Captain Tom Doughty sets new BUCS Super Rugby try record during narrow Team Bath defeat to Durham
Captain Tom Doughty became the all-time BUCS Super Rugby leading try-scorer as the Team Bath men’s 1st XV suffered a second narrow defeat of the 2018-19 season at the hands of Durham in London on Friday.
Sports Performance student Doughty burrowed over from a trademark lineout catch-and-drive to notch his 17th try in the league competition and Team Bath’s second of the game after fellow Bath Rugby Academy player Jack Davies had forced his way over moments earlier.
Those tries, both converted by Will Partington, came midway through a rollercoaster first half and saw Team Bath close the gap to 17-14 after Durham had made a blistering start to the match, played at Rosslyn Park RFC.
Tom Catterick kicked an early penalty and added the extras to tries from Myles Rawstron-Rudd and Paddy McDuell, who intercepted a loose pass to touch down.
Team Bath responded brilliantly and, after the tries from Davies and Doughty, were well on the front foot but an incisive break by number seven Chris Johnson provided the opportunity for McDuell to jink through for Durham’s third try in the 35th minute.
The conversion attempt was brilliantly charged down and Team Bath – proudly wearing the logo of new sponsors Fulkers for the first time and also supported by short sponsors MJ Church – thought they had scored with the last attack of the first half, only for the referee to adjudge their rolling maul had been held up on the line.
Partington and Catterick exchanged penalties in the opening stages of an evenly-matched second half before Durham gave themselves some extra breathing space with 12 minutes to go. A brilliant tackle by Partington thwarted a charge by replacement Ben Stevenson but centre Matt Welsh was able to pick up and break down the blind side to score in the corner.
Team Bath cranked up the pressure in the closing stages and, after Marjin Huis was yellow-carded, forced a penalty try with 90 seconds remaining. Josh Basham was also sent to the bin but, despite being down to 13 men, Durham were able to hang on for a 30-24 victory.
It is back to the University of Bath Sports Training Village on Wednesday (October 10) for Team Bath, who play host to Nottingham Trent at 6.30pm.
Admission is free, as it is for the big Iesis Group-sponsored Anniversary Game against Leeds Beckett at The Rec, home of Bath Rugby, on Wednesday, October 17. Kick-off is again 6.30pm and tickets can be downloaded here.
Watch the Durham game in full here:
Match stats
Durham starting XV: 15 Tom Catterick, 14 Saul Melvin-Farr, 13 Matt Welsh, 12 Myles Rawstron-Rudd, 11 Jack Hedley, 10 Paddy McDuell, 9 Jacob Collin; 1 Jack Conteh, 2 Luke Chadwick, 3 Sam Hughes, 4 Colin Markham (c), 5 Henry Paremain, 6 Fitz Harding, 7 Chris Johnston, 8 Ben Fowles. Replacements: 16 Freddie Davies, 17 Scott Bowerman, 18 Toby Woods, 19 Marjin Huis, 20 Josh Basham, 21 Alex Skinner, 22 Charlie Wilson, 23 Ben Stevenson.
Tries: Rawstron-Rudd, McDuel 2, Welsh.
Conversions: Catterick 2.
Penalties: Catterick .
Team Bath starting XV: 15 Will Partington, 14 Finn Murphy, 13 Alex Nisbett, 12 Miles Gilbert, 11 Hugo Stiles, 10 Alex Burrage, 9 Ed Rimmer; 1 Tom Rowland, 2 Tom Doughty (c), 3 Kieran Verdon, 4 Angus Hinton, 5 Adam Thresher, 6 Jack Davies, 7 Chris Barry, 8 Jordan Martin. Replacements: 16 James Hadfield, 17 Arthur Cordwell, 18 Simone Ngeng, 19 Jack Kenningham, 20 James Catlin, 21 George Wootten, 22 Benn Morris, 23 Will Butt.
Tries: Davies, Doughty, penalty.
Conversions: Partington 2.
Penalty: Partington.
