Thursday 11 December 2008

Two months on, and Bath still haven't learned the lessons from Toulouse


Are Bath Rugby learning from their mistakes as this year's Heineken Cup progresses?

Judging from Sunday's display, the answer has to be an emphatic no.

Following the last-gasp loss to Toulouse at the Stade Municipal two months ago – when Bath failed to close out the game and allowed David Skrela to slot over a decisive penalty – fly-half Butch James vowed that the team wouldn't repeat the error.
"If we're in the same position again, we won't make the same mistake and we'll close the game out," said the South African back in October.
But against Glasgow on Sunday, that's precisely what Bath didn't do.
Okay, so they clung on for victory – but only just. With the clock ticking down they allowed a 35-19 advantage to shrink to just a four-point lead. And although Glasgow's attack was alert, it was mistakes by the home side that allowed the visitors to scent victory.
When there's less than five minutes to go and when you're defending a fragile lead, it's never going to be a good idea to chuck a high, speculative pass like the one that Nick Abendanon threw – straight into the hands of Glasgow fly-half Ruaridh Jackson for an interception try.
And when the clock shows just a few seconds remaining, it's vital that Bath are able to retain control of the ball and thump it over the stands, rather than allowing themselves to be turned over and put under pressure.
Following victory on Sunday, an understandably frustrated Steve Meehan was forced to repeat the message that he had uttered after the Pool 5 opener in Toulouse.
For a taste of just how similar Bath's failings against Glasgow were to their failings against the French side, compare these remarks by the Bath head coach in his post-match interviews.
After the Toulouse match, October 12: "It's never over until it's over and mistakes like the one we made in the last seconds of a contest as close as that cost a lot in a game where the margins are so tight."
After the Glasgow match, December 7: "We should know this all too well The game goes until the final bell, and sometimes after that. If anyone knows it from this season it's Bath. We need to make sure we play ourselves for the 80 minutes."
Remaining focused for the full 80 seems to be Bath's big problem at the moment, and it's a failing that will surely be their undoing in both the domestic league and in Europe unless it's swiftly remedied.
Certainly the sports psychology team at The Rec should have plenty on their plate.
On the bright side, Bath are just three points behind Toulouse in Pool 5 and could be well-placed to spring an ambush on the French side when they come to The Rec – assuming, that is, that Bath can defeat both the Warriors and Newport Gwent Dragons away.
With ball in hand going forward, Bath remain a dynamic unit that is a joy to watch.
But such wide, free-flowing attacking play will be worth nothing if the side is unable to dominate possession when it needs to close games out.
So far this season, Bath's fortunes have illustrated more clearly than most that the line between success and failure in English and European rugby is paper-thin. With such a small margin between winning and losing, Bath need to learn their lessons quickly.


This is taken from Tom's Bath Chronicle column. Click here to read more.

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