Tigers in the City

Our thanks to Mr Frivolous who is sitting in as PGT is on holiday.

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Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2019:10:09:13:18:28 by CoochieCoo.

If fit (not sure if they all are) I would like to see please:

Catt
Dunn
Thomas
Ewels
Douglas
M Williams
Ellis
Mercer

Cook
Burns

Brew
Max W (or Willison)
Max C (or Willison)
Roko
Homer

(also more than happy to see Boyce and Stuart again - this time up against some seasoned opposition)

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

Who said Chudley was injured

Both nines went off, Chudley and Max Green, injured, with 38 minutes still to go.
Tom de Glanville played for the third quarter at 9, then Tom Homer 'til the end (TdeG going to full back)

Not sure if either or both are still injured, we may find out tomorrow.

Quote:

ballsout
Who said Chudley was injured

Isn't that why TDG and Homer played 9, Green was injured as well.


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

I did wonder if the change at half time (of both half backs) was tactical only. Then green got injured and they had used their 9 sub.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

Quote:

Mike the Taxi
Both nines went off, Chudley and Max Green, injured, with 38 minutes still to go.
Tom de Glanville played for the third quarter at 9, then Tom Homer 'til the end (TdeG going to full back)

Not sure if either or both are still injured, we may find out tomorrow.

Chudley didn't go off injured, it was a tactical substitution.

I thought Chudley coming off was decided beforehand to give each 9 a half. He was running freely after the game. Could be wrong...

BATH RUGBY TEAM TO FACE LEICESTER TIGERS

15. Tom Homer
14. Levi Davis
13. Max Clark
12. Max Wright
11. Gabriel Hamer-Webb

10. Freddie Burns
9. Chris Cook

1. Lewis Boyce
2. Jack Walker (c)
3. Christian Judge
4. Levi Douglas
5. Elliott Stooke
6. Mike Williams
7. Josh Bayliss
8. Zach Mercer

Replacements

16. Tom Dunn
17. Beno Obano
18. Sam Nixon
19. Charlie Ewels
20. Jack Davies
21. Will Chudley
22. Rhys Priestland
23. Jamie Roberts

Mix of experienced and less experienced. Strong bench. Looks like Chudley and Priestland were tactical subs.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019:10:04:11:59:13 by BathMatt53.

Leicester Tigers (v Bath Rugby, away, Saturday 3.00pm)

15 Jonah Holmes
14 Adam Thompstone
13 Joe Thomas
12 George Worth
11 Jordan Olowofela
10 Tom Hardwick
09 Ben White

01 Greg Bateman
02 Tatafu Polota-Nau
03 Joe Heyes
04 Harry Wells
05 Calum Green (c)
06 Guy Thompson
07 Tommy Reffell
08 Jordan Coghlan

Replacements

16 Jake Kerr
17 Facundo Gigena
18 Nephi Leatigaga
19 Hanro Liebenberg
20 Ifereimi Boladau
21 Harry Simmons
22 Sam Costelow
23 Freddie Steward

Looks like a strong Tigers 15 given who they have away at the RWC.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019:10:04:12:16:54 by BathMatt53.

Zac Mercer previews the game on the offy, I can see him getting ribbed about the use of the word "obviously" but at least the communication is there in the first place.

Good to see my sponsored player getting a run out!


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

I really don't understand how / why the following haven't had any chance to play in these first 3 games:

- Roko
- Ellis
- Catt
- Thomas

The chron said that they were fit but surely a competitive run-out would do them some good?

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

Really like the look of our front row, not sure about others, but then our bench looks strong and at the end of the day it is really a pre season game to prepare the squad for Bristol away.
I think I will see what the weather is like when I wake up and decide then if make the effort or not.

Gabriel Hamer Webb is a new name on me. Are Roko and Aled broken ?

Quote:

Beergoggles
Gabriel Hamer Webb is a new name on me. Are Roko and Aled broken ?

He played against Exe - very young but hugely strong and fast. Ex Beechen lad.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

Quote:

BathMatt53
I really don't understand how / why the following haven't had any chance to play in these first 3 games:
- Roko
- Ellis
- Catt
- Thomas

The chron said that they were fit but surely a competitive run-out would do them some good?

Perhaps they are just a bit to 'First team' and 'just back' for this competition.


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

I feel a bit sorry for the players with these previews, it isn't easy to make it sound interesting whilst keeping secrets.

