Bath 30 London Irish 3:Bath claimed their first English Premiership victory for two months after they battered title play-off contenders London Irish into submission at a sodden Recreation Ground.
Bath had not won in the league since they edged past Irish 13-12 on October 29th, and a fifth successive reversal would have signalled their worst Premiership results sequence for 10 years.
But an early try by prop Anthony Perenise set the tone for an impressive heavy-duty performance from the Bath pack that saw Irish outmuscled.
Outhalf Stephen Donald added a conversion and two penalties to put daylight between the teams, before scrum-half Michael Claassens sealed victory when he rounded off a brilliant 80-metre counter-attack sparked by full-back Nick Abendanon and wing Tom Biggs, then Bath were awarded a penalty try four minutes from time.
Donald finished with 15 points courtesy of three penalties and three conversions, while the Exiles managed a solitary Tom Homer penalty in reply as they slipped out of the Premiership's top four.
Irish showed the effects of just a five-day turnaround from their last league game - in contrast, Bath had more than a week - and that difference told during an attritional contest in gloomy conditions that was lit up by Claassens' touchdown.
And to complete a miserable afternoon for the visitors, their England international fullback Delon Armitage, who had an abysmal disciplinary record in 2011, was sin-binned for a late tackle on Claassens.
