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ALL OUR YESTERDAYS: BATH SPECIAL
Kingsley Hyland’s rummage through the club archives focuses on some famous battles against Sunday’s visitors, Bath Rugby.
If there is there is one common thread linking the histories of Newcastle and Bath, apart from the handful of players who have represented both clubs, then it takes the form of Jack Rowell (pictured).
Hartlepool born, Jack joined Gosforth as a player when the club was on the up in the late 1960s and became coach in 1972. He led the club to their first national cup triumph in 1976 and 1977 before business commitments took him to the south west.
He coached Bath between 1978 and 1994, during which time they won eight national cups and five league championships. He went on to coach England between 1994 and 1997, leading them to the World Cup semi-final in 1995.
Despite this strong connection between these two ancient clubs it was not until 1993 that they actually played against each other, when Newcastle Gosforth, as they then were known, spent one season in the old First Division.
This all changed in the post-amateur era once Newcastle secured promotion to the fledgling Premiership in 1997.
Bath were Newcastle’s first opponents following that promotion, and in fact Newcastle won the first three fixtures between the teams, since when victories have proved hard to come by.
In the 52 league matches between the teams in the professional era Newcastle have come out on top on just 15 occasions. Whilst Newcastle have lost heavily on occasions at the Rec, some of their most notable victories have still been on the road.
After scraping home 19-17 at Gateshead Stadium in September 1998, Newcastle had to wait until February 2001 for their next victory in the fixture.
FEBRUARY 11, 2001: NEWCASTLE 24-23 BATH
Although no longer the force that they had been in the Jack Rowell era, Bath were still good enough to finish third that season. These were the days before the construction of the West Stand at Kingston Park, so the wind, particularly strong that day, played an even bigger part than it does now.
Newcastle were a young side compared with their opponents, and could perhaps have been forgiven for having one eye on the final of the Tetley’s Bitter Cup in two weeks’ time.
Dave Walder, who would go on to score the match-winning try at Twickenham, was the stand-out performer on this occasion, having been shunted to full-back with Jonny Wilkison now firmly established at No.10.
Jonny Wilkinson
© Getty Images
It was Wilkinson’s try which opened the scoring on eight minutes, with Walder providing the scoring pass following a trademark Inga Tuigamala break. Wilkinson’s conversion made it 7-0 before Bath responded with two Jon Preston penalties.
Bath took the lead through a Mike Tindall try following a five-metre scrum and break by Mike Catt, Preston’s conversion making it 7-13. In the dying moments of the opening half Wilkinson returned to his principal role as provider, as the Falcons scored an outstanding try from their own 22. Wilkinson’s break took the ball up to half-way before he fed Walder, who outpaced the speedy Tom Voyce in a race to the line. Wilkinson was unable to convert the score, but the gap was down to a single point at the break.
Newcastle scored again just three minutes into the second period. Gary Armstrong put Bath on the defensive with a massive clearance kick, and following several forward drives flanker Andy Mower sent out a long pass to winger Michael Stephenson, who crossed in the corner. Wilkinson nailed the conversion this time, and the Falcons led 19-13. Another massive forward drive ten minutes later resulted in Armstrong crossing for the bonus point try to take the lead out to 24-13.
Rather than closing out the game Newcastle’s apparent willingness to surrender possession allowed the visitors back into it, and two quick fire tries from Voyce made it a one-point game. The home side did manage to hold on for a victory, watched by a then stadium record crowd of 7,319. The win took them up to sixth in the table, the position in which they would eventually finish the season to secure a Heineken Cup place. The Newcastle team that day was:
D.Walder; M.Stephenson; L.Botham; T.May; V.Tuigamala; J.Wilkinson; Gary Armstrong; M.Ward (rep. I.Peel); R.Nesdale (rep. M.Howe); M.Hurter; S.Grimes; D.Weir (rep. H.Vyvyan); R.Devonshire; A.Mower; J.Jenner
By the time Newcastle visited Bath in September 2004 a number of familiar faces had moved on. Having started the season with a 30-9 victory at Premiership newcomers Worcester, they secured a rare victory at the Rec in a manner that had the national press sitting up and take notice.
SEPTEMBER 11, 2004: BATH 18-33 NEWCASTLE
The visitors took a grip of the game in the first half, and with just four minutes on the clock Mike McCarthy scored his second try of the season. Wilkinson was unsuccessful with the conversion attempt from wide out, but landed a penalty on eight minutes to take the lead out to eight points.
A second try quickly followed to stun a sell-out crowd of 10,400. Tom May was the scorer on this occasion with Mark Mayerhofler providing the assist, Wilkinson’s conversion making it 15-0.
Bath finally sprung into life and narrowed the deficit to ten when Steve Borthwick touched down from a post-lineout maul (5-15). Newcastle quickly restored their dominance as Stephenson ran in from 40 metres to cross between the posts, Wilkinson’s inevitable conversion making it 22-5. Bath’s sole response was a Chris Malone penalty which made it 22-8 at the break.
An attritional start to the second half slowed progress on the scoreboard, but Wilkinson got it moving again with a right-footed drop goal (25-8), perhaps not his best-remembered right-footed effort.