Hence you get these 'structures and systems' interviews. Obviously.

Stuff structures and systems, just give it to Davis.

Similar strength starting XVs, our bench far more experienced. Hopefully another home win. Good to see Judge get another start.

Also, better video work from the club this year if that preview is anything to go by. Clear audio, high quality video, decent lighting. The background is a bit "fancy Farleigh", but otherwise much better.

Pretty clear who has the 1st xv starting shirt at 10 then

Because he is paired with Chudley every time?

As long as he doesn’t make any catastrophic mistakes and gets the backs playing off the new beefed up platform then he will be fine I’m sure.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

Ref: Andrew Jackson
Asst Refs: Simon McConnell & Roy Maybank
No TMO
Citing Commissioner: John Byett

Awful. Just awful.

Genuinely one of the most toothless, error strewn performances I have watched in many a year. If that doesn’t improve quickly it will be a long. Old. Season.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

So was the problem in the pack, half backs or backs Matt, I would have expected a better performance at home.


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

Tbf the set piece was generally good, but otherwise... •••puts head in hands***
Lots of half breaks that invariably ended in handling errors or turn overs when ball carriers got isolated. We created not a single chance worth the name. First up tackles missed again. A long season ahead indeed.

All backs with exception of Levi, who pulled a hammy later on. Shovelling ball side to side all avo. Was there one actual line break that didn’t end in a knock on? Awful.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

Quote:

BathMatt53
All backs with exception of Levi, who pulled a hammy later on. Shovelling ball side to side all avo. Was there one actual line break that didn’t end in a knock on? Awful.

I think we can probably put that down to the heat and humidity, shall I send Mr Hooper some baby oil for next weeks training?

The Levi hammy is a massive shame he was in real form.


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

The tannoy is very indistinct where I sit so can I ask for confirmation we played against 14 for much of the 2nd half after a Leicester red card ? And finished with 14 ourself due to injuries?

Whatever, not a great performance.

Seeing the steam train on the walk back from the ground was the highlight of the afternoon really.

Quote:

Westwardbound
The tannoy is very indistinct where I sit so can I ask for confirmation we played against 14 for much of the 2nd half after a Leicester red card ? And finished with 14 ourself due to injuries?
Whatever, not a great performance.

Yes. We did nothing against their 14 men and then used all subs so were down to 14 when Levis hammy went.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019:10:05:18:14:36 by BathMatt53.

Christ. Chalk and cheese compared to last week. Tigers incisive whereas whatever possession we had we would kick away poorly or cough up. Every time we got near their try line we would give away a penalty.

Levi Davis was carrying a stinger for a good five minutes before he popped his hammy. Why not change him for Jack Davies off the bench? I’d rather a back rower on the wing than no one. Mind you, we achieved nothing when we had a man advantage anyway.

A step back from last week and worrying echoes of last season.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019:10:05:18:19:56 by Rawce.

Total lack of basic skills.
Amateurish, ineffective, tame, pathetic and boring.
No obvious game plan apart from playing constantly from side to side without any remote chance of making an executed line break.
Too many stupid and needless penalties.
Far too many retired one trick ponies- Burns/Priestland/Roberts.
We will be destroyed by Bristol and Exeter.
Without a new and effective 9/10/12 axis we will only go one way.
DOWN!!!
Heaven help us all.

Very lacklustre performance and too many unforced errors. First half lacked any leadership better in the second but good moves tended to end up with an error and giving the ball away. Second half scrum was good and gained a pen or two.

Lot of work to do!

A pub team would be embarrassed by our ball retention. It’s utterly pathetic.

I don’t understand how season after season this fatal flaw to our game still doesn’t get fixed. It’s been awful for years.

To not score a single point in 35 minutes after a red card, at home. Another humiliating chapter in Bath’s history.

*awaits some delusional saying I have an agenda*



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2019:10:05:18:37:44 by ballsout.

While we have plenty of out wide fire power to return to the team, the thing that worries me is that at half back that is all we have. No control of the game or imposing their will on it, one must presume that fly half will be on the shopping list again this year.

Quote:

terracehugger
Total lack of basic skills.
Amateurish, ineffective, tame, pathetic and boring.
No obvious game plan apart from playing constantly from side to side without any remote chance of making an executed line break.
Too many stupid and needless penalties.
Far too many retired one trick ponies- Burns/Priestland/Roberts.
We will be destroyed by Bristol and Exeter.
Without a new and effective 9/10/12 axis we will only go one way.
DOWN!!!
Heaven help us all.

