The Bath Rugby Thread

[HERSH]

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[DaveM]

Judging by Bath fans' comments it sounds like Bath are going to be the new Sarries e.g. their attacking plan involves kicking the ball at the opposition and trying to force an error.

A shame, because I expect Bath's pack to be competitive this season (and there are plenty of England contenders in the squad), and they have some gifted backs as well.

We will see.

[Bathite]

Judging by Bath fans' comments it sounds like Bath are going to be the new Sarries e.g. their attacking plan involves kicking the ball at the opposition and trying to force an error.

A shame, because I expect Bath's pack to be competitive this season (and there are plenty of England contenders in the squad), and they have some gifted backs as well.

We will see.

huh? What gives you this idea?

I think that we will be much more efficient and disciplined than last season, with James and Webber adding security to the scrum, but I don't think that we will go all out Sarries snooze fest style! As you said, we've got some good backs, so it would be a complete waste

[bathmad]

But we are missing that link in the middle...

That said, Banners appears to have started on good form. Must be the 1 stone plus he's shed.

[HERSH]

Who will be our top try scorer this season?

Bananaman for me.

[beshocked]

Hersh is Bananaman going to move back to the wing?

I would certainly not recommend Bath copy the Saracens gameplan. You need to find your own gameplan that suits you.

How is Eastmond coming along?

[Bathite]

Yeah, Sarries invented that gameplan, if we relied on a kicking game, it would be copying Sarries! We're not worthy!

Eastmond coming along nicely, will start quite a bit on the wing, especially as Banahan seems to be playing 12 for us now

[beshocked]

Bathite no we didn't invent the gameplan but we are one of the main users of it. One of the best at it too.

Wouldn't you rather play like Leinster,Quins or Leicester? Especially Leicester. They score a lot more tries. An attacking style works. I think all clubs should look to move from the boring kicking gameplan.

The sooner Bath realises Banahan is a winger the better!

What are your centre options?

[Bathite]

You have a short memory, we played the best attacking ruby in the league 2/3/4 seasons ago! Meehan is one of the best coaches for this in the land! Problem was that we didn't have a plan B, something that Sarries can sympathise with!

Think Banners is better set up to be a 12 to be honest. He can get lost defending on the wing and doesn't have a good enough kicking game, so people drop it in behind him a lot. He's got good hands and hits well, so 12 is logical. Although he isn't slow, he will get gassed a lot more by wingers, whereas at 12, he can front up on players and also protect the 10 channel and take on the forwards crashing it up.

[beshocked]

Bathite I was thinking more of the last two years where your attack has been as poor as ours. Actually 2011-12 yours was worse than ours!

I suppose it depends whether you want Banahan to actually be useful or not.

I looked at Banahan's try scoring record as a wing and have been impressed. You have to make less tackles on the wing, plus his size comes in handy.

Ideally I would want Banahan on the wing but looking for work, popping up around the field making strong runs and offloading.

Compare Banahan to other 12s in the AP and he doesn't just match up well. He's not creative, he's not an organiser. He's a big fast lump. Do you really think with Banahan at 12 you'll rack up the tries?

[Bathite]

Compare Banahan to other 12s in the AP and he doesn't just match up well. He's not creative, he's not an organiser. He's a big fast lump. Do you really think with Banahan at 12 you'll rack up the tries?
--
That's utter rubbish

[beshocked]

Please elaborate?

[Jimpy]

Please elaborate?

[formerly known as Sam]

You have a short memory, we played the best attacking ruby in the league 2/3/4 seasons ago! Meehan is one of the best coaches for this in the land! Problem was that we didn't have a plan B, something that Sarries can sympathise with!

Meehan was a great backs coach but he needed someone with a nasty mindset to come in and take control of the forwards. It was to easy for teams with a big nasty pack (like Tigers) to simply starve the carefully orchestrated backline of ball and then smash them out of the game. Now if Gold brought Meehan back as simply the backs coach whilst him and Ford got the defence and the forwards nice and agressive that could work.

[Bathite]

Ford / Meehan - that could be a dream team!

Problem was that Meehan wanted to be head coach and got marginalised by having Geech come in above him.

[Bathite]

Please elaborate?

you've probably seen him play there 5 times at most. He's probably only played there 10 times in total and all in a very poor side, in terrible form, with no attacking threat. But you've made up your mind on him and told me he's not creative compared to other 12s, despite that fact your 12 is Barritt!!!!

[formerly known as Sam]

Problem was that Meehan wanted to be head coach and got marginalised by having Geech come in above him.

