Situation Excellent: Now for the Prem! Newcastle v Bath

  Out of Europe after ill- discipline undid creativity, Bath face a six day turnaround to their next appointment with destiny. There will be time for reflection on the reasons for falling so agonisingly short  in Dublin, but not for regret. Indeed, Bath have little option but to be positive. That is not the excuse making “finding the positives in defeat”, but the need to look positively at the remainder of the season as an opportunity. Frustrated and furious with themselves they may be, but Bath would do well to paraphrase Marechel Foch: “ My centre is giving way, my right is in retreat. Situation excellent, I shall attack!” Mike Ford’s version of the same sentiment could be: “We’ve missed out on Europe and been taught a lesson. Situation excellent, now let’s win the Premiership.”      

Tempered optimism will be needed as none of Bath’s next four opponents, although in lowly league placings, should be taken for granted. Next up at the business end of the season are Newcastle in the first of 3 successive Friday night games.  Fridays used to be favoured by clubs in the north to give them an advantage by restricting the travelling fans of well supported clubs further south. Now it is just as likely to be TV scheduling dictating the kick-off and these matches guarantee Bath TV coverage in three of their final four games – a compliment to the attractiveness of the Bath product. A saleable product is not enough though: Ford’s boys played ambitious and at times thrilling rugby, but it was the Dubliners who went through by forcing errors and kickable penalties. A Dean Richards team will always focus on basics of defence, scrummage and goal-kicking and this season the Geordies have found additional flair ball in hand, plus a hot finishing property in Sinoti Sinoti.

There will be players on both sides wanting to make a point:

• Kieron Brookes will want to press his claims for an England place and J P Orlandi that Bath let him go too early.

• The whole Newcastle team that the hammering they took at Sandy Park last week was an aberration.

• Micky Young will want to impress his employers of next season and prove he should be their first choice.

• George Ford that he can nail the goals and control a game with his tactical kicking alongside igniting backline.

• The Bath pack that they can cut out the errors, especially at restarts and refind their scrummage dominance.

• Kyle Eastmond that his cut-out passes can find the man, without going forward.

The bookies and most pundits will be backing Bath for this one. Newcastle have nothing to play for while Bath can now focus on one, possibly winnable tournament. Three of four wins should secure a top four finish: bonus points will be needed to get second place and a home semi. I think Bath will get the win on Friday. The bonus points depend on how much they learned from last Saturday.

Possible Teams: Bath:
James, Webber, Palma-Newport, Garvey, Hooper, Fearns, Louw, Houston. Young, Ford. Banahan, Eastmond, Joseph, Agulla. Watson.

Replacements: Auterac, Batty, Lahiff, Attwood, Fa’osiliva. Cook, Homer, Burgess.

 Newcastle:
Vickers, Lawson, Brookes, Barrow, Thompson, Mayhew, Welch (capt), Wilson. Tipuna, Catterick. Sinoti, Socino, Powell, Harris. Tait.

Replacement: Fry, McGuigan, Orlandi, Green, Temm.Takalua, Clegg, Hammersley