Premiership Rugby Cup: Jersey Reds beat top-flight Bath for second win
- Published
Alun Lawrence (left) was mauled over for Jersey's first-ever competitive try against a Premiership club
Championship champions Jersey Reds won 34-10 at Bath to upset the top-flight side in the Premiership Rugby Cup.
Bath's Sam Harris and Jersey's Alun Lawrence exchanged tries midway in the first half before Reds had Max Argyle sin-binned for a high hit.
Will Muir took advantage of the extra man as Bath led 10-5 at the interval.
But tries from Alex McHenry, Jordan Holgate, Russell Bennett and a James Hadfield double got Reds a first win over a top-tier side in their history.
McHenry cut a superb line and went in under the posts to put Jersey ahead after 50 minutes before Hadfield charged down George Worboys' kick and gathered the lost ball to score five minutes later.
Bath replacement Louie Hennessey was sin-binned for an infringement on his own tryline as Jersey piled on the pressure, and from the resulting 65th-minute penalty Jersey won the line-out and mauled over Hadfield for the bonus point.
Three minutes later Bennett capped a fine flowing move after Ben Woollett chipped the ball over a defender, gathered and then fed the Reds fly-half who gleefully dived in for the fifth try.
Hadfield's second score was a carbon copy of his first as Jersey secured maximum points from their first two Premiership Rugby Cup fixtures to go top of their pool.
The young Bath side - who were pushed close by Cornish Pirates last week - remain in third place in Pool C.
Ross Vintcent's two tries helped Exeter overcome a half-time deficit to beat Cornish Pirates at Sandy Park
Jersey's win was the biggest upset of the afternoon, although not the only unexpected result as Harlequins drew 21-21 at home to Coventry - who had beaten Saracens last week.
Quins needed a 78th-minute try from Matas Jurevicius to ensure a share of the points having trailed 21-7 early in the second half to the Championship side.
A young Gloucester side won the only all-Premiership tie of the day as they scored five tries at Saracens to win 29-20.
The Cherry and Whites had trailed 14-5 at the break, but tries from Louis Hillman-Cooper, Jack Clement, Seb Blake and George Barton secured the win.
At Sandy Park, Exeter won the battle of the South West as they beat neighbours Cornish Pirates 38-13.
Chiefs - who thrashed Bristol 75-0 last week - scored 26 unanswered points in the second half having been 13-12 down at the break as Tommy Wyatt and Ross Vintcent both scored twice.
Elsewhere, Northampton thrashed Championship newcomers Cambridge 55-5, Caldy won 26-22 against Ampthill, and Doncaster edged to a 24-22 win at London Scottish.