Despite suffering a last-gasp 30-27 defeat to Sale Sharks at the AJ Bell Stadium on Friday night, Bath head coach Johann van Graan has urged his players to continue fighting.<\/p>\n
The West Country outfit launched a stunning fightback from 22-3 down to take a 27-25 lead with their captain Ben Spencer leading the way with a 17-point contribution, despite losing Max Ojomoh and Cameron Redpath to yellow cards.<\/p>\n
Sale did not surrender, however, and sealed their victory in dramatic fashion when Arron Reed scored the match-winning try in the left-hand corner in the 80th minute.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a difficult one to take, specifically the way we fought back, got ourselves ahead and then defended so well with 13 men,\u201d said Van Graan, whose side remain in second-last place in the Premiership standings.<\/p>\n
\u201cAcross the 80, we have to be better. We conceded a yellow card within a minute and they scored a try because you don\u2019t have your blind winger to cover that \u2013 minus those five points and you win the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe positive for me is the way we stayed in the fight, we had to stop a maul and defend with five backs and that\u2019s signs of growth, but I would have loved to win that one.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are fighting and that\u2019s all I\u2019m looking for. We are not going to be perfect in the first season but you put yourselves in the position, tonight, to beat Sale second in the league away.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis competition is definitely not over for us this season. There\u2019s a lot of rugby left this season.\u201d<\/p>\n
The home side raced into a comfortable lead courtesy of first-half tries from Joe Carpenter, Sam Dugdale, Tom Roebuck and Tommy Taylor, although a Niall Annett try on the stroke of half-time meant Bath were trailing 22-8 at the interval.<\/p>\n
A five-pointer from Jonathan Joseph saw the visitors narrowing the gap, and despite Ojomoh and Redpath’s yellow cards, Spencer\u2019s conversion of his own try resulted in them taking the lead before Reed\u2019s late score broke their hearts.<\/p>\n
The Sharks’ win means they consolidate second position on the table and director of rugby Alex Sanderson feels their late triumph could prove vital as the season progresses.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we look back on the season, if we are lucky enough to earn ourselves a home semi-final, it\u2019s on nights like tonight that you do that, you earn it,” he said. “It\u2019s quite significant I feel.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a decent sign of where we are going \u2013 hopefully if we keep them together this group can do special things, not just this year but for years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew we\u2019d be digging in that second half, really digging in and that\u2019s all I asked of them. I didn\u2019t ask them to win, just dig in and they did.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou see how much it matters to them on the sideline, me included, over exuberant celebrations but it matters, it really matters them fighting for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n