Things started disastrously for the visitors as former Premiership winner Nathan Earle marked his return to action with a simple finish on the left, Sam Evans with a fine touchline conversion.
Away wing Oli Rhoads was then forced off with a shoulder knock before Earle and Evans doubled the TJs advantage.
But Rams got on the board with a nice line-out move, the ball sent back to Max Hayman to power over on the right.
Substitute Mike Cooke landed a brilliant kick to halve the deficit, but another slick three-quarters move from the hosts ended with Earle’s fellow wing Tom Kendrick scything over.
The away side suffered another injury setback with Aaron Tull replaced by Liam Elston, and it was soon 26-7 as former Ram Lucas Brooke stripped the ball in midfield before Kendrick wrapped up the TJs bonus-point.
There was further damage for the visitors as Luke Graham limped off on the stroke of half-time, Ed Hoadley on as scrum-half Ollie Hodgson switched to the wing for the start of the second half.
Clow score starts fightback
Yet following a disastrous opening 40 minutes, Rams suddenly clicked into life with Zach Clow converting a solo turnover into a fine try.
Cooke slotted the extras and following a Harry Stone break, man-of-the-match Willo Bicknell’s converted try meant it was well and truly game on.
Axel Kalling-Smith was sin-binned for a mis-timed aerial challenge, but the visitors’ conditioning then came to the fore, allied to much improved ball retention.
And another outstanding performer, Mikey Duda, grasped a loose ball before breaking a couple of tackles to level the scores.
Another successful kick from Cooke nudged Rams in front for the first time, but the helter-skelter nature of an absorbing contest continued as Earle completed his hat-trick, Evans’ marvellous touch-line conversion making it 33-28.
Baker writes another chapter in legendary career
Rams, though, struck the decisive blow three minutes from time, the brilliant James Baker – who again helped destroy the hosts’ scrum as a second-half replacement – diving over from close range following some magnificent continuity play.
It was the record-breaking legend’s 50th first-team try on his 452nd appearance.
And following a series of narrow defeats in recent months, the visitors claimed the restart before going through a couple of phases and booting the ball out for a famous triumph.
Victory sees Rams leapfrog their opponents back up to sixth ahead of next Saturday’s home game with Leeds Tykes (3pm).
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