Pre-season predictions by many had Stuart Hooper and his mates lifting the Aviva Premiership trophy at Twickenham come May 2016. There was a very strong case put forward by them last season as they finished 2nd with quite some razzmatazz. They were a side who had the backline movement and fluidity that would have kept pace with the top end of the Super 15. Confidence within the club was at an all-time high, something I witnessed first-hand when I went to watch them trounce Leicester Tigers 47-10 in the semi-final. Their coaches knew they would win, as did their players and their fans, along with every man and his dog in the city. They were the envy of the Premiership and they revelled in it, and rightfully so. It was the day when everybody believed the glory days of the 1990s were back; there was a tangible joy that clearly had not been on show for at least a decade.
So it begs the biggest of questions, what on earth occurred which destabilised this confidence and belief which has caused them to slide to 9th in the 2015/16 Premiership?
The defeat in the final at Twickenham must have had something to do with it. They were shot off their high horse by a mightily impressive Saracens (who are now in full flight and are the form team in Europe). Even so, teams have been able to bounce back from final defeats and other major setbacks relatively easily by dwelling on how impressive they were throughout the season – Sarries themselves being the case in point.
Perhaps their large England contingent are suffering from a very unpleasant World Cup hangover. Their squad does boast five of the 31-man squad selected by Lancaster which went on to be humiliated on home soil, as well as men from other nations who will certainly have been disappointed too, such as Francois Louw and David Denton. At the heart of the problem could be the loss of form of George Ford, who was controversially dropped in favour of Owen Farrell prior to the Wales game, an act that will have devastated the youngster, and the effects of this were, and arguably still are, painfully evident at the moment. This problem is compounded by the fact that his father and head coach, Mike Ford, seems unwilling to drop him in a stubborn act of nepotism. Dropping him could give him a new lease of life and help him to recover his best.
The most left-field explanation is that Bath are mourning the loss of one of their playmakers from last season, Peter Stringer. The 38-year old Munsterman offered quick service to Ford and co. and was also a prominent leader within the squad. His move to Sale Sharks could have destabilised the young backline. In his place, the West Country club recruited the dangerous Fijian, Niko Matawalu, from Glasgow. As a former Sevens specialist, he may still be learning how to effectively manage games, a skill that comes to more natural 15’s scrum-halves, because he is a highly skilled player in seemingly every other department.
The drop in form and confidence has become subject to an attempted reversal by the latest Bath recruitment drive. The signings of former Tiger, Dan Bowden, and Japanese number eight, Amanaki Mafi, will bring a bit more bite back to their squad. Bowden will most likely take up the playmaking role which Bath desire of their inside centre, until Eastmond’s form recovers. Clearly something is not clicking and Bowden, with his wealth of Premiership experience, could remedy this problem.
Now, regardless of the reasons behind their extended dip, Bath have to show some of their bullishness which has been concealed behind blushed cheeks and poor excuses thus far this season. Top four is still very much attainable, as they only sit 13 points adrift of the play-off spots with 14 games remaining. With top four being the maximum target, top six has to be a minimum target. A lack of top level European rugby next season could lead to their best players seeking employment in France, and could result in serious question marks over the futures of Ford, Neal Hatley and Toby Booth, too. It is the European Champions Cup which is the top prize of Northern Hemisphere rugby, and they have an opportunity to reconcile their season in that very same tournament in the next fortnight. An away win over current 2nd in the Pro12, Leinster, and a home victory over defending champions Toulon could really catalyse an upsurge in confidence which the club so desperately needs.
Main Photo
