Bakewell looks for 'home advantage'
Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:30
Bath forwards coach Mark Bakewell is looking for some 'home advantage' as his team faces Sale Sharks in the semifinal of the European Challenge Cup at the Recreation Ground on Saturday.
With Bath fighting hard to bring home the silverware, Bakewell has been calling for the fans to support the team in the last leg of the season – and to mark one of the best seasons the club has enjoyed for many years.
"One of the big advantages of playing at Bath is the special atmosphere created by overwhelming Bath support," said Bakewell.
"Given that we have a home semifinal, we have to take advantage of that. We understand that fans from Sale may not travel down, but we are hoping to have the stands full of our own fans to cheer the guys on.
"We got to the final in this competition last year and we stumbled at the last hurdle. With key Bath players leaving at the end of the season it makes it that much more important for us to get to the final and know that the fans are behind us all the way.
"The toughness of this match with Sale is made even harder with the likes of Chabal and Foden, and it will be even more difficult without the added advantage of our home support."
With ticket prices slashed, Bakewell is calling for fans to make the trip down to the Rec this Saturday.
"Rather than sitting at home on Saturday, come down and ensure that we can take the next step to bringing back the silverware."
