Sarries boss backs Bath
Sun, 04 May 2008 08:18
Saracens boss Alan Gaffney has backed Bath to make a push for the Guinness Premiership title after his team were crushed 66-21 at the Recreation Ground on Saturday.
Six days after Saracens pushed Munster to the limit in a pulsating Heineken Cup semi-final, they were blown away by nine Bath tries.
Saracens fielded seven survivors from the semifinal, yet Bath had the game won by half-time as they led 45-0 to book their place in the Premiership play-offs and recapture top spot above Gloucester.
Inside centre Olly Barkley amassed 31 points, including two tries, and on current form Bath could take some stopping in their quest for a first league title since 1966.
Gaffney said: "It is going to take a very good defensive side to hold them out.
"You have got to slow down their off-load game - Bath are the best team in the Premiership at off-loading in the tackle - although Wasps could possibly do that.
"But there is no doubt Bath are going to be in there with a shout. In my coaching career, I don't think I've ever had 66 points scored against me.
"We have shipped something like 20 tries in our last three league games against Gloucester, Wasps and now Bath.
"We allowed Bath to dominate and we let them play at a pace they wanted to and we couldn't live with them."
Wing Matt Banahan scored the game's outstanding individual try - a 70-metre solo effort and he is now the Premiership's top try-scorer this season with 10 - and Saracens could not even gain consolation from three second-half touchdowns by Adam Powell, Kevin Yates and Kameli Ratuvou.
Victory over Gloucester at Kingsholm next Saturday would probably be enough to secure a home play-off for Bath, while the West Country club also has a European Challenge Cup Final against Worcester ahead of them.
Head coach Steve Meehan said: "It is very difficult to come out with the same sort of intensity in the second half when you are 45-0 up.
"When I was assistant coach at Stade Francais, Nick Mallett used to say you could tell how motivated a side were by their defence.
"We wanted to test Saracens in defence, and this was always going to be a really big ask for them after their European semi-final just six days ago."
Meehan also paid tribute to another outstanding display by England openside flank Michael Lipman, who scored two tries, and was a thorn in Saracens' side throughout the game.
"He made some bone-crunching tackles, and there is a real intensity about his game at the moment.
"We know he is good on the ground, and we know he is good over the ball. He is just an outstanding forward."
