Joseph agony Centre injured in Bath defeat
The contrasting fortunes in the professional era were vividly on show here, where Saracens once again confirmed their place in the Aviva Premiership play-offs, a model of consistent achievement that was once the preserve of Bath.
This is the ninth season in succession that Saracens have made it to the knockout stages of the league programme and they are gathering momentum following their European exit. With Billy Vunipola’s return expected in a fortnight’s time, their quest for silverware is in tiptop shape. There is bite and selfbelief in their play; assurance that they still have what it takes to win trophies. They have not quite guaranteed a home semi-final – four points are still needed – even with this six-try victory, but are poised to claim that precious advantage with two games remaining against London Irish and Gloucester.
In comparison, Bath languish in eighth position, outside the European cut-off point, their woes compounded by yet another injury to one of their front-line players, Jonathan Joseph cutting a forlorn sight as he made his way round the pitch on crutches after damaging his ankle on the half-hour mark. The centre’s England tour to South Africa must now be in doubt, with director of rugby Todd Blackadder stating that the player had given his ankle “a real good tweak”.
Question marks now hover over Blackadder as Bath’s Premiership campaign stutters to a dispiriting conclusion with this fourth successive league defeat. “I’m not surprised [by fingers being pointed at me],” he said. “It is one of those uncontrollables I can’t worry about. If someone wants to make that decision, that is nothing I can control.”
Bath have been a misfiring club for too long. They have chopped and changed coaches, with Sir Ian Mcgeechan and latterly Mike Ford in and then out of favour. Blackadder, held in high regard in his native New Zealand, has not managed to crack the code either, with a fifth-place finish in his first season, followed by this year’s disappointing campaign.
What Bath really do need is stability and certainty as well as a better turn of luck. Joseph is the latest of their international back line contingent – Anthony Watson and Semesa Rokoduguni are also crocked – to hobble to the treatment table.
The difference in levels of confidence was marked.
Bath were competitive right throughout a lively first half, constructing the more threatening attacks only to be completely undone by their own errors. Those madcap moments led to three of Saracens’ first four tries – jittery, rushed rugby playing right into the hands of the sharp-eyed operators that are Saracens.
Bath gave away three intercept tries in total: a ruinous charge sheet. That sort of opposition pressure is not an intangible thing. It comes from relentless, suffocating defence, a desire to make every moment count, knowing that weaker-willed teams will crack.
Bath certainly did.
They were on the attack in the 12th minute, only for that sequence to break down with a wild pass from flanker Francois Louw, and Saracens were away, hooker Schalk Brits eventually burrowing over from a penalty line-out further upfield. Ten minutes later, Bath ought to have scored themselves when Ben Tapuai and Aled Brew broke clear, only for that movement to founder and Saracens’ man of the match, full-back Liam Williams, to gobble up a loose ball and sprint 75 metres to the try line.
One of the vogue features of the season has been the cover-tackle, that lung-bursting, never-say-die effort epitomised by Sam Underhill’s try-saver against Wales and Mat Tait’s more recent effort for Leicester against Wasps. To that pantheon, add Nick Isiekwe’s terrific claw-back on Bath scrumhalf Kahn Fotuali’i as he reached to touch down one-handed on the half-hour for what would have been a scintillating try triggered by a trademark break from the base of the scrum by Taulupe Faletau.
It was 15-6 at half-time, but any sense that Bath were still in with a shout was rudely abused by a quickfire try from scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth within five minutes of the re-start. Four minutes later, the cracks in Bath’s game became chasms as Owen Farrell pounced on yet another loose pass from Bath fly-half Rhys Priestland to scamper 60 metres to the line.
Thereafter it was just a question of whether Bath could stem the irresistible flow in Saracens’ game. They could not. Further tries came from Schalk Burger and Ben Spencer, the only minor blemish on another rousing afternoon for Saracens coming with a late yellow card for Duncan Taylor.
Saracens are in fine fettle. Bath are quite another story.