Rumours of discontent have hung around Bath of late like flies around a pig but if it’s not too early to leap to conclusions Todd Blackadder, their new director of rugby, has made his presence felt already. At the very least we can say that in one game he has achieved something no Bath supremo has managed since the turn of the millennium (April 2000 to be precise) — a win at Northampton.
The 18-14 victory did come at some cost. Taulupe Faletau was helped off with a medial ligament injury only 12 minutes into his debut. Blackadder is hopeful it is nothing serious, particularly as Dave Denton limped off in the last 10 minutes.
Otherwise, the Force appears to be with Blackadder. Whatever wonders he may be working behind the scenes, one masterstroke is plain for all to see. When you are brought in to replace the father of your most important player, rumoured to be the most discontented of the lot, you waste no time in appointing him your vice-captain.
George Ford repaid Blackadder’s gesture with all 18 of Bath’s points, enough of a cushion to withstand two late tries. Accuracy with the boot has ranked no higher than fourth or fifth in the list of Ford’s qualities, just as ambitionless result-procurement is not what Blackadder’s native Crusaders are renowned for – still less his new club. If this display represents a new dimension to the development of Ford, Blackadder and Bath, the flies will soon be clearing because the more spectacular stuff will follow.
Blackadder has appointed as his captain Guy Mercer, the ultimate team man. In Mercer’s absence through injury, though, he opted for Matt Garvey as the leader at Franklin’s Gardens, one more from the trooper school. A bit like another southern-hemisphere coach who has transformed the fortunes of elite rugby players up here, Blackadder sees fit to share the leadership duties around. He is clearly big on “culture” as the Kiwis like to call it, whatever that most elusive “it” is. Bath thought they had it a year ago, having just finished as losing Premiership finalists. From there, though, they slumped to ninth. .
“I think there’s a really good framework here,” he said. “There’s not a lot you’d want to change. It’s just tweaking things, a little bit of belief, new systems, new ideas and getting the culture right. But it’s only week one.”
That last observation is one consolation Luther Burrell, who made his 100th appearance for the Saints, referred to more than once. “We have to address this and put it to bed early,” he said of a defeat all the more dispiriting for how little Bath had to play to secure it. “We’ll be tough on ourselves but there’s a long way to go. When you look at the quality within our dressing room, they’ve got to be pushing top four, no problem at all.”
This will go down as a learning experience for the man playing opposite Ford, Harry Mallinder. Like Ford until recently, he is the son of his director of rugby; unlike Ford he is 6ft 5in and 17st.
Perhaps for those reasons he is seen by many as a 12. Certainly, he has the full range of skills but in the rain the weight of playmaking responsibilities at 10 seemed to get to him, missing two important kicks at goal, one virtually a gimme, and trying too hard to make something happen – a frustration we could all sympathise with on a dispiritingly damp afternoon of rugby.
The 20-year-old will come again but he is not yet as accomplished as Ford, three years his senior, who landed all four of his penalties and a couple of drop goals. Northampton did mount a late comeback with two tries in the last seven minutes to clinch a bonus point. By then, though, Bath had lost Chris Cook to the sin-bin and had only seven forwards on the field, with Rhys Priestland having to replace Denton.
The visitors were not to be denied. The Blackadder era is under way. There is no doubt a joke in there somewhere. For now, Bath are smiling again for other reasons.