This is true but something needed to change in the regime and with Geech being a well known man manager as well as an attraction for the big names that Bath were targeting at the time (Moody stated it was one of the main reasons he agreed to move to Bath) it was a good idea. Unfortunatley it didn't work out. Meehan may have been a good head coach but he did need somebody else around him to help develop his game plan.

[Bathite]

I could talk about our coaching set up over the last 5/6 years.........for about 5/6 years! I'll save my breath!] (and your boredom!)

[beshocked]

I have seen nothing so far from Banahan that gives me the impression he is creative. He can't kick either. The most distinctive features of him are he's big and fast.

Barritt plays to a very restrictive gameplan.

Barritt can actually be creative unlike Banahan. Plus Barritt organises the backline in regards to defense. I think he did it for England in the 6 nations too.

Barritt is a vastly superior 12 to Banahan.

Personally I just don't see Bath's logic. Banahan has shown to be most effective on the wing, scoring tries. He hasn't had many games at 12, that's a good thing because he's rubbish there.

[Bathite]

I have seen nothing so far from Banahan that gives me the impression he is creative.

He hasn't had many games at 12, that's a good thing because he's rubbish there.

Yes, well done, that's exactly what I just said. Hasn't played there much and when he has, has been poor, in a poor side. He was dreadful in any position last year and admitted his head wasn't in the right place after being dropped by England etc. So let's just wait and see!

[LondonTiger]

I have seen nothing so far from Banahan that gives me the impression he is creative. He can't kick either. The most distinctive features of him are he's big and fast.

big and not slow may be more accurate

[Bathite]

Personally I just don't see Bath's logic. Banahan has shown to be most effective on the wing, scoring tries.

He was pretty effective as a lock by all accounts, but someone took a chance and moved him to the wing. Stranger things have happened than moving a wing to the centre!

[beshocked]

Bathite it's Bath's loss. I expect the experiment to fail as it has so far. The smart thing would be to move him back to wing but Bath haven't been the most astute so I am not holding my breath.

Admittedly I have higher expectations of what I want from a 12 evidently.

[Bathite]

Well you obviously know the squad better than me, so I bow to your knowledge!

Stop repeating yourself! I get it, you haven't been impressed with him at 12, neither have I, neither have any Bath fans. But last season was a write off really. Let's just see how he goes from here on in.

For what its' worth, I don't rate Farrell at 10 for England, he's been poor there. BUT......he hasn't played there much, so I'm willing to give him more chances, to develop, to learn the position and prove me wrong.

[beshocked]

Bathite why with all the bitter sarcasm? I never said I know the squad better.

Explain to me why you don't think Banahan should go back on the wing.

You can't just stick your head in the sand and ignore performances.

Farrell has won an AP at 10 - outplaying Toby. He has actually put in some good performances at 10, I know there's been some patchy ones too. In the 2010-11 AP season he played most games.

He played better than both Priestland and Sexton in their encounters in the 6 nations. He's far from perfect but he's only 20.

He had a poor South Africa tour which highlighted some flaws in his game. Hopefully he's been working on them in pre season.

I acknowledge Farrell has his flaws. You can't do the same with Banahan.

[Bathite]

You come on the Bath thread and tell us who should play where and were we are going wrong. It's a touch irritating, I mean it's pretty obvious to us lot who watch us week in week out.

I find myself repeating myself over and over again with you to explain something, I wonder if your a prop!

Have a look at what I said at the very start, at 10am. You'll see me explaining why I think him at 12 might work and actually talking about his flaws.

Of course, it's only my opinion, but it's a pretty well founded one and one bounced around with other fans, as i've seen almost every home game for 5 seasons now!

--

"Think Banners is better set up to be a 12 to be honest. He can get lost defending on the wing and doesn't have a good enough kicking game, so people drop it in behind him a lot. He's got good hands and hits well, so 12 is logical. Although he isn't slow, he will get gassed a lot more by wingers, whereas at 12, he can front up on players and also protect the 10 channel and take on the forwards crashing it up.

[Bathite]

It's the repeating myself again and again that kills me

[beshocked]

Fine we'll stop the Banahan debate. You are right, I am repeating myself. We'll never agree. We'll just have to wait and see.

You never did answer the question - who are your centre options?

I am happy for you to tell me where you think my team are going wrong. No team is perfect.

What would your Bath 23 look like?

[Bathite]

Disagreeing is fine, debate is what forums should be about. Just get sick of repeating myself! Just get sick of repeating myself!

23 is up for debate at the moment, not many starting positions are 100%

James / Catt (Catt better as impact when game opens up)
Webber / Mears (Webber currently injured)
Wilson / Perenise (Wilson better as impact when game opens up)
Hooper / Day (Day impressed in pre season, good lineout organiser, but Hooper is skipper)
Attwood / Caldwell (Attwood on name, but Caldwell the player of last season. Our best 2 locks, but not sure they work as a pair, as quite similar. Need a lineout man and with Louw at the Boks, I don't think we can have them both starting)
Louw / Skirving
Mercer (Ovens / Skuseat 6, with Fearns or Louw going to 7)
Fearns / Taylor

Classens
Barkley ( Donald and Heathcote injured)
Biggs
Banahan
Hipkiss (Good pre-season, looking in good shape)
Woodburn / Eastmond
Bendy

[Bathite]

Probably only

James, Louw, Fearns, Classens, Biggs and Bendy deserve the right to be automatic picks each game. The rest have serious contenders to their shirt

[maestegmafia]

Bugger, got to fly to Stockholm for work...! Was going to use my new membership to go to this

[HERSH]

Webber out until 2013

Not good news

[Bathite]

If only there was a big name signing to announce to balance out this bad news!

[HERSH]

These things take time bathite, give UK immigration a ring and tell them to get on with it if you want?

[Bathite]

Hi UK immigration, i've got a rugby player who needs a work permit
--
Ok, what's his name
--
I can't tell you
--
Umm, ok, what nationality
--
I can't tell you
--
Umm, ok, how about which club and country is he coming from?
--
I can't tell you
--
Ok, one last thing, what position does he play?
--
I can't tell you
--
He's made up isn't he?
--
Yep, sorry

[LondonTiger]

[HERSH]

Why would I make this up?

These things take time bathite, and as I've already said (many times!!!!) it wouldn't be fair to name names until the player has signed on the dotted line.

Bath has in the past been made to look foolish with all the signings that didn't take place Carter etc... I don't want to add to that.

[bathmad]

I find myself being sucked in......

Conrad Smith??

[Bathite]

No chance!

If it is a NZ, the level we could hope for would be someone like Fruean or Crotty or Benson Stalny. Someone who isn't in line for a call up just yet, but wants some overseas experience and the cash that it brings.

Failing that, someone in the latter half of their career, like Ellison

[Pete C (Kiwireddevil)]

These things take time bathite, give UK immigration a ring and tell them to get on with it if you want?

Sorry HERSH, but I've heard that at the moment it's taking UKBA between 5 and 8 months to process immigration applications. A mate of mine has had to cancel 2 European holidays already, as they've had his passport since February. Bureaucracy at it's worst

[HERSH]

How do football clubs do it?

[Portnoy]

These things take time bathite, give UK immigration a ring and tell them to get on with it if you want?

Sorry HERSH, but I've heard that at the moment it's taking UKBA between 5 and 8 months to process immigration applications. A mate of mine has had to cancel 2 European holidays already, as they've had his passport since February. Bureaucracy at it's worst

Mind you they're not threatening slapping on murder charges for onlookers.

[PJHolybloke]

Well here we go, the first game of the season is upon us, both teams are fielding debutants, 5 for Worcester 2 for Bath with Eastmond making his first start too.

The starting line-up isn't far off what I was expecting, notable picks are Barkley starting at 10 for the first time in 2 years, and the Hooper/Day pairing in the boiler room. Also Eastmond budging Biggs out to the right wing. I have to say I'm disappointed that Fearns isn't dropping in at 8, but hey-ho, I don't get paid to pick the team.

The big surprise for me is the bench, with an average age of 24 (skewed by Mcmillan 29, and Batty 26) there is an obvious focus on bringing on younger, fresher legs for maximum impact when the game starts to break up.

Catt, KPN and Skuse could create some havoc during the last 20, and to be able to bench a player like Attwood shows Bath are building that strength in depth that has been badly missed over the last 2-3 seasons.

It will be very interesting to see what Devoto can do if he gets a chance, if the game is going Bath's way I'd expect Barkley to shift to 12 around the hour mark, which would give the youngster plenty of midfield experience and pace out wide to work with.


Bath Rugby team to face Worcester Warriors

15. Nick Abendanon

14. Tom Biggs

13. Dan Hipkiss

12. Matt Banahan

11. Kyle Eastmond

10. Olly Barkley

9. Michael Claassens

1. Paul James

2. Lee Mears

3. David Wilson

4. Stuart Hooper ( c )

5. Dominic Day

6. Carl Fearns

7. Francois Louw

8. Ben Skirving

Replacements

16. Ross Batty

17. Nathan Catt

18. Kane Palma-Newport

19. Dave Attwood

20. Will Skuse

21. Mark McMillan

22. Ollie Devoto

23. Jack Cuthbert


Conspicuous by their absence are:

Donald (perennial sicknote)
Agulla (Championship)
Perenise
Webber
Vesty
Caldwell
Heathcote (injured)

So there's still plenty of options open when those players are available.

It's still obvious that Bath are missing proven quality in depth in two areas though, centre and back row, something which will only get worse when Louw is lost to the Championship after today. It's too late to do anything about it now, but it does make you wonder why Craig was so vociferous in his campaign for a marquee signing...

[HERSH]

Is it wrong to wish Louw a small injury around 78mins that rules him out of the Boks squad and means he stays with us?

Good luck Bath, make us proud again

[PJHolybloke]

Hmmm, proper dilemma HERSH...

[LondonTiger]

Why would I make this up?

These things take time bathite, and as I've already said (many times!!!!) it wouldn't be fair to name names until the player has signed on the dotted line.

Bath has in the past been made to look foolish with all the signings that didn't take place Carter etc... I don't want to add to that.

you should not have written the original post then.

Any major signing would get immigration approval fairly easily. Heck we got clearance from immigration for Mulipola, a minor international, in a couple of weeks.

[Portnoy]

Why would I make this up?

These things take time bathite, and as I've already said (many times!!!!) it wouldn't be fair to name names until the player has signed on the dotted line.

Bath has in the past been made to look foolish with all the signings that didn't take place Carter etc... I don't want to add to that.

you should not have written the original post then.

Any major signing would get immigration approval fairly easily. Heck we got clearance from immigration for Mulipola, a minor international, in a couple of weeks.

Ground control to major Tom
Ground control to major Tom
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
(Ten) Ground control (Nine) to major Tom (Eight)
(Seven, six) Commencing countdown (Five), engines on (Four)
(Three, two) Check ignition (One) and may gods (Blastoff) love be with you

This is ground control to major Tom, you've really made the grade
And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear
Now it's time to leave the capsule if you dare
This is major Tom to ground control, I'm stepping through the door
And I'm floating in a most peculiar way
And the stars look very different today
Here am I sitting in a tin can far above the world
Planet Earth is blue and there's nothing I can do

Though I'm past one hundred thousand miles, I'm feeling very still
And I think my spaceship knows which way to go
Tell my wife I love her very much, she knows
Ground control to major Tom, your circuits dead, there's something wrong
Can you hear me, major Tom?
Can you hear me, major Tom?
Can you hear me, major Tom?
Can you...
Here am I sitting in my tin can far above the Moon
Planet Earth is blue and there's nothing I can do

[formerly known as Sam]

Any major signing would get immigration approval fairly easily. Heck we got clearance from immigration for Mulipola, a minor international, in a couple of weeks

That took over a month, it wasn't until the final week of pre season we got his working visa through. That is not what the plan was.

How do football clubs do it?

Work visas are normally processed ahead of visit visas if I remember rightly. Football clubs generally sign players from within Europe or who have European passports. Currently there is a sizeable backlog of Visa applications because a) the Olympocs bollocksed everything because of the understaffing and the strikes and then b) the amount of re-organisations in recent years has made the entire structure a joke.

[LondonTiger]

Any major signing would get immigration approval fairly easily. Heck we got clearance from immigration for Mulipola, a minor international, in a couple of weeks

That took over a month, it wasn't until the final week of pre season we got his working visa through. That is not what the plan was.

Much of that delay was caused by Logo himself. It was not much more than two weeks once we had actually submitted all the correct documents. Mind you, when we finally find out that SBW is coming to the REc i will admit Hersh was right

[HERSH]

Wonderful win, Well done Bath.

[PJHolybloke]

Well that was butt ugly to be quite honest, Bath didn't seem to know what they were doing first half, and what ball they had, they tended to kick away.

The breakdown was a bit of a lottery, but Bath hit the jackpot early in the second half with a string of penalties that got them back into the game, not really the Bath way, but when you're dying of thirst in the desert, you don't care where the water comes from.

The most stand out incident in the game was a good old full-blooded punch up between both sets of fat lads, that's a sad indictment but just about sums up a very disjointed performance that was pleasurable for one reason and one reason alone, Bath won.

Being brutally honest, this wasn't even one for officionados, but it was the kind of game that Bath were losing last season, so that's a positive. The players dug in second half and were certainly showing some pride in the shirt and a willingness to play for each other, so maybe they've all decided to "buy-in" to Gold's ethos.

On the whole, a C- game with a B+ result, must do better to succeed this term.

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