Don’t worry ! Stuart will have all the answers, after all these games are just “pre-season friendly’s”


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"AN OUNCE OF ACTION IS WORTH A TON OF THEORY"
FRIEDRICH ENGELS

It should be Girvan Dempsey answering the questions about why the backs didn’t look like scoring all afternoon (interception aside), not Hooper. Dempsey has had plenty of time to make some sort of difference to the team and they appear to be going backwards from what I can see...worrying.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

I’m not sure I’m seeing the fruits of pre- season. Especially the the Dempsey influence

The whole coaching set up is a muddle. Always has been since Matson was forced out. Desperate lack of good, experienced personnel there.

It’s also pointless talking about getting a new 10 in. Players aren’t our problem (though a replacement for kick-kick-kick badly-Freddie would help).

The problem is the squad culture. And Bruce meddling. And coaching. These players haven’t performed as well as they should be for years.

Today was one of the worst displays in a while. Long season ahead.

And all with the benefit of Coach Paint, doesn't matter how many fancy gizmos you have it comes down to basic skills that just needs a coach (qualified), ball and a bit of grass.

Glad I missed it then.

For those that saw it, did the team selection offer any mitigation ? (trendy rugby word).

There were misgivings from a few when announced, a mix of inexperience, new signings, debuts.

Only 5 or 6 starters were regulars.

Having said that I would hoped they would have trained together as a starting team so would hope that the first half hour at least would have had some pattern to it?

Nothing to do with individual players. This is about a squad that is totally lacking in control, cohesion and basic skills (and culture, but that's another matter altogether).

Tigers starting XV similar strength on paper to us, our bench much stronger. Once again, outplayed by the opposition. Chudley, Obano, Priestland, Roberts, Dunn off the bench. 0 points in 35 minutes with the opposition down a man. Good grief.

People saying the setpiece was good. Was it? A couple of big scrums towards the end but we lost the ball twice at the scrum in the first half for unacceptable basic errors, and our lineout drive is as utterly useless as ever. Three drives on their line or near it, penalty or scrum to Tigers resulting from every one of them.

Coaches, ffs sort our ball retention out. Seriously.

I'm very glad I didn't go from what has been said.

Having said that part of the reason I didn't go is because it was pre season. I'd hope we aren't giving away all our plays now, so going from side to side is excusable. Pre season really is about fitness and ironing out the basics rather than the result.

If things are going to be bad then let them be bad in pre season when it doesn't matter. We have 2 weeks to get things right. I'm not saying that they will come right, but I will hold off criticising until after the Bristol game at the earliest.

It's not about not giving away strike moves or things like that. There's a total lack of cohesion. Three games in. And the same key, critical flaw of not controlling the ball was even worse than it's been in recent years. We were lucky to hold onto the ball after three passes.

Tigers coach talking about a new culture this season and how they've had a bit of a reboot. It's been clear to see in their victory over Exeter and now yesterday. I would love us to go through a similar much needed transformation, and cultural shift, but as usual we'll continue to stumble on, winning nothing, doing nothing of note.

I'd be very wary of anyone quoting Tigers culture as a positive under the toxic Fords. Lets see how things look out once Murphy finds himself shafteed midway through the season and Ford Snr in charge.

I hope Bath don’t have to get into the mess we achieved over the last 5 seasons, particularly last season. In terms of Murphy Bering shafted, as I understand it, Borthwick is coming and Murphy is fully behind the coaching/management changes as recommended by Pat Howard’s review and ongoing involvement. I await the timing and details of who does what but I very much doubt Geordan enjoyed the lessons last season.

In the post match interview I saw Ford Snr was named as the DOR of Leicester Rugby. He seems to be in the box seat to me. Bye bye Geordan, Geordan good bye (repeat in a Bay City Rollers stylee) ad nauseam...

Adopted players: 24/25 J Bayliss; [24] O Lawrence; [23] J Cokanasiga; [22] M Green; [21] A Watson; [20] T Faletau; [19] M V Vuuren; [18] T Faletau; [17] D Denton; [16] H. Agulla; [15] L Houston; [14] W Spencer; [13] F. Louw

Family . Community . Nation - [sdp.org.uk]

My mind's been going places without me lately - Bushfire The B52's

We’ll see I suppose

Lets be fair Mike Ford coached Bath to a pretty successful period playing some good looking rugby. There may well be some collateral damage at the club but I expect Tigers to do well this season.
Tigers have chosen the Ford route, it's the aftermath that is painful!


