Premiership: Bath 63-19 London Irish

Matt Banahan's career at Bath ended against the side that signed the Jerseyman to their academy as a teenager

Matt Banahan ended his 12-year Bath career with a hat-trick to help the Blue, Black and Whites thrash London Irish to qualify for next season's European Champions Cup.

Tries from Taulupe Faletau, Cooper Vuna, James Wilson, Elliot Stooke and Banahan put Bath 35-0 up at the break.

Gloucester-bound Banahan then completed his treble by touching down either side of Wilson's second score.

Will Vaughan grabbed Bath's ninth try before Irish rallied late in defeat.

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Two tries from Josh McNally and another from Ben Loader were mere consolations in a defeat that brought a miserable campaign for Irish to an end, with the Berkshire-based club finishing 14 points adrift of second-bottom Worcester.

The season-ending win for Bath was enough to see them move from eight to sixth in the table, ahead of West Country rivals Gloucester, who were heavily beaten by Saracens, and Sale, who were overcome at home by Leicester.

In a match that saw Banahan end his long career at The Rec with a memorable treble, there was also room for London Irish club-record appearance holder David Paice to add a points-scoring footnote to his career with a conversion.

Bath director of rugby Todd Blackadder:

"I've learnt a lot myself, about what we need to do and what we need to stop doing.

"The silver lining is that we are a lot clearer in how we need to play the game. We built the depth of the squad and have some quality players coming through.

On Banahan: "The best way to end a career is on top. The way he played today was phenomenal and there's no better way to leave a club.

"It's a proud day for him and his family, for all he has given to Bath. The club is really proud of him, too."

Technical consultant Declan Kidney told BBC Radio Berkshire:

"The lads who are staying with us next season now know what it takes to compete in the Premiership after that examination this afternoon.

"Sometimes you have to experience that to understand how you need to go about your training, preparation and everything else.

"We'll take it on the chin and take a good look at it before we break for the summer.

"When you get to this stage of the season and you're playing teams at the top end with things to play for, they're always going to be fully focused and determined to do the job in hand.

"That shows us the level we need to get to as ultimately, it's where we want to get back to."

Bath: Homer; Vuna, Banahan, J Wilson, Brew; Priestland, Fotuali'i; Noguera, Dunn, Perenise, Garvey (capt), Stooke, Ellis, Louw, Faletau.

Replacements: Walker, Vaughan, Delmas, Phillips, Mercer, Green, Burns, Clark.

London Irish: Tonks; Cokanasigsa, Fowlie, Mulchrone, Loader; Brophy Clews, Steele; Elrington, Porecki, Hoskins, Van der Merwe (capt), De Chaves, McNally, Cowan, Treviranus.

Replacements: Paice, Franks, Du Plessis, Cooke, Basham, Van Zyl, J Williams, Lewington.

Referee: Matthew Carley.