‘Disappointing’result as Bath’s play-off hopes take a big knock

High five to Cardiff as Ospreys downed

WORCESTER BATH 25 19

TODD Blackadder insists that Bath will not give up hope of reaching the Aviva Premiership play-offs despite suffering a damaging defeat against Worcester at Sixways.

Wing Josh Adams, substitute centre Wynand Olivier and former Bath lock Will Spencer scored second-half tries that unerpinned Worcester’s 25-19 victory.

It means that Bath are four points behind Leicester with just two regular season games left in the race to join already-qualified trio Wasps, Exeter and Saracens.

“It is so disappointing. We are up and down, up and down,” Bath rugby direc- tor Blackadder said. “Probably when I look at the game, our (defensive) exits were really poor. We just gifted the ball back to Worcester, who played really well.

And in the second half, unforced errors killed us. The effort was there from us, it was just individual execution — whether in attack or defence — that was lacking today.

“We had a couple of real opportunities to put the hammer down and show our ruthless edge, but we were unable to deliver.

“We needed to hold the ball more. We didn’t need to be pretty, we just needed to be tough. I thought our ball carries were poor — we probably turned the ball over four or five times, which is just unacceptable. We have just got to look at ourselves. It is often the little basic things that let you down.

“We knew what was at stake today, which makes it even more disappointing, but we are not going to give up hope. There is still too much to play for, and a lot can happen.”

Worcester’s triumph also means that bottom club Bristol effectively need a win against leaders Wasps on Sunday to avoid propping up the Premiership table and almost-certain relegation.

Fly-half Ryan Mills added two penalties and two conversions for the Warriors, halting Bath’s eight-match winning streak against Worcester, with the visitors managing a Matt Banahan try plus four George Ford penalties and a conversion. Worcester rugby director Gary Gold, whose services Bath dispensed with in December 2013, insisted a win against his former club was not about him.

“I don’t think it should be about me or whatever has happened,” he said.

“It is satisfying for me because this club asked me to come in during January and see what we could do to try to fix things, and I think we’ve made some progress, which is satisfying in itself.

“I am elated and very proud of the guys. They stuck in for the full 80 minutes against a quality Bath team.

“I don’t think anyone had a poor game today. We asked a lot of questions with ball in hand.”