Premiership: Bath 47-22 Worcester - Hosts run in seven tries to defeat young Warriors side

Ben Spencer races to the line to score Bath's fifth try as they ended the first half with a 40-0 lead

Tom Dunn and Will Muir both crossed twice as seven-try Bath eased to a 47-22 win over a young Worcester side.

Muir grabbed his first after 90 seconds and secured the try bonus point with a fine run after 23 minutes, either side of scores from Dunn and Zach Mercer.

Max Clark's try made it 40-0 at the break, but Worcester hit back early in the second half through Joe Batley and Perry Humphreys.

Dunn scored again before Humphreys and Ethan Waller struck late for Warriors.

The hosts came out of the blocks flying and went ahead with their first attack when Rhys Priestland threw a pass wide to Muir who shook off three tacklers to score his first try for the club.

Hooker Tom Dunn started and finished their next score after six minutes, throwing in from the lineout before burrowing over after a period of sustained pressure on the Worcester line, with Priestland adding the extras to make it 12-0.

Rhys Priestland missed an early conversion to end his record-breaking run of 36 consecutive successful kicks and left the pitch through injury early in the second half

It was one-way traffic, and soon after Sam Underhill was held up over the line, Zach Mercer powered over for Bath's third which Priestland converted to give the hosts a 19-point lead in as many minutes.

A youthful Worcester side had no answer to Bath and Muir galloped in from halfway for his second try, and his side's bonus point, after only 23 minutes, and worse was to come from the restart.

Ruaridh Mcconnochie burst through Nick David's weak tackle before racing down the wing and passing inside to the supporting Ben Spencer for Bath's fifth, and Max Clark then collected Jonathan Joseph's deft kick to make it 40-0 at half-time.

The visitors emerged fired up for the second half and grabbed two tries in the opening six minutes when Joe Batley charged down a Priestland kick to collect and score, before a flowing move ended in winger Perry Humphreys going over in the corner to make it 40-10.

But an ensuing penalty gave Bath the chance to kick for the corner and an effective driving maul saw Dunn pick up his second try of the game - and sixth of the season - after 49 minutes.

It was a hugely improved second-half performance from Worcester who were rewarded with a try bonus point of their own when Humphreys scored his second and substitute prop Ethan Waller ran in a fourth late on.

The win lifted Bath up three places to seventh, while Worcester remain rooted to the bottom, two points behind Gloucester.

Bath Director of Rugby Stuart Hooper told BBC Radio Bristol:

"It's five points and I thought the performance in the first half was outstanding. You don't see many Premiership games when you are 40-0 up at half-time so it was a really confident first-half display.

"What we did do in the first half maybe we didn't do in the second, we didn't get the little things right.

"I'm proud of the effort of the lads but there is a bit to work on. It's great to give some of the young guys some Premiership rugby. If there is any chance to get them on and give them the experience then we do it."

Worcester head coach Jonathan Thomas:

"Our first-half performance wasn't acceptable and I was really disappointed by it.

"We picked the players for a reason but you can't afford to feel yourselves into a Premiership match and we had to tell them a few home truths at the interval.

"We challenged the boys at half-time to try and secure a bonus point so I'm really proud of the boys that they were able to do that."

Bath: De Glanville; McConnochie, Joseph, Clark, Muir; Priestland, Spencer; J Schoeman, Dunn, Thomas, McNally (capt), Stooke, Reid, Underhill, Mercer.

Replacements: Walker, Cordwell, Verden, Ellis, Staddon, Chudley, Bailey, Cokanasiga.

Worcester: David; Ashton, Morris, Butler, Humphreys; Smith, Simpson; Thomas, Miller, J Morris, A Kitchener, Batley, Hill (capt), Kvesic, Dodd.

Replacements: Annett, Waller, Van Dyk, Clegg, du Preez, Hougaard, Searle, Venter.

Referee: Adam Leal.

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