Spencer: Bath face massive challenge to go deep in Champions Cup

Ben Spencer says that Bath Rugby know they face a massive challenge if they are to go deep into the Investec Champions Cup this season.

Bath Rugby opened their Investec Champions Cup campaign by thumping Munster 40-14 at The Rec – but winners’ skipper Ben Spencer knows that enormous tests lie ahead | Photo © Richard Briggs

The Blue, Black & White opened their assault on Europe with a resounding 40-14 home win over Munster Rugby on Saturday 6th December and are already being tipped to lift the trophy in May.

But at his post-match press conference following the Round 1 success at The Rec, Spencer – Bath’s skipper and the Investec Player of the Match – said: “This group have played in a lot of big games now, a lot of semi-finals, a couple of finals. I think our strength is our togetherness.

“As long as we keep believing as a group and keep wanting to get better…

“It’s Round 1, we’re under no illusions what it’s going to take to go deep in this competition, but it’s about getting better week to week, and at the minute that’s what we’re doing.

“We did it really well last season, and [with] a little bit of luck along the way, who knows where we can go? We’re firmly feet on the ground at the minute and understand there’s a massive challenge ahead.

“We always want to do well. We always want to put our best foot forward and I think over the last few years we’ve become really tough to beat.

“I thought out there tonight, we understood the importance of giving the opposition points as well as us scoring points.

“And I thought til the 79th, 80th minute, we scrapped for everything. And that’s a sign of a good team and a team that’s hungry. We’ll go week to week, but I’m really proud of our effort tonight.”

Spencer, who won the competition three times with Saracens, explained how Bath got to grips with the wet conditions at The Rec when they took on Munster.

He said: “I’ve probably been around enough now to understand what’s needed and I think we’re pretty fortunate – we had a game like that not too long ago against Sale [Sharks at a sodden Rec in the Gallagher PREM on Friday 3rd October].

“Tonight was a night, especially the first half, where you’re better off without the ball. I think the first 10 minutes, it [the ball] was just a complete bar of soap.

“We tried to create a bit of aerial pressure and I think we stole the first three line-outs, put their hooker [Diarmuid Barron] under a little bit of pressure in terms of the line-out.

“So it was probably one for 9 and 10, 15 game managers [ie a kicking game] tonight but I think we did that pretty well.

“You just want to make it as simple as possible and take the passes out of the game.

“On nights like this when it’s a complete 50/50 in the air, if you put it on the money, who knows where it’s going to end up?

“So tonight was just about simplifying everything and making sure we did the basics really well, and I thought we did that.”

Spencer admitted that Bath were not proud of their discipline against the Irish outfit – but he praised French referee Jeremy Rozier for his handling of the game.

“There was a warning [from Rozier] when we were at 15 [men] and then Stewie [Will Stuart] got a yellow card, and then we got a warning in the second half,” said Spencer.

“I thought he refereed the game really well. I think his communication was spot on. Any time I had a question, I thought he was really good.

“He took it on board what I was saying, but he also let the game flow and I thought he refereed the game really well.

“I don’t think we’ll be hugely proud of our discipline tonight.

“I think we want to be a team that doesn’t allow easy entries for the opposition and we probably gave them too many ins tonight.

“But Munster are a quality side, put you under a lot of pressure at times  – and I thought we dealt with that pressure really well.”