However, Director of Rugby Ruddock felt it should have been even more after a sustained period of pressure in the first half was followed by a late charge - despite losing Sam Tuitupou to the sin bin.

"If it was a boxing match we probably would have won on points," he said.

"Bath are hard to break down and very sharp on the break, as we saw when they nearly got a try early second half. We turned ball over from a lineout and they broke away down the blindside, Abendanon had a good break and they almost scored.

"They almost scored in the other corner where only a fantastic try-saving tackle by Miles Benjamin and Sam Tuitupou, combining together, stopped them. It was a big hit to dislodge the ball.

"But other than that we looked comfortable defensively, I don't think we were ever in trouble apart those moments.

"We also looked as if we were finishing stronger and looked as though we were in control of the tempo of the game, the physicality of the game.

"We just couldn't generate that position and some quick ball to get our backs away in their 22.

"We had two purple patches," added Ruddock. "The first came in the first half when we had a scrum penalty and hit the post from it.

"We followed that up with a drop goal that just went wide. If we had been a little bit more clinical at that moment we would have been fine.

"Also, if we had just been a bit more clinical during the period when Sammy got a yellow card we would have been fine. But we are not far off. We are not a million miles away."