Bath responded with their second try from Brendon Daniel, with the missed conversion attempt making it 25-13. For a period Newcastle were on the defensive, with centres Jamie Noon and Mayerhofler to the fore with some big tackles. They weathered the storm, and with eight minutes remaining Tom May secured the bonus point try, and the visitors were seemingly home and dry at 30-13.
Jamie Noon
© Getty Images
Things livened up when a melee developed involving players from both sides, resulting in May seeing yellow and Phil Dowson receiving a harsh red card. With a two-man advantage Mike Tindall took a quick lineout on halfway and fed Daniel to score a second try (30-18), but with the clock in the red Newcastle had the last word with Wilkinson kicking his second drop goal, this time with the more familiar left foot. The Newcastle team that day was:
J.Shaw; T.May; J.Noon; M.Mayerhofler; M.Stephenson; J.Wilkinson; H.Charlton; I.Peel; A.Long; M.Hurter; L.Gross; S.Grimes; M.McCarthy; C.Charvis; P.Dowson
Newcastle would win again at the Rec in 2009 (27-16) and 2017 (33-32), but perhaps the most unusual match between the two clubs was the season opener in the 2020-21 season.
NOVEMBER 21 2020: BATH 12-19 NEWCASTLE
Newcastle were newly promoted back to the Premiership, but their previous season in the Championship had been curtailed back in March due to the covid pandemic. The Premiership had, however, finally been played out to a conclusion following a break, with Bath’s season having ended in the previous month with a play-off defeat against Wasps. The home side were therefore battle hardened compared to a Newcastle side that had not played a competitive game for eight months.
After Brett Connon had missed with an early penalty attempt Bath opened the scoring on 10 minutes when Joe Cokanasiga crossed from Cameron Redpath’s offload. Rhys Priestland converted, and the signs were ominous when Redpath went close to scoring before losing the ball in the tackle.
But the visitors withstood the early pressure and grew into the game. With 21 minutes gone Adam Radwan took a quick lineout after being forced into touch five metres from the line. He passed to a rampaging Gary Graham, who barged his way over with most of the Bath side bemused onlookers. Connon was unsuccessful with the conversion attempt and a subsequent penalty, but the deficit was down to two points (5-7).
Newcastle team v Bath, November 2020
© Chris Lishman
Newcastle were enjoying an unexpected period of dominance, and on 37 minutes Graham added a second try. A tap penalty resulted in a series of forward drives with man of the match George McGuigan prominent, but after he was held up Graham took over and touched down. Connon converted to make it 12-7 at the break.
Four minutes into the second period Ruaridh McConnachie took advantage of some rare defensive lapses to send former Falcon Josh Matavesi over in the corner to bring the scores level (12-12).
Newcastle remained defiant and hit back six minutes later when Connon sent out a long pass to Ben Stevenson, who scored in the corner. Connon’s conversion made it 19-12 with half an hour remaining but, defending furiously and aided by a yellow card to Bath’s Charlie Ewels for a high shot on Radwan, the visitors saw the game out.
Whilst this victory was seen as a massive upset at the time, Newcastle followed it with wins at home to Sale and on the road at Wasps. The Newcastle team that day was:
T.Penny; A.Radwan (rep. P.Lucock 61); L.Burrell; T.Flood; B.Stevenson; B.Connon; M.Young; T.Davison (rep.A.Brocklebank 67); G.McGuigan; L.Mulipola (rep. M.Tampin 51); G.Peterson; M.Fuser; S.Robinson; C.Collett; G.Graham.
Newcastle finished that season a credible tenth with nine wins, ahead of Gloucester and Worcester, and they would win again at The Rec the following season.
SEPTEMBER 25, 2021: BATH 13-20 NEWCASTLE
This victory was built on a dominant first-half performance. With just ten minutes gone Adam Radwan exploited a gap to run in from 20 metres to open the scoring. Will Haydon-Wood missed with the conversion attempt but succeeded with a penalty six minutes later to open up an 8-0 lead. Orlando Bailey’s 28th minute penalty made it 8-3, but on 34 minutes and with no room to work in Iwan Stephens crossed in the corner (13-3). Things got even better for the visitors when George McGuigan crashed over near the posts, with Haydon-Wood converting for a 20-3 half time lead.
Iwan Stephens
© Getty Images
A Bath backlash seemed inevitable but Newcastle’s defence held firm until the 70th minute when Max Ojomoh crossed, Bailey’s conversion making it a ten point game (20-10). The best the home side could manage after that was a last-minute Bailey conversion to secure a bonus point. The Newcastle team that day was:
T.Penny; A.Radwan; B.Stevenson; P.Lucock (rep. G.Wacokecoke 75); I.Stephens; W.Haydon-Wood (rep. B.Connon 51); L.Schreuder; A.Brocklebank (rep. K.Cooper 67); G.McGuigan (rep. J.Blamire 72); R.Palframan (rep. M.Tampin 31); G.Peterson (rep M.Fuser 72); S.Robinson; P.Van der Walt; Welch; C.Fearns (rep. G.Graham 62)
It is a sign of the high turnover of players at the club since then that only three of players are still on the playing roster, and that includes George McGuigan, who has since returned to the club following sojourns at Gloucester and Ospreys.
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