'You can't just move on': Bath coach wants his side to feel the pain after set-piece meltdown in Challenge Cup semi-final loss
Stuart Hooper admitted to a huge amount of disappointment and frustration after Bath were beaten in their European Challenge Cup semi-final by Montpellier.
The French club booked a Twickenham appointment with Leicester on May 21 following a 19-10 success at the Recreation Ground.
And Bath were particularly poor in the lineouts, losing eight of them on their own throw as that key element of their set-piece game unravelled.
“It was a mixture of things in the lineout – some throws, calls and catch errors – and when you get that it turns into a tough day,” Bath rugby director Hooper said.
“We were inaccurate, little tiny moments. It’s obviously disappointing to lose and not to get through to the final. Areas of our game that have been strong just let us down.
“Evidently, there is a huge amount of disappointment and frustration.
“These games don’t come around too often. Some of the things we dealt with pretty well like the breakdown, but there was a combination of the lineout and midfield breakdown penalties.”
British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland, who names his South Africa tour squad next Thursday, looked on as Bath strived to make it an all-English final.
But Montpellier gatecrashed the party, with flanker Yacouba Camara scoring a try and scrum-half Benoit Paillaugue kicking a conversion and three penalties, before Handre Pollard booted an 80th-minute penalty.
Bath started brightly, given a flying start by hooker Tom Dunn’s fourth-minute try, while scrum-half Ben Spencer added a conversion and penalty.
And Montpellier, Challenge Cup winners in 2016, were often threatened by Bath and England star Anthony Watson’s strong running – he will undoubtedly have impressed Gatland – but they had enough control up-front to prevail.
“A number of times we fell the wrong way, went too many carries one way, and ultimately they got the turnovers,” Hooper told BT Sport.
“And that accuracy and at the lineout as well is what has cost us.
“It’s always going to be disappointing at this stage. Getting to the semi-final and losing is something no-one ever wants to do.
“Physically, we really showed up, we just need to understand that the accuracy is really needed. You need both of them, and the tactical acumen at this level. Tonight, they were better than us.
“The disappointment is real, so you have to feel it. You can’t just move on. This hurts (for) the players and staff, and undoubtedly the supporters as well.
“We will have a day off, come back on Monday and prepare for our next job, which is Bristol here (next Saturday).”
Comments on RugbyPass
Good luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
37 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
37 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
37 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
37 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
37 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
37 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
37 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to comments