A young and vastly inexperienced Bath side battled gamely against the Aztecs who saw off their near neighbours in convincing style and are determined to return to this year’s Championship game.

The first quarter was relatively close but with Stef Williams putting in a trademark twenty-two yard run the Cardinals defense was on the back foot. It was left to Chris Green to turn on the after burners from nineteen yards out to notch the opening score. Missing the reliable kicking skills of Owain Chambers the Bristol side settled for Fianzo Smith bundling true full back style into the end zone for the extra points and change ends at the end of the first quarter 8 – 0 ahead.

Jack Kelly, carrying tacklers on his back was eventually stopped at the Cardinal one yard line and was given the ball on the next play as reward for his previous effort. He strode in for the richly deserved score virtually untouched, leaving Stef Williams to claim the extra two points and giving the Aztecs a 16 – 0 advantage at the half.

The powerful Bristol offensive line came into its own in the third quarter. A superb combo block from Adam Ford and Tyrone Matthews sprung Kelly to record his second score of the day from fifty yards out. Rookie Dan Harris appearing in his first game sprinted in for the conversion to make it a day he is unlikely to forget. Adrian Helps blocked a Cardinal punt to keep the Bath outfit pinned inside their own twenty. Kelly, keeping the ball for two successive plays broke into the end zone and then added the extra points for good measure. As the third quarter concluded the visitors sat on a healthy 32 – 0.

Bristol’s Aaron Colfer, rapidly developing into one of the premiere defensive backs, snared his second interception of the day and fifth of the season to set up the final score of the afternoon. Tom Wallis hauled in a Jack Kelly fifteen yard pass for the six, with the two points being added on the conversion to round the score off at 40 – 0.

It could not have been a more difficult game for the Cardinals face as their first competition. The Aztecs are a highly competent, well organised outfit. However Bath can take great heart from their performance and will make the improvements they need to make as the season progresses. The Aztecs seem to be slowly settling into last season’s form and could well go all the way again this year. A possible repeat of last year’s “best ever final” is a mouth-watering prospect.