden, Stevens was immediately sent to the bin and Paul stroked over a penalty to leave the scores 12-16 at half time.

Gloucester came back strongly in a second half that ebbed and flowed as both sides tried desperately to pull away. The home side drew first blood when the impressive James Simpson-Daniel set Seti Kioli away for a score under the posts despite the final pass looking more than just a little ‘flat’. Paul’s conversion gave the home side the lead for the first time, the Shed burst in to life, and the Gloucester side seemed somewhat revived.

Gloucester through everything at Bath, but an impressive defence stood firm. Paul continued to pepper Matt Perry with high ball’s, but Perry was solid all afternoon and gave composure at the back – not bad for a player who had to come through a late fitness test!

Malone levelled the scores with ten minutes of normal time to go with a penalty after Gloucester were pinged for killing the ball.

In a physically intense encounter both sides tired dramatically in extra time with spent bodies scattered all around the park like a scene from ‘Saving Private Ryan’. However, Bath looked the fitter side and took complete control of the opening ten minutes of extra time. Chances came, but as legs tired and Perry’s knock on under the shadow of the posts was a clear example of fatigue.

The first half passed without score, and the second was seemingly heading the same way despite a late Gloucester resurgence and Chris Malone hitting an upright with a long range drop goal. Then came Williams’ moment of sheer brilliance.

“I don’t know whether I will make the side for the final,” he said. “That is down to the coaches to make up their mind. However Shane Williams and Austin Healey are scrum halves who have proved themselves on the wing, so why not.”

Bath Rugby: 15 Matt Perry, 14 Andy Williams (1t), 13 Andy Higgins, 12 Olly Barkley, 11 Joe Maddock (1t) (Booth), 10 Chris Malone (1c, 4p), 9 Nick Walshe (Wood), 1 Matt Stevens, 2 Lee Mears, 3 Duncan Bell (Barnes), 4 Steve Borthwick, 5 Danny Grewcock, 6 Geraint Lewis (Delve), 7 James Scaysbrook, 8 Zak Feaunati

16 Jonathan Humphreys, 17 David Barnes, 18 Gareth Delve, 19 Rob Fidler, 20 Ryan Davis, 21 Martyn Wood, 22 Steve Booth.

 Yellow card: Stevens

Attendance: 13,000

Ref: Ashley Rowden.