Sam Burgess catches London Irish on blindside as Bath run riot

Bath eased themselves into second place in the Premiership with a win which takes them within a point of the leaders, Northampton, having spent half the game looking as though they were about to shoot themselves in the foot.

Against a side seven places below them they went into the second period a point down. Twenty-one minutes later the bonus point was in the bag, thanks to Sam Burgess, and with Saints and Saracens due to knock spots off each other on Saturday, Bath may hang on to the dream of a home semi-final for more than a day.

Certainly with a trip to Harlequins, who robbed them of a place in the play-offs last season, and then a visit from Gloucester on the last day of the regular season, the odds are on them having at least a say in the sharp end of the season.

That did not always seem to be the case when their internationals were away but Bath have recently been playing the compelling rugby which marked them out before Christmas. Despite a huge injection of adventure here, they took time to make their obvious class stick: 47 minutes, in fact, and a serious change of style.

Whereas the backs had been running from anywhere, Bath edged ahead when the No8, Leroy Houston, reached out off the back of a messy scrum. Three minutes later Francois Louw sent Jonathan Joseph away and from being 12-13 down at half time, Bath were 13 points clear 10 minutes into the second half.

Five minutes later Matt Banahan was over in the left corner and Burgess, playing only his second Premiership game in the back row – and looking so much the part that Bath’s director of rugby, Mike Ford, believes he will be in the wider World Cup squad to be announced next month – was driven over to complete the sea change. Semesa Rokoduguni merely added to the Irish agony, which was hardly relieved by Blair Cowan’s late reply.

Earlier it had taken less than 90 seconds and three sweeping moves from Anthony Watson, Kyle Eastmond, Joseph and George Ford to lay down Bath’s credentials and enable Ford to kick the opening penalty. However, in the shape of things to come, Irish were far from being cowed. The hooker, David Paice, got over the line only to be held up by Louw and Paul James and they made themselves a thorough nuisance in the ensuing scrums. However at 12-3, the Bath foundation seemed to be set, especially when Jebb Sinclair went to the sin bin. Even so, Irish got the game’s first try, Chris Noakes easing the siege with a 60-metre break for Tom Court to squeeze over before the interval.

Bath Watson; Rokoduguni, Joseph, Eastmond (Devoto 60), Banahan; Ford, Stringer (Cook 61); James (Auterac 54), Webber (Batty 50) Palma-Newport, Hooper (capt, Attwood h-t), Day (Garvey 50), Burgess, Louw, Houston.

Tries Houston, Joseph, Banahan, Burgess, Rokoduguni. Cons Ford 3. Pens Ford 4.

London Irish Fenby; Ojo (Sheridan 63), Griffin, Mulchrone, Lewington, Noakes (Geraghty 54), Allinson (O’Leary 54); Court (Hagan 62), Paice (Leo 62), Palframan, Skivington (capt), Sinclair Cox 59), Narraway, Cowan, Guest.

Tries Court, Cowan. Con Noakes. Pens Noakes 2. Sin bin Sinclair (34), Leo (63).

Referee Luke Pearce (RFU) Att 13,349.