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

Quote:

Stopsy
I hope Bath don’t have to get into the mess we achieved over the last 5 seasons, particularly last season.

If that's what it takes to transform your club and start impressing, long term, then I welcome it frankly. It's the only way things are ever going to change at Bath.

Do we have a defence coach at all?

The gaping holes in midfield would suggest not, but I guess someone must have been nominated?

Despite a previous scribe assuming that only six players would be starters at Bristol my bet is that the vast majority of yesterdays performers!!! will be present for the Bristol game, i know it is concerning not to say holy mackerell it was hopeless.

I was not at the game and have not seen any of the play. I did see Tigers play Exeter and they had a good attitude in defending their line.

This hand wringing regarding where Bath are at this point in the season perhaps doesn't take into account possibly how much Tigers have improved defensively. Were Bath that bad or were Tigers good.

Quote:

jojo
I was not at the game and have not seen any of the play. I did see Tigers play Exeter and they had a good attitude in defending their line.
This hand wringing regarding where Bath are at this point in the season perhaps doesn't take into account possibly how much Tigers have improved defensively. Were Bath that bad or were Tigers good.

Bath were stunningly inept in pretty much every department aside from the lineout which did seem to function well. Saying that Tigers did defend very well and had some imagination in attack.

It was in effect a friendly, but you'd at least expect Bath players to be able to retain the ball for a few phases and have some idea on how to defend.

Quote:

jojo
Were Bath that bad or were Tigers good.

Knock on, lost in contact, balls gone forward, knock on, lost in contact, balls gone forward, knock on, lost in contact, balls hone forward, knock on....

Just terrible. Forget about our clearouts being so inept Tigers got about 5 ruck penalties, forget our driving lineout being as useless as ever, or our side to side attack, the above sums up our main issue for years.

I did go -it really wasn’t the ball retention as much as missed tackles in the centre field and no penetration in attack. The handling seemed to consist of shovelling the ball sideways without committing any defenders, both centres guilty. We did try a few rehearsed wrap around that went ok but we then went wide without fixing anyone. Need better decision making in the mid field.

It really was an awful game to watch.

Levi’s Davis and Mike Williams were very good, the rest were average at best.

But, don’t underestimate the performance of the Tigers rush defence, they were extremely effective all afternoon. We simply lacked answers.

Quote:

rainbow
Despite a previous scribe assuming that only six players would be starters at Bristol my bet is that the vast majority of yesterdays performers!!!

To be pedantic what I actually said was only 6 of the starters this weekend were regulars.

This isn't about positive spin, just not surprised that when you change half the team from a week before things don't click.

The squad all need a game. From now on I would expect a more settled selection.

No excuses for poor basics of course. They have been training through the summer.

I saw it.
Rather than get into the this or that as opinions on specifics can be distracting, what struck me most was how much it looked just like last season. Heaven knows what they’ve done under a 13week change of culture blah blah?
It was overwhelmingly unconvincing.

PECK

Levi’s Davis and Mike Williams were very good, the rest were average at best.

Will mike Williams make it as a first team pick. As an ex Tiger he played well for a couple of seasons but lost interest last season. Good squad player but a little one dimensional IMO. But good luck to him at your place.

Hard to look particularly interested when your team finishes 11th.

Quote:

TG Kesmo
it really wasn’t the ball retention as much as missed tackles in the centre field and no penetration in attack.

Hard to get any fluency in attack when you're constantly losing the ball, easily a dozen times, if not more. Each time was accompanied by a groan from the crowd, getting louder and louder. I can't believe it's still an issue after all these years.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019:10:07:00:47:30 by ballsout.

Some well known coach (Clive Woodward?, Eddie Jones?) said that if you give away x penalties in a match where x I think was 10 you lose the match...….

Pretty simple analysis in the modern game so I am sure it has truth about it.

I wonder what our penalty count was on Saturday? It felt like a lot!

Its also the fact that you work your way into their 22, which was hard against a well organised team like Leicester, and then you give away a penalty or indeed just give the opposition the ball and before you know it you are back on the half way line.

The continued approach time and time again of running straight at the opposition in the midfield and expecting a different outcome was the definition of madness...……..well it made me mad anyway!

