Vesty: We have real quality
Bath fly-half and centre Sam Vesty says his new club have a healthy dose of real quality that will allow them to contend for the Premiership title this season.
Vesty joined Bath this summer, signing a three-year contract that will probably be the final move of his playing career. He joined Lewis Moody in moving away from Leicester to join Bath who are joint favourites at the moment to win the Premiership.
Vesty says he has been impressed by the pace and movement of the rugby that Bath have been playing during pre-season. He has said that it reminds him of how Leicester used to play when the Tigers were at their very best last year.
Fast paced and aggressive rugby leads to a number of benefits that will allow a side to win games. However, Bath seem to be all about attack at this moment in time and they will have to stop gaps opening in the defence if they want to consolidate and beat the big sides this season.
Benefits of attacking rugby
The main benefit of high paced and attacking rugby is that it's impossible to defend if the ball is being constantly moved around the pitch. Bath have been very clever by placing all of their best handlers in the middle of the pitch.
This allows them to get players on the ball who are comfortable in possession. These players can either look for a quality pass out wide or keep the ball as Bath drive forward and slowly gain territory in the opponent's half of the field.
Another benefit of attacking rugby is that it can enable a team to take a match away from their opponents very quickly. Bath will enjoy long spells of pressure this season and they have to score heavily to make sure their opponents are out of the game before they can react.
Vesty said: "The Bath guys are certainly one of the most skilful bunch of guys I've ever had the pleasure of playing with. The reason I came to Bath is that they play such an exciting and attacking brand of rugby. It's certainly a brand I like to play and will suit my game. I'm just looking forward to getting my hands on the ball and playing some proper rugby."
The defence
The main problem that Bath will experience this season are the gaps in defence that they could leave as they go and attack other sides. This could cost them a lot of points because the majority of the team will flood forward when they have the chance.
This is dangerous because a well organised and thorough defensive side that visits Bath this season will be able to take the pressure. They will then immediately get a fast player on the ball who will get down to the other end of the pitch in no time.
Vesty added: "It's the story of my life – I've always sat behind good players but I'll be happy to fight for my position. It's the nature of having a good squad and a competitive squad and it's good for the team as it breeds success."
Betting advice
A lot of people are going to be unsure about backing Bath at this point in time. They have really upped the stakes with the players they have brought in this summer. Wait a game and see how they start playing, if they romp to impressive wins then back them to win the league.
They have limited experience from players who have won the Premiership before. The pressure will be huge on these players as the financial backers of the club look for a return.
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