Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

Bath fans express worry on Twitter about their inexperienced coaching set-up

By Josh Raisey
Bath fans are concerned there is a lack of experience in their coaching set-up (Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images)

Bath have recently announced their new coaching staff ahead of next season, and it has left many fans worried on social media.

ADVERTISEMENT

After current head coach Todd Blackadder announced a few weeks ago his departure from the club at the end of the season, former captain Stuart Hooper has been announced as the new director of rugby.

Hooper will be joined by former Ireland international Girvan Dempsey, who has been their attack coach over the past year, and Luke Charteris as lineout coach, who is retiring from playing at the end of the season.

Current England scrum coach Neal Hatley will also arrive at the club as forwards coach after the World Cup, to return to the role he had before he joined the national setup.

The main concern that many fans have is that these coaches seem to be relatively raw in the world of coaching compared to the vastly experienced Blackadder and Toby Booth, who will also leave at the end of the season.

(Continue reading below…)

Video Spacer

While Hatley will provide the most experience, he will be joining towards the end of 2019, meaning he misses an entire pre-season with the club.

Charteris was a fine international player, with 74 caps to his name. However, that does not necessarily mean he is suited for the job yet, particularly with Hooper being a novice as the director of rugby.

ADVERTISEMENT

While Dempsey has a bit more experience as the attack coach of European giants Leinster before he joined Bath, that still does not seem to outweigh the inexperience of his team.

Many Bath fans are showing their concern over the season ahead on Twitter, and this is what they are saying:

ADVERTISEMENT

Bath currently sit in sixth place in the Premiership table with one game remaining, meaning they are set to play in the Champions Cup next season should they win their final match. That will mean that Hooper’s first season in charge will be a testing one, played against the best in Europe.

Additionally, Bath have not made the recruitment drive on the field that some supporters would have wanted, which is only another reason why some fans are not optimistic about next season.

WATCH: Part four of The Academy, the RugbyPass documentary series on the Leicester Tigers

Video Spacer
ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

TRENDING
TRENDING Super Rugby takes: All Blacks' next enforcer, New Zealand's goal kicking woes Super Rugby takes: All Blacks' next enforcer
Search