Quote:

sid the seagull
I saw it.
Rather than get into the this or that as opinions on specifics can be distracting, what struck me most was how much it looked just like last season. Heaven knows what they’ve done under a 13week change of culture blah blah?
It was overwhelmingly unconvincing.

PECK

Exactly. I would much prefer it if we were poor, but in a different way to last season. But that felt like four months analysis to at least try and sort out our chronic issues had never happened. It was incredibly like last season.

I would imagine that in a lot of cases the hopelessly optimistic feeling most of us fans have before the start of the season has been drained already, three 'friendlies' in.

It was never going to be revolutionary compared to last year, this early in the season, but just some basics would be nice, minimum standard at home surely.

I'm not sure I felt optimistic as such this season. More a case of neutrality - hoping for but not expecting improvement.

One of the features of good sides is that they will have a good 'coach on the pitch' - usually at 10. Ford, Cipriani, Farrell being the most extreme examples. These are the sort of players who will pretty much take charge of a training session and then take that out on to the pitch. I wonder who Bath Rugby's best coach on the pitch is. I can't see that either Burns or Priestland can be that player. You've got to have a lot of authority to do it, and neither player can truly claim to have even nailed down their own shirt. I would bet that if you took a poll of the entire squad as to who should start at 10 you'd get a 50/50 split.

I had hoped that Burns was going to be a Nick Evans type - just below international level, but someone who, with the added mix of experience, could rise above Premiership level - like one of those county pro cricketers who starts to score thousands of runs after the age of 30 when they get to understand their own game, and have acquired a really deep understanding of the sport in general.

Whether that was an over-estimation of Burns in the first place, or the combination of untimely injuries/form/coaching inconsistency, is a bit irrelevant. But the presence of two fly-halfs, neither of whom has ultimate authority over the players around them, is hurting us.

In the first half Burns was indeed doing all the talking to the players in the huddle but it was unclear who was in the second half. I wasn’t able to pick out any one. Walker as captain did no talking to the team or the ref needs to step up if captain again seemed similar when captain in the first half against Exeter plus he had an indifferent game. Maybe not his suited role.

Brings back sad memories of my freshers week all those years ago. All the talk, all the preparation, all the positive noises and at the end of the day no penetration whatsoever.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

Let’s remember that these are effectively pre-season friendlies as far as the coaching team is concerned & we were asked not to judge them on these performances. I recall seeing Bath take apart Scarlets in a pre-season friendly & then start the season in a lacklustre manner whereas Scarlets improved significantly. The first serious match is in a fortnight’s time against Bristol so let’s keep our powder dry until then. There’s certainly lots of learnings to take from these matches, not something they’ve done well in the past. Let’s hope that has changed for the better.

i've been disappointed in jack walker. he was hailed as some kind of wunderkind when he captained england u20s. he spent the first season at the rec with foot injuries i seem to remember but since then he hasnt kicked on at all. there seems to be an attempt by Rock and hooper to groom him for future captaincy at the rec. i'm not impressed so far. the lad needs to concentrate on his game first and foremost. he's a long way behind dunn and batty.

Worst performance I have seen in many a year lots of basic errors but the thing which really concerned me was the lack of passion-yes it is being treated as a pre-season fixture but as other teams like Chiefs are racking it up using each week as a stepping stone towards the premiership I really dont know what we are doing - credit to Tigers they looked hungry we just looked bored.

Hoops should be seriously worried given that performance and attitude.

Embarrassing and that is all there is for that performance.

My major concern was the hesitancy with ball in hand. Could see lots of patterns being run etc. but it was all rather sluggish. An injection of pace (in though as well as in foot) might be what is needed.

_____________________________________________________

I like turtles.

Have not seen the game but from the above comments it sounds like the backs didn't know what to do!
If you have to think about what to do next the basics go out the window. Need more practice or get JJ, AW, RMc, JC back fast!


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

Whenever we sign a promising young player I always feel a bit bad because I wonder if their development will nose dive while at Bath. And conversely that same player would thrive under a proper set-up. I’m starting to wonder if that’s what’s happening with Walker (who to be fair had a decent time v Exeter from what I can remember).

People who weren’t at the match are underestimating how little fluency or cohesion we had and how it’s impossible to look good when you’re losing the ball CONSTANTLY. I’m not talking 5 or 6 unforced errors in the whole match I’m talking about every single time we had the ball being unable to last beyond 2 or 3 phases, at most.

Quote:

Optimist
I would bet that if you took a poll of the entire squad as to who should start at 10 you'd get a 50/50 split.

