Bath

We are far too easy to score against. Teams will sense our soft underbelly & know they only have to step up the pressure & after two or three phases in the red zone we will capitulate.

Where would be without the Horse, he has been sensational this season and so effective ball in hand and stealing kick offs. He has put our big name wingers to shame but how on earth did we lose that game. The subs made no impact and how can an injury stoppage have such a detrimental impact on one.

Restart with a scrum Du Toit popped out the scrum like a champagne cork and that was it after that ref decided we were at fault but Rae and Cordwell both looked jaded but to be fair they have had a tough old season. Last weeks collapse was bad because we had the chance to play for a cup but today's was even worse as we allowed a 19 point lead be overturned. What could have been a great day at the rec in the sunshine turned sour in the space of 20 minutes.

so disappointing another emotional roller coaster.

Our defence is too passive in the final moments of games and the coaching should address that. They might not cross the whitewash every touch but you can't soak up phase after phase and not expect to break.

Likewise the substitutions (and the injury) knocked all the wind out of the team. There was still some leaders on the pitch but I do think that one was down to dubious management.

Most frustrating thing though is that it was obvious it was coming. I'd have been more surprised if we hadn't thrown it away.

Bring on next season, this one can't go soon enough.

At the end of the day it was no big deal and the weather wasn’t bad so happy days.

We already knew that Bath are a dreadful team and this reinforced that thought. We also learnt that Saints are also a poor team and if they scrape 4th place that’s effectively a free pass to the final for Leicester.

Have to question the mental toughness of the team though, all around us knew that from 31-12 with 20 mins to go we were likely to lose. Boy do we need a mind coach to sort the weaknesses out.

Quote:

OutsideBath
Boy do we need a mind coach to sort the weaknesses out.

I thought we took on one with a good reputation a few years ago but it didn’t seem to make much difference. Hopefully we have enough capable coaches joining us to instill good repeatable habits & the right tactics for the game situation.

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Bath Hammer

Quote:

OutsideBath
Boy do we need a mind coach to sort the weaknesses out.

I thought we took on one with a good reputation a few years ago but it didn’t seem to make much difference. Hopefully we have enough capable coaches joining us to instill good repeatable habits & the right tactics for the game situation.

Katie warriner?

V highly regarded but not much evidence of mental resilience in our on field performances.

Jvg I hope is licking his lips, starts at rock bottom and a chance to build something

Quote:

OutsideBath
At the end of the day it was no big deal and the weather wasn’t bad so happy days.
We already knew that Bath are a dreadful team and this reinforced that thought. We also learnt that Saints are also a poor team and if they scrape 4th place that’s effectively a free pass to the final for Leicester.

Have to question the mental toughness of the team though, all around us knew that from 31-12 with 20 mins to go we were likely to lose. Boy do we need a mind coach to sort the weaknesses out.

Saints were awful today. Nothing clicked for us and it was a very frustrating watch. We are not a poor team we are a tad inconsistent i will give you that but on our day we can put any team away. I bet tigers won't see us as a free pass .

Difficult to find the words to express the disappointment.

As soon as we unloaded the bench we simply collapsed. I accept that the injury break didn’t help.

Thought the backs in general performed well, Muir and Clark in particular. The loss of JMcN is hurting us, and another anonymous one from Faletau.

Quote:

Bath Hammer

Quote:

OutsideBath
Boy do we need a mind coach to sort the weaknesses out.

I thought we took on one with a good reputation a few years ago but it didn’t seem to make much difference. Hopefully we have enough capable coaches joining us to instill good repeatable habits & the right tactics for the game situation.

Yes the coaches for next season are better, but the pack is too small this season and is looking too small next season. Without a decent pack we will be bottom dwellers again.

Quote:

OutsideBath

Yes the coaches for next season are better, but the pack is too small this season and is looking too small next season. Without a decent pack we will be bottom dwellers again.

I fear you are correct OB

One more point though, I hate, hate, hate the double jeopardy that led to a yellow card for Coetzee. Absolute nonsense.

