By The Analyst
August 3 2002

Last year Bath were one of the pre-season favourites. It was felt their excellence in the backs would compensate for a slightly lightweight pack. As it was, fears about the pack were well founded as they were marched briskly round the paddock by most opponents. Some of these highly paid forward players were seemingly unwilling even to get their knees dirty. As for the backs, they suffered first injuries, then a total loss of confidence once Mike Catt was unable to play and they ended up looking like the real lost boys. Problems were exacerbated with the departure of coach Callard, leaving some of the team and coaching staff as disgruntled as some supporters. However some were already hailing Michael Foley as their Aussie messiah.

TRANSFERS
Odd one this.... Until a few days ago, the Rec faithful were rubbing their hands, looking forward to a return of the glory days. First the cry of "bring back Jack" was answered when Rowell returned. Then Brian smith, ex of Australia and Ireland, late of the Brumbies, was announced as head coach under Foley. Then another Aussie as skills coach, and they seemed to have made a coup with the signing of Mark Connors, a lock/8 with 20 Aussie caps. They signed Jonathan Humphries from Cardiff to hook, and seemed to be unloading both Ronnie Regan and Dan Lyle, both rumoured to have been in the pro Callard camp. They also signed Ross Blake, a 9, and Adam Vander a 7, both from Bristol, and a France A prop by the name of Galasso, who would shore up the tight head and stiffen the forwards generally, and finally an Aussie no.10 from Exeter.

Then it all started to go pear shaped, as they first couldn't find takers for Regan and Lyle, both still in contract on overlarge salaries which other clubs were not prepared to inherit. Then injury news started with the news that Vander was nowhere near fit and Balshaw was out long term, as was Perry.

After more injury news came the recent bombshell that they were repudiating Connors' contract, quite possibly exposing themselves to a large legal action from the Australian if they were not entitled to do so (a subject of some debate). On top of this a case about the charitable status of the Rec, brought by parties seeking to block expansion of the ground, concluded in a judgement against the clubs interests. Chaos now seems to reign...

MANAGEMENT
I haven't a clue about this. Foley looks over-promoted. Can Rowell still wave a magic wand? Is Brownsword the owner, really committed to the long haul?

PROSPECTS
Well, who knows? If they get off to a decent start, they should surely survive, but a bad early run might see a complete collapse in morale, no doubt fomented by a few cantankerous souls from the glory years. If Mike Catt gets injured it is hard to see anything better than the drop. Their weakness should still be their pack, their strength should still be the backs, but the injuries may now mean Catt has to start at 15 which would be a big loss at 10/12 for them.

A very odd, fragile situation for Bath.