Steve Meehan angry and upset with team's play
Bath head coach Steve Meehan says he is angry and upset after the way his team played during the 33-10 loss at Northampton.
Meehan has signed a number of experienced players over the summer in order to add more spine and stability to the Bath team. However, this hard work looked irrelevant as Bath crumbled under intense pressure
from a title rival.
Meehan says the team performance was more upsetting than anything else. Bath was shoved, smashed and tackled all over the pitch after the side had made a brilliant start to the Premiership campaign.
Meehan added: "We know that we can be a good rugby side but the leadership on the field wasn't as strong as it needed to be at various times and now that leadership is going to be tested coming into next
week and next couple of Premiership games."
Meehan will be looking for a response in Bath's next game against Sale. This has to come across a variety of areas and Bath is fortunate to be playing the next game at home.
Big improvements
There must be more leadership in the Bath team. No one seemed to step up and lead the side while Northampton was slowly cantering further into the distance.
The side has to be more on edge before big games. The whole Bath squad looked very calm and comfortable. This may not seem negative but there was a slight air of complacency surrounding Bath that Northampton
exploited.
The backs in the team have to be stronger and push the ball up field more often. Olly Barkley and Shontayne Hape were pinned down against Northampton. This meant the heart of the defence was missing.
Meehan said: "It wasn't anywhere near the standards we've set ourselves and as a result it's a very early wake up call in the season for us. There was no indication of it before the game. Everyone was
well-rested and, according to the feedback on the morning. We had a good warm-up, so to go out and lose the physical battle, particularly at the breakdown, in the way we did was very disappointing."
The Rec
Bath is fortunate that the match with Sale is at The Rec. This will allow the side to settle down after a bad performance and enjoy some home support. It should inspire the team to get another win on the
board and eradicate the misery of the Northampton defeat.
It will give the coaches a chance to tweak tactics or try something new in a comfortable environment. The coaches will demand more from the Bath players but big changes would not be considered if this
next match was away from home.
Betting advice
Bath is a very good side at home. The team rarely gets beaten at The Rec and Sale has not had the best start to the Premiership season. Back Bath to win by a mid to long range points margin because the
side will be determined to react in a positive way.
Sam Vesty will be a good bet to score most points during the match. He has been taking the majority of Bath's kicks over the last few games. He should have numerous opportunities to score against Sale.
Olly Barkley has also been kicking very well and is a good player to back.
Be a little more wary of backing Bath to win the title this season. The gap between the club and Northampton was huge and suggests that Bath could falter towards the end of the season. If you see a positive
reaction from the team then have an outside punt.
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