Just watched the game. We do find increasing baroque and unlikely ways to lose. Bath Rugby - Butchers to the Gentry. If we converted even 50% of the chances we create, we'd win a lot more games and have a lot less stress. On the upside we're making chances, so the problems with converting them should be fixable but its really annoying we haven't and its just teeth grindingly predictable that we'll lose concentration and concede. Another item on JvG's long list of stuff to fix.

Losing Josh Bayliss just after we'd made our last sub and then Coetzee to a yellow immediately after that was very unlucky. I doubt any other team has had to play more minutes with 13 on the pitch than us. But poor sides are unlucky and my word we're very, very unlucky at the moment.

Our ambition to play from anywhere was excellent and Josh Bayliss, JJ and Max Clarke looked class.

My MotM - The man called Horse. On the scene of everything good we did.

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... IMHO, of course.

Now in Honolulu



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 24/04/2022 01:55 by joethefanatic.

Why take off so many players ?, Williams Cips , Spencer, bringing on Richards into the 2nd tow, he's too lightweight , keep the props on for longer,Dan Cole , Joe Marler regularly play the full 80 minutes, Bristol hooker the same on Friday night. Painful to see all go to pieces.

Mercer made some interesting points about bath losing a lot of their bigger characters who within the group I am guessing were pobably seen as leaders.

I would include him in that. He mentioned lahiff, judge, stooke , matavesi.....

Tbf in terms of performances on the pitch I think we only miss stooke and zach but maybe he has a point that we lack character and leadership through the squad which is what he seemed to imply.

My concern is hoops seems to move certain types of individuals out but maybe that is unfair. Zach certainly from about age 21 was often the man trying to take the game by the scruff of the neck. I feel this season that has often been the likes of mojo, bailey, richards..really doesn't feel like it should be 19-21 yr olds driving us over the line and setting the standards but fair play to them



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 24/04/2022 07:34 by charlieboa.

Quote:

hasta
One more point though, I hate, hate, hate the double jeopardy that led to a yellow card for Coetzee. Absolute nonsense.

That is a ridiculous rule, similar to sending off a player after 5 mins which they are fortunately proposing to change. However, if Coetzee committed a deliberate infringement he was stupid to do so. If it couldn’t be stopped fairly let them score. He effectively lost us the match by his action.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 24/04/2022 08:43 by Bath Hammer.

If we’d had Hughes playing yesterday I suspect we’d have coasted to victory.

Not sure what’s up with Faletau, but he just wasn’t at the races. Maybe we should play in Welsh colours to help him for the remaining games.

Quote:

makeitagem
Why take off so many players ?, Williams Cips , Spencer, bringing on Richards into the 2nd tow, he's too lightweight , keep the props on for longer,Dan Cole , Joe Marler regularly play the full 80 minutes, Bristol hooker the same on Friday night. Painful to see all go to pieces.

I wonder if it was in response to the fitness criticism and trying to ensure that we saw the game out. Malco is right about the injury break and having already decided to put the subs on we needed to soak up pressure and see the clock out.
As noted by others the change of a chunk of the team seems to coincide with the wholesale collapse of our defence it does seem as though we should keep the team together for as long as possible but I think that might apply to other teams as well at times, England included.

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Tyler Offiah
Opinion is based on assumptions, whereas fact is based on observation or research.

How many times has Bath lost from winning positions this season? How many times have we deflated from 60 minutes out? When was the last time our bench made a winning contribution to any game?
We don't deflate because we are markedly less fit than other teams, but because we have no one ensuring we keep pumping the air in and patching up any leaks. Our on-field "leadership" and game management is woeful. While every other team can and have come to rely on an inspirational, savvy, solid, respected and follow-through-fire group of senior and charismatic players to see them through, or over or beyond, Bath has none. We drift. Occasionally we'll spark or find each other and create some pretty patterns. But when push literally needs to come to shove, we have no rugby bullls. No on-field leaders.
And on-field is where rugby matches are won, not on whiteboards in the coach's rooms.
Our recruitment focus should be on bringing in the leaders to help Reid, Underhill etc grow their rugby creds and allow the talent of our youth to bloom.
Without real leaders we will continue to drift and puncture.

