Image source, Rex Features

A night for the ages at The Rec, and what a start to the Premiership semi-finals.

Bristol showed a fine blend of steel and explosive attacking prowess in the first half to take a seven-point lead into the break, but my word, some of Bath's rugby in the opening 20 minutes of the second half was from another planet

You'd imagine Leicester and Sale eyes will have been on the game, and they might lose valuable sleep before their own semi-final tomorrow afternoon knowing that Bath, this Bath, lie in wait at Twickenham next Saturday in the Premiership Final.

We'll be back from just after 15:00 BST to bring you all the action from Welford Road, so best get some rest now, if this one was anything to go by, it should be a cracker.

Thanks for your company tonight, we'll see you tomorrow!

Gareth Chilcott
Ex-England and Bath prop on BBC Radio Bristol

An absolutely brutal game, a great game of rugby. It had everything from great defence to attacking rugby.

Bristol were brilliant but when they got the 13 points they couldn't quite kill Bath off.

Then Bath in the second half are usually bigger and stronger than most of the sides that they've met this year and they just went away and scored the points.

Bristol were always a dangerous side but really it was a great performance from Bath. All credit to the intent of Bristol and the way they came here and played their rugby but really the scoreboard doesn't lie and Bath were worthy winners tonight.

Image source, Rex Features

Bath flanker Guy Pepper, the player of the match after making 18 tackles, told TNT Sports:

"It's massive for this group. After last year we put a massive target on this competition this year. It means the world to go to Twickenham next week.

"It was probably the hardest game of rugby I've been involved in. In that second half we came out and for that first 20 minutes we showed what we are capable of.

"We weren't ourselves in that first half but we knew if we matched them emotionally we had the firepower.

"It's been an amazing year for me. That treble would be amazing and mean the world to this club."

A bloodied Bath hooker Tom Dunn told TNT Sports:

"It's huge. We're one step closer, but we'll come in on Monday and go again.

"We trust the process. We had a real calm half-time. They are a good team but we stayed in it and we knew we'd wind it up.

"It's never over 'til it's over."

Topsy Ojo
Former England back on BBC Radio 5 Live

The treble dream is still alive.

It could have been oh so different. In the first half we thought there would be questions to be answered but the way that Bath came out in the second half... They really put their foot down, went through the gears and once they were ahead they managed to keep Bristol at arm's length.

Credit to Bristol, a valiant effort but Bath as they've done all season long - that ability to close games out in the second half and 80 minutes away now next Saturday from the Premiership trophy.

Sophie Hurcom
BBC Sport at the Rec

I'm not sure I've heard the Rec quite as loud as it has been this evening.

If you ever wonder whether a derby adds extra spice to a match, you only need to look at the atmosphere here to see how much it does in spades. Both sets of fans were so up for this game tonight but it's the Bath supporters who are the ones going home with massive smiles on their faces.

Bath were selling out the Rec four years ago when they were rooted to the bottom of the Premiership table and far more than the 14,500 that can fit inside it will now be hoping to make the trip to Twickenham in eight days' time.

A first league title since 1996 is tantalisingly up for grabs as well as a historic treble.

For Bristol, their wait for a Premiership final appearance goes on as they contributed to an electrifying at times semi-final, but ultimately fell short.

Image source, Rex Features

Bristol might have beaten Bath twice in the regular season, but when it mattered most, Bath showed their class.

The Bears had the better of the first half, and held a 13-6 lead at the interval, but a breathtaking 20 minute spell of attacking rugby and ferocious play in all facets, saw the game turned on its head with four unanswered tries.

The table-toppers also showed their defensive steel to repel a series of powerful drives from the Bears, and hold up Ellis Genge and Harry Thacker over the line, and though the visitors pulled a try back, they couldn't land another blow, let alone the two they needed, and it is Bath who head to Twickenham next Saturday.

The treble is still very much on!

The game is up and seconds remain.

Bath fans are counting down the seconds as their heroes win a penalty from a scrum deep in their own half.

Finn Russell is hobbling off, to rapturous applause from the home fans.

He has a slight grimace as he nurses his left thigh - something to worry about after the final whistle for Johann van Graan.

Gareth Chilcott
Ex-England and Bath prop on BBC Radio Bristol

I still think that Bath are in the driving seat.

If Bristol were to score now though it would make a brilliant last five minutes.

All credit to Bristol, they're still playing their rugby.

Topsy Ojo
Former England back on BBC Radio 5 Live

Bristol know this game is in the balance and they need something magical.

Ciaran Donohue's first action after coming off the Bath bench is to drill a grubber kick down the right flank for a 50-22.

His side win the line-out and Miles Reid almost bulldozes into space in front of the posts but after a dozen phases Finn Russell's speculative kick to the corner skids out of play.

Bristol are running out of time.

Bath have been ruthlessly efficient in this second half, whereas the Bears have huffed and puffed in a similar amount of time in the opposition 22, but have nothing to show for their efforts since half-time.

If they are to find any way back into this one, which already looks unlikely, it needs to happen very soon.

Image source, Getty Images

A penalty for not rolling away gives Bristol the chance of a line-out in the corner and win a penalty advantage as the line-out maul is brought down illegally.

Kieran Marmion returns to the fray to bring the Bears back up to 15 but after a tap penalty Harry Thacker goes over under the posts.

Despite Thacker's protests Bath, and Christophe Ridley think he's been held up by Miles Reid, and the TMO agrees.

Andrew Sheridan
BBC Radio Bristol commentator

What a transformation we've had.

It's been one way traffic in this second half but there is still a long way to go.

The 14 men are having a good go at turning the tide, pushing Bath back towards their own line and launching a series of drives in front of the posts.

More than a dozen phases are repelled before replacement Jack Bates is eventually found on the left flank, only to be stopped a couple of metres short.

Ellis Genge tries to batter his way through two men from a yard out but is rolled onto his back and held up over the line and the chance goes begging.

it's Genge's final involvement as Jake Woolmore comes on.

Gareth Chilcott
Ex-England and Bath prop on BBC Radio Bristol

If Bath score again then I think the game will have gone away from Bristol.