By Adrian Laws
January 22 2011

Indeed, as Gareth pointed out during the week, it’s often the little things.  At half time, with Bath down 14-0, it was the little things that had let us down. A penalty striking the post on 5 minutes, a charge down, an unnoticed forward pass, and an equally unnoticed knock on had put those points on the board, and kept others off it.

We all knew that the potential for progression in this competition was extremely optimistic but Bath started well and there were early signs of promise. While we were putting together disciplined, patient work in the forwards (some nice use of the rolling maul – not seen that on the Rec for a while), Biarritz were guilty of some wayward passing. Early signs that pressure would be the key to success for our boys.

But, the aforementioned penalty bounced off the post and soon after the mercurial Yachvili was snatching the ball out of the air from a Barkley clearance kick and crossing the line. The simple conversion made it 7-0 to the hosts but there seemed little reason to panic. While Biarritz were winning the game out wide, the Bath pack were keeping things tight.

On 18 minutes we were treated to the nostalgic sight of that lad Balshaw making a trademark dash along the line, taking the last pass and touching down. It could have been the turn of the century all over again. That final pass was forward, but it went unnoticed. The little things.

The rugby gods did make amends on 26 minutes when Jonathan Davies’ favourite Irishman, the towering Harry O’Donachie broke into space from the breakdown with fullback Haylett-Petty in support. Biarritz were denied the points when referee Clancy failed to note the ball coming off the hand of Claassens when he blew up for a forward pass. You know what? A little thing.

Biarritz had the opportunity to turn the screw in the forwards on the half hour as they threatened the Bath line through a series of penalties. Successive scrums eventually saw Duncan being sent to the sin bin. With the try seemingly imminent, a certain Mr Flatman turned the Bath scrum into a thing of living stone and allowed the lines to be cleared with the resulting penalty. Can I just make clear here, David Flatman is not one of the little things.

With the clock rapidly heading towards the end of the first half, the Bath backs finally found some space and some ball. It’s never good to be nilled in a half, but with 40 minutes to go, Bath were still very much in this game.

Biarritz 14 Bath 0 at half time.

But it’s the little things. A handling error by Luke in the opening moments of the second half gifted Mr Balshaw his second score of the game and straight from the restart Bendy was forced to save our blushes with a try saving tackle as Balshaw got into his stride again.

On 44 minutes the Bath forward effort was finally rewarded when a patient build up saw Hooper go over after some excellent work by Ben Skirving. Although the conversion went wide, there were definite signs that Bath were still in this game - particularly as the hour approached and Davy Wilson made a hugely impressive break through the middle.

But the next score came from the hosts after a well worked move in the centre saw Yachvili loop out a wide pass to Ngwenya who finished the move in the corner. Biarritz 26, Bath 5.

To be honest, the chance of Bath progressing in this competition was gone when Yachvili snatched the clearance in the first 10 minutes. But the final 10 minutes were a testament to the heart in this Bath side. On 73 minutes we saw a fantastic display of forward and back interplay to see Biggs go over the line and, with the clock in the red it was that man Biggs again who finished a move started when Lobbe tapped a penalty on the Bath line.

An absorbing game, with the better side taking the win. Yachvili was outstanding, Harinordoquy was destructive and Balshaw is finally realising some of that pre-2001 Lion’s tour form. Though it came at our expense today, it’s good to see.

Bath’s unbeaten run in 2011 is over, but there was much in this performance to suggest that it’s not back to the drawing board. Though the loss of Watson on 53 minutes looked worrying, Ovens did very well. Skirving gave us his best performance in a Bath jersey to date – but the real positive was Biggs who is increasingly looking like the natural successor to the diminutive Joe Maddock.

Yep, it's the little things ...

Biarritz 26, Bath 19