By Tournament / European Challenge Cup

Bath 24-16 Worcester Warriors

Bath ended a decade of near-misses by emerging victorious from a brutal European Challenge Cup Final win over Worcester.

Two tries in five first-half minutes from Nick Abendanon and Jonny Faamatuainu clasped a firm grip on the trophy, and the sublime boot's of Olly Barkley and Butch James ensured Bath ended a five match final losing streak,

The referee didn't have his best game missing a blatant forward pass from Lee Mears in the build up to Faamatuainu's crucial score.

Thinus Delport gave the voicferous Warriors travelling support something to cheer about with an injury-time consolation but it provided little more than a biding memory with the South African full-back following Shane Drahm and Drew Hickey to Japan.

Five finals in five years and still no trophy. That's what's facing the Bath players ahead of their European Challenge Cup Final. Bath non-executive director, Simon Halliday, 'calmed' matters leading into the club's biggest game of the season by spouting off about how it needs bringing in line with the calibre of the staff and up to speed with the rest of the Guinness Premiership - No pressure guys!

Worcester have been caught up planning parties, unveiling their new 1st team shirts and shedding developments for their East stand, so away from the dangerous pre-match celebrations, there's a trophy to be won.

Two weeks ago, Bath were heading to Kingsholm aiming to secure top-spot, a home Guinness Premiership semi-final, and keep their relentless momentum moving towards the business end of the season. Now, the season's most attractive brand pioneers of penatrative rugby are dragging their drooping chins along the floor, which is in stark contrast to the Warriors who have been simply flying, playing a type of rugby what can only be descirbed as 'Bath-like.'

Steve Meehan believes it would be a "tragedy" if Bath lost this weekend, acknowledging that this season has seen the "re-birth of Bath rugby."

If they win it could be, but ten years ago, Bath winning trophies was as frequent as Simon Cowell's TV appearances.

Meehan's admission that "there is no pressure on Worcester because this is their first big final" is slightly off the mark. Every final is the pinnacle of a club's season, whatever the competition, but they'll certainly be a few more nerves in his dressing room given the results from previous weeks.

David Flatman, Nick Abendanon and Lee Mears return for Bath with Joe Maddock moving to the wing as Andrew Higgins' season is cut short. Prop Tevita Taumoepeau, back row Drew Hickey and New Zealand international centre Sam Tuitupou come back into the Worcester line-up.

They'll be plenty of tears after the game as Steve Borthwick and Olly Barkley will both say goodbye to Bath before jetting off to Saracens and Gloucester respectively while Worcester trio Thinus Delport, Shane Drahm and Hickey are bound for Japan.

Worcester Warriors: Delport; Garvey, Rasmussen, Tuitupou, Benjamin; Drahm, M Powell; Windo, Lutui, Taumoepeau, Rawlinson, Gillies, Hickey, Sanderson (c), Horstmann.

Replacements: Horsman, Mullan, Bowley, Talei, R Powell, Carlisle, Gear.

Bath: Abendanon; Maddock, Crockett, Barkley, Banahan; James, Claassens; Flatman, Mears, Stevens, Borthwick (c), Grewcock, Faamatuainu, Lipman, Browne.

Replacements: Dixon, Bell, Short, Feaunati, Walshe, Berne, Cheeseman.

Bath ran in eight tries to pretty much end Leeds' season. Overpowered in the forwards, the backs profited from gaping holes in the defensive line with Matt Banahan running in another three tries to make it 13 for the season.

Sale are the next visitors to the Rec after easily dispatching of former Heineken Cup champions, Brive. Sebatsien Chabal kicked off proceedings and the Sharks would run in five further tries including two for Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe while Luke McAllister kicked 19 points.

Newcastle ran infour second half tries with Carl Hayan, James Grindall and Brent Wilson among the scorers while Jonny Wilkinson kicked 15 points. Jamie Noon's shin injury put an end to his night after just 30 minutes and remains a worry for the rest of the season.

Worcester entertain the Falcons in the semi-finals after overcoming a stubborn Montpellier side. Rico Gear bagged a brace with fellow former All-Black Sam Tuitupou also touching down while French newcomer Fulgence Ouedraogo scored for the visitors.  

Semi-Final draw

Worcester Warriors v Newcastle Falcons
Bath v Sale Sharks

Matthew Tait and Jamie Noon will start for Newcastle who entertain Castres who have decided that Perpignan next week is a bigger game than a European quarter-final so French captain Lionel Nallet sits this one out. Very strange!

Prediction: Newcastle to win by 13 points.


Worcester shouldn't find Montpellier too tricky either with star trio Francois Trinh-Duc, Julien Tomas and Louis Picamoles all missing. Rico Gear, Miles Benjamin and Thinus Delport make up the back three with Shane Drahm pulling the strings from ten.

Prediction: Worcester to win by 22 points


Alex Crockett skippers Bath from outside centre while there is no place for Steve Borthwick who is out injured. England U20 fly-half Adam Greendale makes his debut for Leeds who are without top scorer Tom Biggs.

Prediction: Bath to win by 28 points.


Andrew Sheridan and Mark Cueto return to the Sale line-up but Charlie Hodgson misses out on maternity leave (his wife's) so Luke McAllister starts at fly-half. Brive are without former England trio, Ben Cohen, Steve Thompson and Ben Johnston.

Two of England’s hottest, speediest, prospects, Matt Banahan and Miles Benjamin have penned new deals at Bath and Worcester respectively.

Banahan, 6ft 7in and weighs 17st 4lbs, has bulldozered his way across the whitewash on eight occasions already in 2007, and Brian Ashton is a well known admirer, while Benjamin, a 19-year-old sensation, who has formed a lethal partnership out wide for the Warriors with Rico Gear is in the England U20 World Cup squad.