BLOW OR BLESSING? 6 NATIONS IMPACT ON BATH
Ewels: available
By PG Tips
January 22 2021
Today’s England squad contains four Bath players who will miss eight Premiership fixtures in a crucial stage of the season. With Taulupe Faletau in the Wales squad and Cameron Redpath called up by Scotland, Bath will be hit hard by absences of some of their best players for nearly two months. With coronavirus cases threatening to deplete the squad further, Bath’s chances of recovering from a poor start look bleak. Could Bath find themselves in a late season relegation battle ?
The missing players are both first choice props, Obano & Stuart, Flanker Underhill and Wing/Fullback Watson. Tom Dunn, Charlie Ewels and Jonathan Joseph are in a “shadow squad” who will follow the same testing protocols as the main squad in case they are needed but should be available to their clubs. Rumours that there will be no relegation this season are as yet unconfirmed, so cannot be relied on for salvation. Nor can release of England players who do not make the match day 23. Eddie Jones and the clubs have agreed that this group of 28 will form an isolation bubble for the duration of the tournament, so none of the group will play for their clubs until after 20 March, even if surplus to requirements.
The absence of the internationals does give the opportunity for some exciting younger players to step up and prove their worth, while some hitherto underused squad members should be champing at the bit, eager to seize a chance and nail down a spot in the preferred 23. Their availability remains in question though, due to a mees up in the recently announced Covid tests. Initially 19 Bath players were told they had tested positive. That number has now been reduced to one, but how many “close contacts” will be forced to self- isolate as a result? Meanwhile, let’s look at the impact on Bath’s opponents during that period.
Round 7 Bristol v Bath (England 6N Preparation)
Bristol lose Sinckler (suspended), Earl, Malins to England, But Wales’ Sheedy should be available. Advantage Bristol
Round 8 Bath v Harlequins (6 nations Round 1)
Quins lose Marler to England plus possibly James Lang and Scott Steele to Scotland. They are also trying to recover from the sudden departure of DOR Paul Gustard amid rumours of player unrest.
Advantage: None -impact even.
Round 9. Sale v Bath (6 Nations Round 2)
Sale lose Tom Curry and possibly Scots Ashman and McGuigan.
Advantage: Sale
Round 10. Bath v Gloucester (6 Nations rest weekend).
Gloucester lose only May to England. Polledri of Italy, Craig & Harris of Scotland and Rees-Zammitt of Wales could be available if fit. Gloucester though are struggling, currently at the bottom of the table.
Advantage: Bath through home advantage.
Round 11. Northampton v Bath (6 Nations Round 3) North: Lawes is the only Saint will be with England. More significant will be the loss of Biggar to Wales. There are no Scots callups unless Rory Hutchinson becomes a late addition.
The loss of Biggar could be telling.
Advantage: Nil- impact even.
Round 12. Bath v Exeter Chiefs (6 Nations Rest Weekend).
Exeter lose Cowan-Dickie, Williams, Hill and Slade to England. Gray and Hogg of Scotland, Francis of Wales should be available, but Rob Baxter will have to rest these players sometime after their exertions in the Autumn Cup series. Let us hope it is now.
Advantage: If all the above are missing, Bath.
Round 13 Newcastle v Bath (6 Nations Round 4). Newcastle will be without England’s Wilson. Scotland’s Graham could start if not rested.
Advantage: Newcastle.
Round 14 Bath v Worcester Warriors (6 Nations Round 5).
Worcester’s only absentee at present would be Lawrence with England. However, injuries or results could bring callups for No 8 Cornell Du Preez or Fly Half Duncan Weir of Scotland. Bath have notched their only win to date away at Warriors, even with a makeshift backline enforced by injury.
Advantage: Bath
So Bath can expect an advantage from only three of eight fixtures at best and some of those hopes are tenuous. Where the impact of 6 Nations callups balances out, much will depend on the impact of Covid, injuries and little bits of luck. The search for a top four place, or even a respectable mid-table finish, looks precarious from here. With only eight rounds after the six nations Bath could be facing a mountain to climb to escape the relegation zone. It’s all a far cry from the optimism of the final weeks of last season.
As 5 of the last 18 Premiership matches have been cancelled due to the impact of Covid and the nation faces the prospect of tougher lockdown regulations, further disruption of the schedule by the virus remains a strong possibility. For any team to be relegated as a result of cancellations due to factors beyond their control would seem absurdly unfair and might be the subject of legal challenge. The situation gives weight to the rumours of no relegation for 2021. For the record, I am opposed on principle to ringfencing, but accept that a temporary compromise solution, pausing relegation for a season and possibly including expansion of the competition in future, could be a short term solution to a knotty dilemma. The idea is fraught with complexity over player welfare, cost and regulation. That is a debate for another day, another thread, but adds further complexity to the context of the next rounds of matches.