Quote:

Bath Hammer

Quote:

hasta
One more point though, I hate, hate, hate the double jeopardy that led to a yellow card for Coetzee. Absolute nonsense.

That is a ridiculous rule, similar to sending off a player after 5 mins which they are fortunately proposing to change. However, if Coetzee committed a deliberate infringement he was stupid to do so. If it couldn’t be stopped fairly let them score. He effectively lost us the match by his action.

I thought, listening on ref link his was for bringing down the mall that led to the penalty try, what actually happened?

Quote:

Susanne

Quote:

Bath Hammer

Quote:

hasta
One more point though, I hate, hate, hate the double jeopardy that led to a yellow card for Coetzee. Absolute nonsense.

That is a ridiculous rule, similar to sending off a player after 5 mins which they are fortunately proposing to change. However, if Coetzee committed a deliberate infringement he was stupid to do so. If it couldn’t be stopped fairly let them score. He effectively lost us the match by his action.

I thought, listening on ref link his was for bringing down the mall that led to the penalty try, what actually happened?

My view was that as the maul was moving forwards he was running in reverse, there is a point at which you can't run backwards any faster so he got run over and the maul collapsed on top.

How deliberate is that? Someone has to be blamed and as a trip hazard it was him. Stupid law.

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Tyler Offiah
Opinion is based on assumptions, whereas fact is based on observation or research.

With the squeeze of the salary cap and some big earners in the squad the question is who are we getting value for money from and who we are not. Falatau is going and the way he has been playing has already left, Stuart needs to stay but become more of a leader, Underhill is a given and must be kept at all costs, we should choose two from the three wingers, Roko, Coka and Watson with the emergence of Horse, Dunn stays and looked more like himself yesterday, Charlie Ewells IMHO is very lucky to be in the England team and can go because we need to sign at least one more specialist tight head lock as Attwood's playing time will be managed. The money Ewell and one of the wingers frees up will be on could get us probably two locks. A hard nosed established Saffa/Kiwi and a decent prospect from the championship and if he stays then he cannot be captain as we need natural leaders like Sam and Miles. We need a loose head and another tight head as well and Pierre Schoeman of Edinburgh would be a fantastic signing as he gave Stuart a torrid time and was so dynamic in the loose against us last week. He appears to be the fans favourite player which tells you a lot for a loose head but his stock is rising and rising and he would not be cheap.

I’m with the anti double jeopardy group too. Couldn’t comment on the Coetzee infringement as it was at the other end of the pitch from me. But…
It seems to me that if one pack is being over powered by the other either at the scrum or maul then the collapse is almost unavoidable and in no way deliberate. You can’t change your bind in the maul so how can you avoid being overrun? So by all means give a penalty but never a yellow card..
I’ve seen this double jeopardy in a non premiership game it was totally inappropriate there as it is anywhere.
The injury to Bayliss and our lack of a replacement brings another daft rule to the forefront if a player has a head injury whether his own fault or not you can replace. If he is injured as a result of foul play to any other part of his body you can’t without “using a sub” unless he is a front rower so if your 9 has been subbed and his replacement is flattened off the ball you go down to 14 or are forced to play someone out of position. This IMHO unfairly penalises the non offending side.

Lot's to like about how Danny Cipriani played yesteday, I thought. Definitely didn't shirk the physical work, including a couple of important tackles, kicked well from the tee and hand, and I thought organised our attack well.

Quote:

Barnoid
Lot's to like about how Danny Cipriani played yesteday, I thought. Definitely didn't shirk the physical work, including a couple of important tackles, kicked well from the tee and hand, and I thought organised our attack well.

Chron certainly rated his performance

[www.somersetlive.co.uk]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 24/04/2022 13:31 by charlieboa.

From Saints site:

Bath Imploded. - they have serious mental issues in closing out a game. Can’t believe we won that.
Looked like they’re just not fit.
Gaps everywhere because they could barely breathe let alone line up

Pretty damning..



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 24/04/2022 14:14 by Pulteney.