Tide out at Bath for Blackadder’s team

Todd Blackadder’s Bath may miss the English rugby premiership playoffs unless the former Crusaders coach can solve their inconsistency.

Bath crashed to a 25-19 loss to second-from-bottom Worcester on Sunday (NZ Time) to slip to fifth place in the standings.

Leaders Wasps, Exeter Chiefs and champions Saracens seem already assured of semifinals, leaving Bath scrapping with the fourth-placed Leicester Tigers.

Leicester welcomed new coach Matt O’Connor by thrashing the Newcastle Falcons 30-3 to move to 57 points – four ahead of Bath with two rounds to play.

The odds favour the Tigers for the fourth playoff spot.

They meet 10th-placed Sale at home and 11th-ranked Worcester away while Bath host eight-placed Gloucester before meeting Sale in Manchester.

Bath’s form is perplexing with England internationals Anthony Watson, Semesa Rokoduguni, Jonathan Joseph and George Ford in the backline and a pack boasting Wales No 8 Toby Faletau and former Springboks flanker Francois Louw.

‘‘It is so disappointing. We are up and down, up and down,’’ Blackadder told BBC Sport.

‘‘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.

‘‘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.’’

New Zealand fullback Telusa Veainu scored his fourth try of the season in Leicester’s big win while Ellis Genge touched down twice.

Former Chiefs back Tom Marshall grabbed a brace as Gloucester beat Sale 39-30 to take his season tally to six. Former All Blacks lock Jeremy Thrush captained Gloucester for the first time.