All should not be doom and gloom though. Tom Dunn, Charlie Ewels and Jonathan Joseph will be disappointed to miss out, but will be available to vent their frustration in Blue, Black and White. Dunn’s vigour, Ewels’ leadership and Joseph’s defensive organisation are blessings for a squad that might have been worse hit by callups. Bath should be able to call on plenty of other experience, talent and determined warriors in Bhatti, McNally, Stooke, Mercer Spencer, Priestland, McConnochie and De Glanville. There is cover in most positions although a glaring issue in no obvious stand in for Joseph at outside centre should he be called up. Perhaps Semesa Rokodoguni could fill in there as he did on occasion a few years ago, or could Joe Cokanasiga make an impact there if recovered from his knee injury trauma? We must hope that “cometh the hour, cometh the man” and those who are available can produce dynamic, entertaining and, above all, winning rugby to put some smiles back on our faces.
Possible 23 Unaffected by 6 Nations commitments:
Schoeman, Dunn, Judge, Ewels (Capt.) McNally, Bayliss, Reid, Mercer. Spencer, Priestland. McConnochie, Schoeman, Joseph, Rokodoguni. De Glanville.
Replacements: Bhatti, Walker, Thomas, Stooke, Williams. Chudley, Matavesi, Hamer-Webb.
Du Toit, W Spencer, Ellis, Green, Bailey, Wright, Cokanasiga, will be among those trying to force their way in to match squads.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:01:26:09:30:46 by P G Tips.
Bath will be hit hard by absences of some of their best paid players for nearly two months
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:01:22:17:14:20 by woodpecker.
I know Anthony Watson has had a couple of uncharacteristically below par games for Bath recently, but you don't rate Obano, Stuart and Underhill?
PG
Not sure Heinz or Thorley will be lost for Gloucester.
I agree that the team that ends up in last place after this season will have many reasons to feel aggrieved.
Corrected now.
PG
Quote:OutsideBath
I guess if we are dragged back into the relegation battle because of the amount of players called up the management will have to reconsider the amount of 6N players in the squad.
We’ve been losing whilst at full-strength. It’s a coaching problem.
One area where I agree it appears a coaching issue is in basic skills application.
PG
there's talk of bath recruiting a south african to replace mercer. disappointing since we have options there with the youngsters. i hope we are not going to become a southern hemp team like so many others. i wonder if big joe could be converted to being a forward. looks like he has lost all confidence in the wide open spaces. joe at 8 could be a frightening prospect.
other recruitment issues: we need more options at 12 and 13 with redpath out of the picture for half a season every season. ojomoh might suit at 12 though we wont know until the lad is stress tested. 13 is an on going problem and one which bath should have resolved some time ago. joseph's automatic selection there despite poor form has done neither the the lad or the club any favours. what is happening with this ex 7's player gray? could he play there?
with bhatti going back to scotland we need another loose head assuming hatley has no confidence in the youngsters coming through in that position. is bhatti with us until june or is his departure imminent?
the club needs to decide what it wants to do with jack walker who has been a massive disappointment. it looks like rosco is on his last legs. if so, we are under resourced in the 2 shirt.
Quote:Rhys says it’s the players, I wonder if he includes himself in that statement !P G Tips
Could be Opti- although Rhys Priestland has said it is not the game plan but the players.
One area where I agree it appears a coaching issue is in basic skills application.
PG
Adopted Player 2018/19 Ross Batty
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"AN OUNCE OF ACTION IS WORTH A TON OF THEORY"
FRIEDRICH ENGELS
Fairly standard media-trained spiel that. He’s hardly going to say it’s the other way round.
Fairly standard media-trained spiel that. He’s hardly going to say it’s the other way round.[/quote]
He could say what he wants now he's going though can't he. His point about switching off was interesting, that does sum us up often.
Or not. 2 weeks playing COD on the sofa and a week on the training pitch.
[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2021:01:24:12:56:10 by Bath Hammer.
Fairly standard media-trained spiel that. He’s hardly going to say it’s the other way round.[/quote]
He could say what he wants now he's going though can't he. His point about switching off was interesting, that does sum us up often.[/quote]
Have commented on this on another post when the quote first came from Rhys - I normally listen to what he has to say and normally find myself agreeing with what he has to say, but this one just seems very different - very scripted and as I mentioned before very "Hooperish" in it's style and stoic defence of the so called game plan.
My issue with this particular statement is that while you can blame your fellow players for making mistakes, can anyone on here actually hand on heart say they have identified an actual game plan? Personally the only trait which I have observed in more than one game is this forward based "stick it up your jumper" and flop around the pitch.
Indeed when players have made a break like Rhys the look on their faces is one of complete surprise almost akin to rabbits in a headlight, usually culminating in a turn over or penalty because they are isolated - normally that means your team mates were not expecting the break and certainly not part of a pre called move or game plan.
Quote:P G Tips
Blimey Woody!
I know Anthony Watson has had a couple of uncharacteristically below par games for Bath recently, but you don't rate Obano, Stuart and Underhill?
PG
I didnt say they were bad, just well paid
PG