If London Irish are playing their rugby in the Championship next season, and after Sunday's result at Oxford they are only one point above the drop zone, the role of the referee David Rose in their demise will be a mere footnote. Not that it seemed that way to Brian Smith on Saturday night.
According to the London Irish director of rugby, it was the first time in 40 years that he had ever seen the penalty count against one side – in this case his – go above 20. According to Smith, Rose penalised Irish 23 times and Bath only five times, in addition to awarding a penalty try and sending three players to the sin-bin.
"This game wasn't designed to be played by 14 men for 30 minutes," said Smith, who thus became the third top- flight coach in recent weeks to criticise refereeing in the Premiership. "David obviously saw things a little differently to the way we did," said Smith, thus joining Leicester's Richard Cockerill and Conor O'Shea of Harlequins in Twickenham's bad books.
Smith was particularly aggrieved to have lost the bonus point which a remarkable try from the replacement scrum-half, Jack Moates – after quick thinking and a lot of speed from the wing Marland Yarde – looked to have earned them before the Bath pack bulldozed two late tries.
When the regular season ends in seven games that point might have been handy, but at least the future of London Irish is in their own hands. Starting next month they have fellow strugglers Worcester, Sale and finally London Welsh on 13 April at Reading and Smith is confident: "You saw our fighting qualities. There wouldn't be many sides give away 23 penalties and not cave in."
As for Bath, they have hopes of a top- six finish, thus guaranteeing Heineken Cup rugby to a host of new signings. And Saturday might also have helped settle the fly-half line-up at the Rec next season after George Ford moves from Leicester. Stephen Donald, the All Black whose boot won the World Cup, damaged a rib against London Irish, giving local boy Tom Heathcote an hour in which to put on a command performance. It could be six weeks before the Kiwi is fit and by then his future could be decided. Whereas Smith thinks England should look at Yarde, the Bath director of rugby, Gary Gold, thinks Scotland are missing a trick if they do not pick Heathcote.
Bath Abendanon; Agulla (Rokoduguni, 74), Banahan, Eastmond, Biggs; Donald (Heathcote, 21), Stringer; James (Catt, 71), Webber (Batty, 71), Wilson (Perenise, 64), Day (Spencer, 64), Attwood,F Louw (capt, Gilbert, 27) Fearns, Skirving.
Tries Penalty, Abendanon, Catt, Perenise. Cons Heathcote 4.
Pens Donald, Healthcote 3.
London Irish Homer; Ojo, Armitage, Geraghty (Shingler, 75), Yarde; Humphreys, Phipps (Moates, 52); Lahiff (Yanuyanutawa, 62), Lawson (Hayhew, 51), Aulika (Halavatau, 46), Skivington, Evans (capt, Low, 75), Garvey (Fisher, 53), Sinclair (Gibson, 51), Treviranus.
Try Moates. Con Humphreys. Pens Homer 3.
Sin-bin Ojo 29, Homer 53, Fisher 72.
Referee D Rose (RFU) Attendance 11,879
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