Banahan: I'm going for it
Bath and England's Matt Banahan has lost up to a stone in weight and says he is ready to fight throughout the season for Bath.
Banahan has been playing Bath's pre-season games in the number 13 shirt. It is thought that the club are trying to turn him into a more complete outside back in order to progress his chances of playing for England.
Banahan is well respected as one of the strongest and toughest players in the English game. He has said that he's never felt in better shape before the start of a season, which is bad news for all of Bath's rivals.
Banahan is full of skill, energy and enthusiasm that should ensure he has a very good season. However, the so called battering ram will become the target of some not so pleasant tactics by other sides.
Player attributes
Banahan is the strongest player in the Bath team. The club often uses him as a way to force territory up the field and to create big holes in the opposition defence for quicker players to exploit.
He's a very fit player and when you combine this with his strength, it's easy to see why he's so important to the club. It allows him to endure a much higher than normal volume of tackles and challenges. This is worrying because he could potentially be injured but it also shows his mental strength.
Banahan is full of ambition and enthusiasm at the moment and this is vital for any player looking to start the season well. He has international ambitions and this means he's likely to raise his performance when playing for Bath in order to grab Martin Johnson's attention.
He said: "After speaking to the coaches at England and here, it's never going to do you any harm to be fitter and healthier on that rugby pitch. I've had a very good pre-season. I wanted to become leaner and more powerful, and I think I've shown I've become that by playing at 13 in a few of the pre-season games. I've had to be fitter and it's added an extra string to my bow."
Forms a target
Banahan forms a target for opposition sides and this is very worrying in a Bath and England context. Players that often dish out a bit of physical damage during a game have to be able to take it as well.
This means that Banahan will be barged down and kicked up in the air at points when he doesn't even have the ball. This is something that Bath has to accept but he seems a good enough player to be able to cope with this side of the game.
He added: "We haven't got any excuses. We've had a good pre-season and everybody's worked hard. It's about transferring that on to the pitch as a 15. We know that when we play rugby, teams struggle to stay with us."
Betting advice
Banahan seems more positive ahead of this new season than ever before. He should inject some real discipline and toughness into the Bath team and this should keep them well organised and hard to break down. His toughness also has the ability to spread to other members of the team.
Avoid backing him as an individual because his position in the team will not allow him to get over the try line on too many occasions. He is capable of scoring but taking each game as it comes would be a much better option. You can then utilise when he raises his game and take advantage of it.
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