Meehan: We want an improvement
Bath head coach Steve Meehan says that all he wants this season is an improvement on last year.
Bath have made a number of signings this summer and these new players have already stated their ambition to win the league at Bath. Meehan does admit the club want some silverware but says the bare minimum is to finish higher than fourth.
Bath is a rugby club under extreme pressure because of the finance and investment that has been made in the club and area by owner Bruce Craig. Craig wants trophies and will settle for nothing less than a full trophy cabinet by the end of the year.
There are many reasons why Bath fans and Meehan should be very optimistic ahead of the new season. However, Bath have to remember the scale of their task and the ability of the sides they will be fighting against.
Should do well
Bath have brought in the right sorts of players over the course of the summer. The club has made some high profile signings and this is a clear statement of ambition that the club will be looking to drive forward.
Lewis Moody and Sam Vesty are two very good examples of high quality players that have joined the club from Leicester. They have come with plenty of drive and ambition and have already managed to get that winning feeling they had at Leicester spread around the dressing room.
Everyone down at Bath seems to genuinely believe that the club can do very well this season and make a strong push for the Premiership and the Heineken Cup. Meehan has to keep things very simple so Bath can be very successful.
He said: "Our aim will be to improve on last season's performances, there's no doubt about that. Simply by getting off to a better start we'll do that. We have to be a little more pragmatic this season, but we played some great rugby and the change to the interpretation of the laws will probably help us more than others."
Scale of the task
The scale of Bath's task is huge and it could be a little too much when you consider the pressure the club is going to be under as well. If the club can deal with all of the issues that often pop up over a season then they will be in the top three by the end of the year.
Leicester have allowed some very important players to leave their club and they still look as strong as ever. The Tigers show no signs of slowing down or wasting ambition and Bath will find it difficult to overcome them.
Meehan added: "These players signed before they knew of any of the changes and they signed for rugby reasons because they wanted to come to Bath and play our style of game. We're delighted that they're here and all of them have brought something with them."
Betting advice
Bath have everything they need in place to do well this season and improve upon where they finished last season. The difference will come in how Bath react to the challenges that arise during a season. Leicester have dealt with these injuries and suspensions well in the past and this has helped them secure a number of titles.
If you prefer to back the key players in a team then focus on the new arrivals that have joined Bath this summer. Any player in a wide position will have chances to score and they will be intent on making a big impression at their new club.
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