Captain Garvey looks inward for answers to Bath’s inconsistency

ROOKIE skipper Matt Garvey admits Bath’s inconsistency has hit him hard as they prepare for Friday’s crucial Champions Cup clash against the Scarlets.

Todd Blackadder’s team have been under fire from fans following recent league losses to Sale and Wasps, with Garvey’s captaincy being questioned.

The 30-year-old Londoner said: “I take it personally when things start to go wrong. I look at what I’ve done and ask what I might have done differently – did I send the right messages before a game, at half-time and during the week?

“You reflect on all of that and there are good and bad things about the captaincy, but I’m still enjoying the challenge and there’s still lots of belief.

“We’ve had some poor results, but we’re top of our Pools in Europe and the Anglo-Welsh Cup and are still well in contention in the league. We’ve also put in some great performances and are now looking to kick-on.”

Garvey added: “Having beaten Toulon, we’ve got a big opportunity in Europe now and we have to start performing. We’re back into the Champions Cup against the Scarlets on Friday, so beat them and Treviso and we can get a home quarter-final.

“We’re up against a very good Scarlets team but the great thing is it’s in our hands and we feel we can win things in 2018.”

Former London Irish back rower Garvey revealed how he is leaning on previous and existing teammates in a bid to improve his leadership.

He explained: “Stuart Hooper was a world-class captain here at Bath – the way he built messages during the week and in breaking down little things that have gone wrong and acting on them – while Bob Casey was another great inspirational skipper at Irish.

“My captaincy’s in its infancy and I’m nowhere near the finished article, but I believe I can succeed.”