The Prem

Gloucester (9) 23

Tries: Thomas, Llewellyn Cons: Barton 2 Pens: Barton 3

Bath (5) 5

Try: Tuipulotu

Gloucester stormed to their first win over Bath in the Prem at Kingsholm since April 2022 with a 23-5 victory built on an immense defensive display.

The Cherry and Whites were down to 13 men for a period of the first half but led 9-5 at half-time, having repelled wave after wave after wave of Bath pressure on their tryline.

George Barton then kicked three successive penalties to put the hosts 9-0 up before Kepu Tuipulotu pulled a try back just before the break from a driving maul.

Freddie Thomas scored under the posts to stretch Gloucester’s lead further midway through the second half and Max Llewellyn had Kingsholm raucous when he rolled over with two minutes to go for a famous victory that reaffirms their status as league leaders.

This was Gloucester’s first victory over their oldest rivals since their 64-0 thrashing of Bath more than four and a half years earlier, months before Johann van Graan took over at The Rec and transformed the Bath team.

After an impressive draw against holders Bordeaux in the Champions Cup seven days earlier, George Skivington said this was the Cherry and Whites’ biggest game of the season and their performance showed it is no fluke that they lead the Prem at this early stage of the campaign, even with captain Dewi Lake and centre Seb Atkinson absent through injury.

For Bath, it is a third defeat in a row in all competitions, which was compounded by the losses of full-back Santiago Carreras and flanker Guy Pepper to injuries.

More to follow.

Gloucester: Barton; Thorley, Joseph, Llewellyn, W Knight; C Atkinson, Englefield; Rapava Ruskin, Blake, C Knight, Kleyn, Clark, Thomas, Morgan (capt), Clement.

Replacements: Innard, Bleuler, Fasogbon, Trenholm, Ludlow, Robson, M Knight, Redshaw.

Sin-bin: Thorley (21), C. Knight (28), Joseph (46)

Bath: Carreras; Hennessey, Lawrence, Redpath, Offiah; Russell, Spencer (capt); Obano, Tuipulotu, Griffin, Opoku-Gyamfi, Ewels, Bayliss, Pepper, Reid.

Replacements: Frost, Kirk, Verden, Molony, Hill, Carr-Smith, Donoghue, Green.

Referee: Christophe Ridley