Premiership: Gloucester 27-23 Bath

Tom Seabrook's diving try secured Gloucester's bonus-point win

Gloucester are on the verge of securing a Premiership play-off spot after fighting back to beat Bath.

Ruaridh McConnochie and Tom Dunn tries put Bath 17-7 up at the break, with Josh Hohneck responding for Gloucester with the final play of the half.

Ruan Ackermann crossed for the hosts' second after Bath's Beno Obano was sin-binned two minutes after the restart.

Further tries from Henry Purdy and Tom Seabrook ensured a bonus-point win that severely dents Bath's top four hopes.

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Gloucester's fourth successive win, which all but assures them a European Champions Cup spot next season, need only three points from a possible 15 from their final three matches to earn a place in the Premiership semi-finals for the first time in eight years.

A losing bonus point leaves Bath five points adrift of the top four with three matches remaining.

It had started brilliantly for the Blue, Black and White as a finely weighted crossfield kick from Freddie Burns found McConnochie in space out on the right edge to run in the opening try inside four minutes.

That try, which came off the back of more than 20 phases, defined Bath's early dominance at Kingsholm.

Burns slotted a penalty before Dunn grabbed Bath's second try, the hooker powering over with three Gloucester players hanging off him after taking a short pass from Kahn Fotuali'i.

A series of penalties allowed Gloucester to hit back in what was the 45th minute of the first half, Hohneck running onto a well disguised pop pass from man of the match Danny Cipriani to score.

Bath found themselves a man down inside 90 seconds of the second half and Gloucester immediately capitalised with Ackermann crashing over.

Burns extended Bath's lead with his second penalty, only for Purdy to get the hosts to within a point with a try just before the hour.

A drop-goal from Burns followed, but Gloucester took the lead for the first time through Seabrook before Billy Twelvetrees edged them further ahead with a penalty.

Gloucester head coach Johan Ackermann told BBC Radio Gloucestershire:

"I'm so proud of the boys. It wasn't a perfect game at all, the first half wasn't good enough. We were not there physically and we couldn't get our hands on the ball.

"Credit to the players, there's a lot of fight in this team and to turn it around in the second half was crucial.

"We cleared up a few things at half-time and it's a credit to the team."

Gloucester: Banahan; Seabrook, Twelvetrees, Atkinson, Purdy; Cipriani, Heinz (capt); Hohneck, Marais, Balmain, Slater, Mostert, Ackermann, Kriel, Morgan.

Replacements: Sherry, Rapava Ruskin, Denman, Clarke, Ludlow, Polledri, Braley, Rees-Zammit.

Bath: Homer; Cokanasiga, Joseph, Roberts, McConnochie; Burns, Fotuali'i; Obano, Dunn, Lahiff, Attwood, Ewels (capt), Ellis, Underhill, Mercer.

Replacements: Walker, Van Rooyen, Perenise, Stooke, Reid, Chudley, Priestland, Clark.

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