Bath skipper Luke Watson looking forward to Heineken Cup
Bath Rugby captain Luke Watson says he is looking forward to the Heineken Cup as a brief break from the Premiership.
Bath will take on Biarritz in the club's opening match of the European Cup at The Recreation Ground on Sunday. Watson is relishing the challenge of gaining experience as a captain playing in Europe.
The South African got a small taste of Heineken Cup rugby last season. He played in Bath's last four games of European competition after signing for the club mid-way through the domestic campaign.
Bath has many strong areas that will allow the club to push strongly in the Heineken Cup this season. However, the recent errors that have been displayed during Premiership games must be eradicated.
Many strong areas
There are many strong areas to the current Bath team. The club has experience all over the field and this will be vital during tight European games. The likes of Watson, Sam Vesty and Lewis Moody will
all be vital in keeping younger players in the club calm.
Bath has enjoyed a reasonably good start to the Premiership season. The club sits fourth in the top-flight of English rugby. This means there will be some confidence around the club as the team prepares
to play one of the best sides in France.
Bath's home support is very good and as loud as any other group of fans in the country. This will be vital as it will act as inspiration to Bath players during a huge opening Heineken Cup match.
"The Heineken Cup is the most prestigious club competition in world rugby. Of course, the Super 14 is up there too but I would have to reach the final of the Heineken Cup to tell you about the quality
although it is probably very close. The Heineken Cup is so strong that it does not matter which Pool you are in. They are all tough and for some reasons you will complain and for other reasons you will be glad," said Watson.
Basic errors
Bath has to cut out the basic errors that have hampered the team in the Premiership so far. The 31-10 defeat to Northampton and the 18-3 defeat to Gloucester were performances filled with bad mistakes.
These are not hard mistakes to rectify. Too many passes and tackles were mistimed during these defeats. There were also examples of little errors that led to penalties, which are a scoring opportunity
for the opposition.
"Playing Biarritz Olympique first up will be a tough ask of the lads. But it will be a fair reflection of where we are as a side. If you want to reach the latter stages, you have to beat some good sides
and it will be a real indication for us. I really enjoy the hype, the vibe and excitement created around it," he added.
Betting advice
At this moment in time Bath is a good outside bet to win the Heineken Cup but nothing more. The side needs to convince a lot of people that there is enough quality in the club to win one of the biggest
tournaments in the world.
Biarritz will be one of the bigger clubs that makes the trip to play at The Rec. The best approach is to bet in play because either side could fly out of the traps and get ahead early on.
During big games the kicker is always a safe option to score points. This means Olly Barkley for Bath if you want to back a player in the English team. He's a good bet to top score in this match.
Tags: