Burns happy to be away from the Rec
Fly-half Freddie Burns has opened up on his frustrations over his treatment at Bath Rugby and the club’s unwillingness to adopt a more attacking style of play.
Burns, 30, left his home town club in the summer after three seasons having not been offered a new deal.
He has signed a one-year contract with Japanese Top League side the Shokki Shuttles but is currently at home watching the conclusion of the 2019/20 Premiership season which he feels he did not play a big enough part in.
Following the appointment of Stuart Hooper as director of rugby at Bath in the summer of 2019, replacing Todd Blackadder, England international Burns says he was pushed to the side and his career left to stagnate.
Welsh international Rhys
Priestland, who was set to leave Bath in 2019 before being handed a two-year contract, has firmly been Hooper’s first choice fly-half, starting every Gallagher Premiership in the ten jersey this season.
Speaking in a typically candid and open interview in the The Rugby Paper, Burns said: “I’m happy to be out of there because I did feel like I was unfairly treated at Bath.
“I didn’t feel like I was given a fair crack and that is clear for everyone to see.
“I don’t want to talk too badly of Bath because when I went there from Leicester in 2017 I was desperate to do well and lead them to a Premiership title, but there were times when they would change every position in the backline bar the fly-half and I was just stuck on the bench.
“To have not started a Premiership game at number ten before COVID19, especially with the way the attack wasn’t really firing, was pretty disappointing. “I played full-back a couple of times and played well, and when I did come on at fly-half I felt my tactical kicking game was up to scratch, so it was hard to take not playing.”
“But when the club has got no interest in developing you as a player or giving you an opportunity, you’re better off out of it. That’s how I feel and there’ll always be frustrations.”
Burns says he doesn’t know the moment his Bath career when south, but accepts it could have been that infamous blown try against Toulouse in the Heineken Champions Cup back in 2018. Burns immediately knew he’d dropped an almighty clanger. He chewed the turf in agony, seemingly hoping it would swallow him whole.
Speaking about the incident, Burns said: “I don’t know if something came down from [owner] Bruce Craig and that was the black mark against my name that sealed my fate.”
Burns also believe’s Bath’s search for a ‘big name’ fly-half - which continues despite Burns having already left the club leaving just Priestland as the recognised senior stand off - paved the way for his departure as the jigsaw pieces of the squad for 2020/21 were put together. Host observers would suggest a big part of that jigsaw is still missing.
Burns explained: “Rhys Priestland signed a new two-year deal, so if they’d re-signed me as well the financial side might not have allowed them to go after the top, top ten that they’re obviously after.
“The fact I never got a chance to prove myself as that top, top player was disappointing and the lack of communication from Stuart Hooper and the way the club went about their business left a sour taste in the mouth that there didn’t need to be.
“I worked under Richard Cockerill at Leicester Tigers and he always spelt things out straight, but that’s not how it happened with me at Bath.”