Barnes blast as Bath fail to deliver again

May 21 2007 Western Mail

BATH captain David Barnes has launched a stinging attack on the club's officials, accusing them of a gross lack of foresight which is threatening to destroy a once-proud reputation.

Bath won an incredible 16 trophies between 1984 and 1996, including five league and cup doubles.

But the trophy cabinet at the Recreation Ground has been collecting dust for nine barren seasons, since they won the Heineken Cup in 1998.

To add insult to injury, defeat to Clermont Auvergne in the European Challenge Cup final on Saturday cost Bath a place in next seasons Heineken Cup.

Senior players, including Barnes and England lock Steve Borthwick, are running out of patience as they see their beloved club dismantled around them.

Bath havent won a trophy since 1998 and for a club like this that is not acceptable, said Barnes, speaking up on behalf of a number of senior players.

The brand of Bath is still a strong one, but it is diminishing every year. The management have to wake up and we need to start a recruitment policy at Bath.

It is well-documented that we are losing Andy Williams and Chris Malone, but currently dont have a fly-half or a scrum-half coming here next year. That is not acceptable.

You have to ask questions. I think (chairman) Andrew Brownsword is ambitious, but something is going wrong somewhere and we need to address it.

We are losing three or four players  David Bory is going back to France  and it is important for this club to go on that we replace them with better players.

A lot of players have been linked with the club, but it seems like Bath is not what it used to be and players are deciding other clubs are a better option.

We have got to think where we are going as a club and address it.

Baths officials need only look up the road at west country rivals Gloucester for the kind of ambition Barnes and Borthwick are demanding they match.

The Cherry and Whites finished top of the Guinness Premiership table and have reinforced their exiting young squad with Australia hooker Jeremy Paul, Wales scrum-half Gareth Cooper, rugby league legend Lesley Vainikolo and number eight Gareth Delve.

Gloucester finished first in the league and have signed players right on the top of their game. At the moment, we havent matched that, said Barnes.

Missing out on Heineken Cup qualification will not make the summer recruitment any easier and it pains those senior players who have committed their whole professional careers to Bath.

The supporters are amazing. They follow us through thick and thin and we cant repay them at the moment. It is not acceptable for a club like Bath to be eighth in the league.

As a player, your career is short. You get maybe 10 years. That is 10 chances to play in the Heineken Cup and we have lost another one.

Baths frustrations were heightened by the manner of their defeat to Clermont Auvergne.

After an arm-wrestle of a first half, the French side surged into a 22-6 lead with three tries in the space of 15 second-half minutes.

Only then did Bath look to play. Joe Maddock scored a brilliant solo try and Peter Short almost drove over in the corner.

But the television official ruled he had spilled the ball forward as it was grounded.

Olly Barkley landed a third penalty to set up a grandstand finish, but Bath had left themselves with too much to do.

That is the fifth final I have lost with Bath and it hurts more each time, said Barnes.