And I would bet if you asked every forward at the club, they would all say Rhys.

And yet it was no better with Rhys despite him being against 14 men for large parts of his time on the field. I would expect someone with his experience to be able to pull the backs together and try something new to unpick the Tigers lock? Neither 10s were convincing this weekend TBH.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

Quote:

BathMatt53
And yet it was no better with Rhys despite him being against 14 men for large parts of his time on the field. I would expect someone with his experience to be able to pull the backs together and try something new to unpick the Tigers lock? Neither 10s were convincing this weekend TBH.

Rhys’ form and the second half showing is a failure on the club’s part. Freddie’s total inability to control a game is a failure on his.

Say our pack managed to make 20+ metres from a maul, huge effort in driving the opposition back, the ball made its way out to Freddie. Guaranteed he’d cross kick it straight into the opposite winger’s hands who’d run in a try at the other end of the pitch.

Quote:

ballsout

Quote:

BathMatt53
And yet it was no better with Rhys despite him being against 14 men for large parts of his time on the field. I would expect someone with his experience to be able to pull the backs together and try something new to unpick the Tigers lock? Neither 10s were convincing this weekend TBH.

Rhys’ form and the second half showing is a failure on the club’s part. Freddie’s total inability to control a game is a failure on his.

Say our pack managed to make 20+ metres from a maul, huge effort in driving the opposition back, the ball made its way out to Freddie. Guaranteed he’d cross kick it straight into the opposite winger’s hands who’d run in a try at the other end of the pitch.

I can't say about Saturday but last season you may have had that impression but the stats I put up showed FB passed the ball more times than RP.
You may well be right but it's getting to the point where you need to offer a few comparative examples.


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

Ballsout you are completely wrong......



Bath strung together much more than 2 or 3 phases...…….but they may as well not have done because they only ever went sideways or indeed backwards on occasions...…….before they then dropped it or conceded a penalty.

Sitting in the stand every game it just seems like a matter of time before a Bath player drops the ball, a rolling maul is held up and the ball turned over, a kick goes straight to the opposition, a scrum penalty is conceded or an opposition player strolls through our non existent "defence".

All these things are just down to the poor coaching setup we have which is taking Bath in the wrong direction.

The only good thing to come out of the games so far is our lineout seems to be much better.

Have just watched BRFC ‘highlights’ . Both early Leics tries appear to came thro a Leic forward side-stepping our debutant prop. Tough learning curve or poor defence management, probably both.

PECK

Their most incisive runner in the first half was their number 1......he ghosted through gaps.

I thought Chris Cook played well.

One of our problems was that people did make half breaks and made ground but then left all their own players behind...…..or rather better phrased players did not follow and keep up.

Quote:

Ali1969

Hoops should be seriously worried given that performance and attitude.

Embarrassing and that is all there is for that performance.

Just listened/watched the video of Stuart in the after match interview not sure who was interviewing him but certainly didn’t ask any tough questions about the performance and Stuart appeared to be a bit ‘blasa’ about things, in my opinion

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Adopted Player 2024/25 Max Ojomoh

"AN OUNCE OF ACTION IS WORTH A TON OF THEORY"
FRIEDRICH ENGELS

It's his third game in charge. People need to stop paying so much attention to what coaches say in post-match interviews anyway, doesn't mean much.

Quote:

Bath Supporter Jack
I wonder what our penalty count was on Saturday? It felt like a lot!

We conceded 11 pens to their 10.

10 penalties awarded and 0 points except for an interception

Both sides opted to kick for goal once, they succeeded with their goal we didn’t. The other pens were all to touch.

(...where all of them failed to result in any points...)

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

That interesting Mr CC it felt like 15 by us and 5 by them!!

Just watched the highlights. Why was the 2nd Leics try allowed as it looked as though the 9 was tackled and got up to score a try without releasing the ball. If the refs want the defenders to release the tackler on the ground they should not allow that?

Yes I was intrigued by that at the time, but of course without the screen to refer back to it all happens very quickly.

The people around me said that Burns was taken down with a late tackle but of course without a TMO it is hard to spot everything!

Well what a load of rubbish! As someone said rather loudly in the West Stand, ' I should have stayed at home and dug the garden and planted my bulbs! It would at least have something to show for my efforts in a few months time, and be more memorable, unlike the drivel being performed on the pitch'

It only cost me £25plus travelling and car parking plus dire food and drink at the ground costing another £14!

