Gloucester defeat Bath 23-5 to stay top of the Prem

Gloucester beat Bath 23-5 at Kingsholm on Friday to remain top of the Prem, ending a long wait for a league victory over their rivals at home. BBC Sport reported that the hosts overcame a spell with only 13 players on the field before second-half tries from Freddie Thomas and Max Llewellyn put the result beyond Bath.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-_OxNHmVIA

George Barton supplied Gloucester's first nine points through three penalties. Bath answered shortly before half-time when Kepu Tuipulotu scored from a driving maul, leaving the visitors only four points behind at the interval. Gloucester's defensive effort was central to that narrow advantage: despite their numerical disadvantage during the opening half, they repeatedly prevented Bath from turning pressure near the line into points.

The hosts then added two converted tries without conceding again. Thomas crossed under the posts midway through the second half, and Llewellyn scored with two minutes remaining. Barton converted both tries to finish with 13 points. Bath's five-point total was their lowest in a Prem match under Johann van Graan, according to the BBC report, as they suffered a third successive defeat across all competitions.

The result gave Gloucester their first win against Bath since a 64-0 victory in April 2022. It followed a draw against Champions Cup holders Bordeaux seven days earlier and came despite the injury absences of captain Dewi Lake and centre Seb Atkinson. Head coach George Skivington had described the derby as Gloucester's biggest game of the season before his side strengthened their position as early league leaders.

Speaking to BBC Radio Gloucestershire afterwards, Skivington praised his players' resilience and the coordination of their defence under sustained pressure. Van Graan, meanwhile, pointed to Bath's failure to finish opportunities. He highlighted a disallowed try shortly after half-time, when the deficit was still 9-5, and said his team needed to improve their ability to ground the ball after reaching the tryline.

Bath also lost Santiago Carreras and Guy Pepper to injuries. The BBC reported a possible anterior cruciate ligament injury for Carreras, but that diagnosis had not been confirmed. Van Graan said the full-back needed a scan and expressed concern about the likely outcome. The report did not establish the nature of Pepper's injury or a recovery timetable for either player.