Bath 29-19 Cardiff Blues

Bath (20) 29
Tries: Banahan, Biggs Cons: Barkley 2 Pens: Barkley 4 Drop-goals: Barkley
Cardiff (16) 19
Tries: Davies Cons: Davies Pens: Davies 4

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Banahan got his side off to the perfect start

Bath's superior forward power proved too much for Cardiff Blues and provided the home side with a much-needed win in a rain-soaked LV= Cup clash at The Rec.

Bath captain Matt Banahan crossed after five minutes before Tom Biggs latched onto Olly Barkley's kick to slide over.

Gareth Davies' boot kept the Blues in touch before he rounded off Dan Fish's kick-and-chase with a try.

Conditions deteriorated after the break and the game dissolved into a kicking contest from which Barkley triumphed.

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Bath head coach Steve Meehan:
"I thought the young lads who came into the side did so seamlessly.

"The win's important and I don't think there are any serious injuries. It was all that we wanted.

"The scrummaging tonight was the best for a long, long time. The locks worked very well together and the back row of Ben Skirving, Josh Ovens and Guy Mercer worked very hard."

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Bath: Cuthbert; Boussuge, Banahan, Williams, Biggs; Barkley, McMillan; Flatman, Batty, Bell; Van der Glessen, Fernandez Lobbe; Ovens, Mercer, Skirving.

Replacements: Scott for Williams (52), Cook for McMillan (40), Mears for Batty (60).

Cardiff Blues: Fish; Mustoe, Evans, Hewitt, Loxton; G. Davies, L. Williams; T. Davies, G. Williams, Yapp; Griffiths, Down; Pretorius, White, Brown.

Replacements: Griffin for G. Davies (73), Slater for L. Williams (57), Hobbs for T. Davies (73), R. Williams for G. Williams (52), George for Yapp (73), Hill for Griffiths (72), Young for Pretorius (60).

Att: 11,911

Ref: Greg Garner (RFU).