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Things are progressing exceptionally well for the Bath team at this moment. After much anticipation, their much-anticipated stadium renovation appears ready to happen, and on the pitch, the title holders have started with back-to-back wins after the initial two rounds. With the star fly-half due back in action next week to take back the fly-half baton, it is demands a outstanding side to take their title.

On a rainy and blustery night in the West Country, however, they were forced to labor intensely by a tenacious Sale Sharks team who dug in deep and would not surrender. It was only with just moments remaining that the Bath center slid in to score his side’s bonus point try to maintain his squad’s unbeaten record to the campaign.

This was Sale’s fourth straight defeat on their opponents’ ground and the nature of the loss was mostly typical to previous performances. Bath make a virtue in applying pressure in the last 20 minutes of games, and here was a further illustration of it. The Bath side might have made life easier for themselves had they decided to go for an earlier penalty to extend their lead to eight points, but in the end, Ojomoh had the decisive moment.

The watching England head coach Steve Borthwick had an abundance of other players to evaluate, with the powerful center and the rapid winger also looking keen to impress him. Sale’s Nathan Jibulu notched a second-half try and is evidently a promising talent, while the game management and kicking accuracy of the composed the veteran fly-half stood out in difficult weather.

George Ford stood out for the Sharks despite the defeat.

It was one more wet and miserable matchday when a roof on the open interim structure would have protected drenched spectators. Their admission can still be priced at a hundred pounds, but a reprieve is close at hand. After lengthy debates, the green light has been granted for an 18,000-capacity stadium, with Unesco and the government minister having given the decision their blessing.

That merely leaves Bath expecting formal signed approval, which the club hope will be secured within a short period. And as and when Bath do at last own their own waterside arena to match their remarkably team roster, life is going to become no easier for opposing teams.

It’s not as if Sale were in any disposition to be frightened in a hard-fought if somewhat disjointed first half. Bath were unlucky to lose their national team second-row Charlie Ewels to a knock inside eight minutes, and the Sharks’ scrum also made some initial progress. It was Bath, though, who fought back and notched the game’s opening touchdown, just when Sale were threatening they were exposed down the left flank by Lawrence before the rapid Arundell evaded Tom O’Flaherty to score his first home Prem try for his long-supported side.

It was to be the story of the half: glimpses of away team quality only for Bath to strike with clinical execution. The game was still under half an hour in when they added another try, the flanker slicing clear off the back of a set piece and passing to Cameron Redpath on his shoulder to score emphatically.

Fortunately Sale still had the superb George Ford to stay within reach. The England fly-half had already kicked a expertly taken penalty and a clever three-pointer when a Bath restart rolled right to him on the center spot. Having taken a brief pause to set himself, the fly-half executed another inch-perfect drop to close the deficit before the prop forward, from near the line, scored Bath’s next score with Sale’s captain Ernst Van Rhyn temporarily suspended.

Coming back from a twelve-point deficit away from home would be a tough assignment in any venue, not to mention against a Bath team with a man advantage and a stacked bench. It was a credit to Sale’s determination, then, when they set up Jibulu from short yardage just seven minutes after the resumption to dispel any hosts’ assurance.

Ordinarily that is the indication for Bath to raise their level, but this time the Sharks were forewarned. They made their own series of substitutions and, at a narrow margin, it took a brilliant tackle from Sam Underhill to contain the strong runs of Marius Louw. A big collision by the defender also forced the Bath player to be substituted injured, but where it really counted, up on the points tally, Bath repeatedly succeed these days.