Ellis pleased with his maturing game

As he absorbs every ounce of knowledge he can from the players around him, Tom Ellis believes he is maturing into a rounded back-rower.

The 24-year-old came through the academy as a lock but has been a flanker for a couple of seasons now.

He has started at both seven and six in recent weeks, while retaining a key asset from his second-row days which is proving fruitful.

“I’m still learning from people like Flouw [Francois Louw], Toby [Faletau] and Sam [Underhill],” Ellis said.

“Just speaking to those boys - like when I had to play seven against Chiefs - it makes a big difference.

“I bring what I bring to the team. I’d like to think my lineout is my point of difference in the back row and that is clearly a very important element of the game.

“As [forwards coach] Toby Booth will happily tell you, the best way to stop a driving lineout is to not let them have a driving lineout by stealing the ball.

“I just want to keep building up my strengths and bringing up my weaknesses.”

Ellis is hoping to hold off competition from Sam Underhill and returning captain Matt Garvey to start again at six against Wasps in the Champions Cup on Saturday.

And he says he has learned his lesson from the 22-20 defeat to Toulouse last weekend, when he was sin-binned for a tip tackle on Rynhardt Elstadt and the visitors scored ten points in his absence.

“It doesn’t really matter what I think, to be honest, but as soon as I pick the guy up I’m kind of in the ref’s hands,” he said.

“I need to learn not to do that again. That was ten minutes of pain for the lads.”

Looking ahead to the battle with Wasps at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, Ellis said: “They’re coming off the back of a tough fixture away at Leinster, but they’ve had an extra day’s recovery to us [they lost 52-3 last Friday night].

“It will be a tough game. To keep the dream alive it’s a must-win for both teams, but saying that Scarlets last year lost both of their first two games in the pool but qualified as top of our pool.

“It’s definitely not all over. We just know we need to be on our mettle come Saturday.”

Bath have beaten Wasps at the Ricoh in the Champions Cup in 2015 and in the Premiership last season.

Director of rugby Todd Blackadder said: “When we won last season it was one of our best defensive performances. It feels very familiar this week.

“The guys are well aware of what’s at stake. I don’t have to remind them of that.

“The one thing about the Ricoh Arena is it’s hard and fast. It’s a really good surface, the guys like playing there.

“Both teams will feel the other is a bit vulnerable. We’ve got to go and play.”