Blackadder backs Burns
Club and fans must ‘rally round Freddie’
Freddie Burns failed to win the game for Bath Rugby. To say he alone lost it for them against Toulouse in the Champions Cup would ignore the incessant frailties in their game and let everyone else off the hook.
If the Blue, Black and Whites had done their job properly, they never would, nor should have been relying on a 74 minute penalty or a 76 minute try to win a game that they led by two scores and was there for the taking.
That is not to excuse Burns. As he blew a kiss, thumped his chest and pointed to the Thatchers terrace en route to what looked like an inevitable try he was showboating.
He thought he was about to be the match winner and make amends for missing a penalty inside the 22m, in front of the posts, which also would have delivered a victory to kick-off Bath’s Pool 1 campaign.
He knows what he did and he’s apologised for it. He’ll take the flak and regret it for a long time. But Bath’s ultimate failings were an inability to keep possession in the second half, bad decision-making and game management, and a failing lineout which meant that some grade A territorial positions were frittered away.
One has to feel for Francois Louw after this 22-20 defeat. He was a one-man turnover machine. Including forced breakdown penalties from Toulouse he must have won at least four and he did a good job as a link player too.
There was plenty of positive stuff from the hosts in the first half. They kept the ball well, forwards and backs combined with nifty offloads and they were rewarded with an early penalty.
Toulouse struck back with some nice interplay of their own before Maxime Medard, their hero at the death, was sent over unopposed for the opening try.
With Jamie Roberts back in the fold Bath had direction in the midfield. After Dave Attwood had powered up the middle, the ball was recycled and Chris Cook sent Roberts over on a nice, hard line.
Bath were on a roll. Tom Dunn sparked an attack by sending Priestland on a charge with a delicate offload. Again Bath showed patience and precision before Burns twisted and turned his way over for a score in the corner.
The hosts were made to pay for sloppiness in the 35 minute. They got a lineout wrong, Cook’s clearance was poor and all of a sudden the French side were on the counter Sofiane Guitone putting the visitors were back in touch.
Jerome Kaino’s high tackle on Roberts earned him a yellow card but, more crucially, knocked out the 94-cap Wales international and meant that was the end of what was turning into a positive afternoon for him. Bath weren’t the same after the break. There were no calm heads behind the scrum and defensively they looked more ragged.
Burns added a long-range penalty but that was all they could muster while Kaino was off.
When Tom Ellis was sent to the sin-bin for an unnecessary tip tackle on Rynhardt Elstadt, the visitors slotted a quick three points then ramped up their attack.
A penetrative catch and drive laid the platform for the ball to be shipped wide for Guitoune to find a hole and score. The conversion from full-back Thomas Ramos put the visitors 22-20 up.
Bath had chances to retake the lead. Boy did they have chances. Five minutes from time, the chance arose for Bath to take the lead. A penalty, 20m out, in front of the posts. Burns hit the right upright and then blundered when across the line.
Alas, his dream finish turned into a living nightmare and Bath have it all to do in Pool 1.