Just like last season and the season before that etc. Ballsout is right about many things especially our inability to retain the ball. Given away weakly in contact or thrown away with the 'new' off loading game.

We were creating nothing, defended like drains, had no go forward, missing tackles like confetti in the wind.

So as we were struggling so much, why when we had a chance to score (possible 3 penalty kicks at goal) did we opt for a driving maul off a lineout? At least we won the lineouts but by the time the ball was in the hands of the support players, Leicester were driving us backwards. At least two of these efforts saw us lose at least 40 yards. Absolutely pathetic and when we come up against a proper driving maul like we will at the end of October with Exeter, we will be in serious trouble. When are we either going to learn how to set up and implement a driving maul. or just except we never can do it and just attempt to take the three points on offer.

The on field leadership was non existent, (only Stooke tried to speak to the ref), when some decisions needed to be contested, and certainly no direction of the dull, mindless cross field going backwards passing.

That was less than Leicester's second team for goodness sake and in the old days, such a fixture was spiced with real bite and willingness to die for the shirt. Not on Saturday in a competition we have decided to throw, unlike most of the other Prem sides. Winning is a habit. See Sale.

Our only score was from a lucky interception.

What has happened to Mercer? He was very quiet or is he also carrying a knock. Boyce is not up to standard and the one man who did try and take the fight to Tigers, their ex player Williams gets subbed off. Crazy.

I saw the coaches standing in a huddle both during half time(not in the dressing room) and at the end of the game. They looked shell shocked and the only men animated and were talking was Rock and Lilley. Hooper stood their with a reddening face, with nothing to say and looking bewidered. If this is anything to go on, we are in for real trouble as there is no off field or on field leadership at all. What do they do at Farleigh all week apart from pass the loofer? We didn't look fit and several of our players were blowing hard after 20 minutes. Unlike Tigers and their ageing prop Bateman who ran through gaps and holes with alacrity. They did 3 lineout peels with him getting the ball each time but no one for our side sussed out the move.

My that went well and we only have to June to next year to endure.

Adopted player 2020/21 Beno 'the Transformer' Obano


Adopted player 2019/20 Jonathan 'JJ' Joseph.The Jink Joseph.
Adopted player 2018/19 Adopted player 2018/19 Semesa 'The Rock' Rokoduguni



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019:10:08:20:23:51 by Bathovalballer.

A glaring mis-tackle by Zac for their first try, very unlike him but looks like it was because he and Boyce didn't go up together that created the gap - simply exposes the absence of a dedicated defence coach I reckon and if not rectified will hit us hard before Hat appears

And it wasn't the 9 who went to floor before their second try, nothing wrong there

A bit like Brexit sucking all the oxygen out of normal politics, is the new stadium causing the same thing to happen with the management here?

The most important thing is how we perform on the pitch and that is not just winning or losing but playing good, attractive rugby and competing with all teams in the league. Get that right and everything else follows.

I just don't see any sensible reason why we should be any better than last year apart from a forlorn hope that somehow a callow coaching team can inspire the same players to radically improve.

Fair play BoB, you got to the 5th paragraph before mentioning Exeter!

I doubt the stadium is an issue, there seems to be a separate team planning for that and it is still early days.

I think there is a bit of a phoney war with these early fixtures, Hoops has an opportunity to show what he can do leading the team before the RWC finishes, if it looks bleak then a head coach can be parachuted in who 'wasn't available before and would now love to come to Bath'.

The Rugby Department is quite separate from the Stadium development personnel and financing is also quite separate.

With Ford and now Borthwick diffusing into Tigers I could genuinely see Bath having more coaches by the end of the season than now - whatever they have said before.

I guess the test will come if any coaches become available after the RWC.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

Watched the 'highlights' again and it was a defence error at fault for second try with big gap around the tackle zone

Ok it may not have been our first string but I'm with BO on this one as a strong, tight-knit defence in these areas is the kind of thing that is embedded all the way through a successful club - absence of specialist defence coach through pre and start of season could hurt us big time

You are probably quite right CC the personnel in stadium and rugby are separate, although the person ultimately in charge is the same for both.

I'm sure the coaching staff couldn't give a stuff about the new stadium. That's genuinely the last thing on their mind. Nothing to do with them anyway. A bit weird to suggest otherwise.

Polota-Nau banned for three weeks

[www.leicestertigers.com]