Ewels highlights spirit amid injury-hit defeat
BENO Obano had to be practically dragged from the field despite injuring his knee in Bath Rugby’s defeat to Harlequins on Saturday, writes John Evely.
The England prop went down in agony just before half-time after his knee buckled underneath him as he attempted to explode into contact as a ball carrier.
Early fears are Obano could now join the likes of Anthony Watson, Joe Cokanasiga and Cam Redpath, who are all sidelined with longterm knee injuries.
While questions may be asked of the Bath medical team about why Obano was allowed to get strapped up and limp around for a couple of minutes, his captain Charlie Ewels said it was indicative of the Blue, Black & Whites spirit to turn their fortunes around having lost their opening five Premiership games for the first time ever.
Ewels said: “I don’t know how bad his knee injury is. I was right behind him when it happened and it didn’t look or sound great, and the first thing he said is ‘I want to stay on for this team.’ That is where we are at as a group.
The skipper went over to try to talk some sense into his team mate. He said: “It was just the lads around him saying we have got Lewis Boyce on the bench, we want you around, but we don’t want you doing any more damage on this. Do what is right for you, but he was saying ‘No I want to be on.’”
Ewels continued: “It was the same with Joe Simpson, he was down (after taking a blow to the head while trying to tackle Alex Dombrandt), he has been at the club for two weeks (having joined on loan from Gloucester) but the ball came his way and he got back to his feet and made another tackle.
HARLEQUINS .................. 31 BATH RUGBY ................... 17
This is the fight and the character we are talking about.
“I am not happy about losing games, I am also frustrated, but in moments like that I hope people are seeing the fight, the desire, the want, that it is not a roll on your backs and let it happen attitude.
“This is a team that is low on confidence, but we are fighting to put it right and make it better.”
Bath scored tries through Sam Underhill and Will Stuart, with Orlando Bailey converting both and also kicking a penalty, but Quins were too strong.
Andre Esterhuizen and Joe Marchant both touched down twice, while there was also a try for Marcus Smith, who knocked over three conversions for the reigning Premiership champions.
Bath host Wasps next, but have suffered a number of new injury concerns in addition to Obano, with centre Jonathan Joseph pulling out before kick-off, Tom De Glanville hurting his knee in a tackle, and Simpson and Jaco Coetzee both suffering knocks bad enough to force them off.
Harlequins: Green; Lynagh, Marchant, Esterhuizen, Murley; Smith, Care; Marler, Walker, Collier, Symons, Lamb, J Chisholm, Lawday, Dombrandt. Replacements: Jones for Esterhuizen (75), Northmore for Murley (55), Steele for Care (65), Garcia Botta for Marler (75),
Riley for Walker (28), Kerrod for Collier (55), Tizard for Symons (54), Wallace for J Chisholm (55).
Scorers – Tries: Esterhuizen 2, Smith, Marchant 2. Cons: Smith 3.
Sin Bin: Marler (24).
Bath: De Glanville; Rokoduguni, Clark, Ojomoh, McConnochie; Bailey, Simpson; Obano, Du Toit, Stuart, McNally, Ewels, Ellis, Underhill, Coetzee. Replacements: Cipriani for de Glanville (32), Hamer-Webb for McConnochie (70), Fox for Simpson (46), Boyce for Obano (41), Dunn for Du Toit (59), Rae for Stuart (67), Williams for Ellis (70), De Carpentier for Coetzee (5). Scorers – Tries: Underhill, Stuart. Cons: Bailey 2. Pens: Bailey.
Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU).