POOL FIVE Bath 35 Glasgow 31: BATH WERE 16 points to the good with eight minutes to go in a recklessly entertaining match yesterday, having met kindred spirits in Glasgow, yet they needed an act of redemption on the last move of the match by fullback Nick Abendanon to keep the pressure on pool leaders Toulouse.
Glasgow had closed the gap to four points at the start of stoppage time, having looked on their way to a 28th defeat in 29 away matches in the Heineken Cup when Shaun Berne secured Bath's bonus point with a breakaway try on 61 minutes.
The home side had not been afraid to dabble in the outrageous even in the first half, when they were behind for the most part, so there was no chance of their slowing down when a half-century beckoned.
If Bath are arch-opportunists, prompted by the outhalf Butch James, Glasgow are also comfortable living off their wits. But the Scots were left to rue the substitution of Scotland wing Thom Evans 10 minutes from time.
Eighty minutes were up when Bath, who had reacted to Glasgow pulling back to 35-31 by clinging on to the ball and camping in enemy territory, mounted a final assault. Prop Aaron Jarvis decided to go for glory and wobbled a pass to the backrow Jonny Faamatuainu. It was an invitation to intercept and Bath stared at an unlikely defeat when 20-year-old outhalf Ruaridh Jackson scooped the ball and scampered into the home 22.
Jackson had scored his side's fifth try four minutes before, picking off a floated pass from Abendanon on halfway, and had created the second when he chipped into space and snatched the ball as Abendanon looked on.
While he has guile, though, he is not so blessed with pace and at the crunch, as the Bath line beckoned and Abendanon hovered, he tried to chip ahead. Had Evans, who scored three tries thanks to a blend of speed and elusiveness and poor defending, still been on the pitch, Jackson would have had the option of keeping the ball in hand.
But he was on his own, his kick was soft and Abendanon scuffed the ball into touch.
BATH: Abendanon; Stephenson (Higgins, 60), Cheeseman (Berne, h-t), Fuimaono-Sapolu, Banahan; James, Claassens (Bemand, 70); Flatman, Dixon (Mears, 57), Stevens (Jarvis, 77), Hooper, Short (Harrison, 57), Beattie, Lipman (capt), Browne (Faamatuainu, 57). Tries: Stephenson 2, Beattie, Berne. Cons: James 3. Pens: James 3.
GLASGOW: Stortoni; Fa'atau (Piossek, 77), M Evans, Henderson, T Evans (O'Hare, 70); Jackson, Gregor (Pinder, 60); Tkachuk, Hall (Milligan, 67), Kalman (Low, h-t), Barker, Kellock (capt; Turner, 60), Brown, Barclay, Beattie (Vernon, 67). Tries: T Evans 3, O'Hare, Jackson. Cons: Gregor 2, Jackson.
Referee: A Rolland(Ireland).
• Guardian Service
