Steve Meehan blames basic errors for Gloucester defeat
Bath head coach Steve Meehan blamed basic errors for the club's 18-3 defeat to Gloucester.
Meehan says Bath's performance at The Rec was one of the most frustrating he has watched during his time in charge of the side. Gloucester seems to be a side on the up and could be one of the only teams
this season to take anything away from Bath.
There is also the chance that key Bath players Luke Watson and Lewis Moody have picked up short-term injuries. Watson was forced off at half-time because of a back problem while Moody has suffered a knock
to the knee.
Bath has to improve on a number of basic areas if the club wants to push for the top four and stay at the top of the table. Meehan says there also needs to be a change in attitude, which will stop complacency
being a factor.
Basic errors
The handling during the defeat to Gloucester was not that of a top team. Bath was dropping the ball and playing poor passes throughout the entire game. This eased the pressure on Gloucester and provided
the side with lots of chances to score.
There was no invention in the Bath attack. The only ideas the side came up with were basic attacking approaches. This made it easy for Gloucester to get men behind the ball and defend.
The set piece play from Bath was abysmal. The ball was being thrown in the wrong direction from line outs and the scrum did not stay tight enough. This again made Gloucester's job easy during crucial stages
of the match.
"I’ve seen this team and these individuals do some amazing things with the ball but this evening they just couldn’t make it stick. The way we do the basics well under pressure needed to be better than
it was. Tactically, we made every wrong decision that we possibly could in the first 20 minutes," said Meehan.
Attitude change
An attitude change is needed because it's now clear that Bath isn't going to beat every other team out of sight for the rest of the season. There was an air of complacency around Bath before the match
with Gloucester and the team paid for this.
The attitude on the pitch has to be more intense. Every Bath player has to be right on edge and up for a game. This will ensure that there is much greater concentration across the Bath team. This is a
simple change but it will guarantee fewer errors.
A change in attitude is going to be even more significant if the injuries to Watson and Moody are worse than first feared. Meehan has said there will be no update on either player until at least the middle
of this week.
"I'd like to think it's a turning point [for us]. I'm chuffed to bits for the players. Bath had their worst performance of the season, so I won't take it out of context. They probably knocked on more balls
than they did in their opening three games. But our intensity was at the level it should be," added Redpath.
Betting advice
Bath is still going to be one of the best teams in England this season. Meehan has done well to come out quickly and acknowledge all of the problems in his side.
Bath will not lose too many games at home this season so back the team when they are playing at the Rec. Meehan will be looking for a response so keep an eye on the attacking players during Bath's next
game. Bet in play if a little wary over the way Bath will react after this defeat.
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