By Dom Benson
May 10 2002

The battle for relegation may have degenerated into a farcical non-event but Wasps travel to Bath on Sunday looking for the win which may bring Heineken Cup qualification. Back in December this looked like a fanciful notion as we were at the foot of the table well below our hosts. Now, just a little over five months since we entertained the team which finished third in the Premiership last season, we travel down the Bath Road aiming for sixth place. Following yesterday's pronouncement that Rotherham shall not be promoted next season, the Bath team does not even have the opportunity to beat relegation fair and square in front of a sell-out crowd. The injury ravaged club will merely be playing for its wounded pride in trying to prevent Wasps winning only its third league match at the Recreation Ground.

Bath's capitulation at Gloucester, of all places, last weekend confirmed the once invincible club's slide from grace this season. Shorn of the services of playmaker, Mike Catt, as well as a number of international backs such as Kevin Maggs, Mike Tindall, Matt Perry and even Iain Balshaw, Bath's form has hit rock bottom.

The contrast between our results could not be more stark since we beat them 23-10 at Loftus Road at the beginning of December. Apart from an "off-purple" patch when they beat Gloucester, Bristol and Harlequins at the Rec, Bath's only other victory was in a relegation dogfight, again at home, to Leeds. We, on the other hand, have won nine out of twelve ZP matches (including our less than assured win over them).

So bad has Bath's dip in form been that their old stalwart Jon Callard was relieved of his coaching duties earlier this year, despite what the Zurich Premiership Website may say. However, the ex-Australian forward, Michael Foley has failed inject the confidence his team badly needs. Without their flair players all memory of their bittersweet victory over us in the playoff semi-final last May has long been forgotten.

The seeds of disaster were sewn in their playoff final against Leicester when the champions of today trundled to their treble. Balshaw, Catt and Perry struggled to retain fitness and form over the long summer. Leeds welcomed them to Headingly for the first match of this season and promptly turned them over 10-6. A string of 11 away trips without a win in the Premiership is largely to blame. Now, just one match off the end of the season, Bath's supporters can only sit in torment. A 68-12 spanking at Gloucester means that their average scoring rate is below 14 points while their defence leaks an average of 24 points.

It has not been all doom and gloom for the club though. A brief resurgence in the Heineken Cup put them in good heart for a home quarter final against Llanelli. The Stradey Park warriors humbled their hosts on 27 January with a 27-10 victory. Although Bath have been off-colour ever since, they can point to a home record of P 10 W 7 L3 in the Premiership.

So, if we take them for granted, we shall not win. Phil Greening is fit again but Paul Volley and Kenny Logan are out with injured thumbs and Fraser Water will not play again this season. Lawrence Dallaglio plays despite his thumb tendon problem. It will be his last game of the season. We need to win the battle up-front, keep it tidy and use the width when the opportunity presents itself. A win is paramount. A bonus point would confirm our return to rude health and give us an ouside chance of Heineken Cup qualification and a trip to visit Mellie in the play-offs. If we do win (and we should have won at the wreck last season) and Leeds do likewise, we can leave Bath and the RFU to reflect shamefully on what might have been.

Team: 15 J.Lewsey; 14 S.Roiser, 13 S.Abbott, 12 M.Denney, 11 P.Sampson; 10 A.King, 9 M.Wood; 1 C.Dowd, 2 T.Leota, 3 W.Green, 4 S.Shaw, 5 I.Jones, 6 M.Lock, 7 J.Worsley, 8 L.Dallaglio (Capt.)

Bench: 16 M.Friday, 17 P.Greening, 18 M.Leek, 19 M.Offiah, 20 J.Beardshaw, 21 R.Jenkins, 22 A.McKenzie.

Wasps u21s play Bath at Twyford Road on Saturday, k.o. 2.30pm but the u19s fixture is cancelled (Bath's injury crisis no doubt).

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