Dogged by injuries, key departures and rumours of unrest but men are determined to make big splash
Blackadder’s
WHEN Bath became the first English club to conquer Europe nobody saw it as the end of their success story.
English champions six times in the 10 years prior to lifting the Heineken Cup in 1998, they had also been national cup winners on 10 occasions.
Yet, they return to the tournament today with just one trophy to show for the last 20 years, closer to the bottom than top of the Premiership and dogged by rumours of unrest behind the scenes. Their lunchtime clash at home to fourtime winners Toulouse on paper is a heavyweight meeting between two of rugby’s biggest names. In reality it is a game between clubs lost in the doldrums.
Toulouse are also firing blanks. They have not won a bean for six years.
This is not what team boss Todd Blackadder had in mind when he succeeded Mike Ford at the Rec in 2016 – and he admits the criticism stings.
“I take it home, I take everything personally,” said the former All Black. “You can’t help but be affected by it, probably more so if it’s a little bit inaccurate and a little bit unfair. But that’s just life isn’t it.
“My job here is to control the preparation side, so when that’s not right I put my hand up, I take responsibility. We don’t need anyone to tell us we’re falling short of the mark.
“We know that if we get things right we’re capable of beating anyone. But we’ve got to do that and stop talking about it.”
Bath, who have announced two of the coaching staff will leave next summer, have been cursed by injuries.
Missing again today are Jonathan Joseph, Anthony Watson, Taulupe Faletau and Joe Cokanasiga. The number of senior players unavailable runs into double figures. But the club contributed to its plight by allowing influential quartet Matt Banahan, Carl Fearns, George Ford and Kyle Eastmond to leave.
Blackadder, 47, says “adversity makes you more resilient” and the affable Kiwi desperately wants to believe it, particularly with today’s match live on Channel 4.
“Everyone is a little bit on edge, a little bit p **** d off,” he admitted. “There’s disappointment mixed with a bit of controlled anger. We know we can do better. This is a massive opportunity to show it.”
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EXCLUSIVE