Rugby Union: Bath fear life without Lions

Bath. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

London Scottish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

AS LIFE without their Lions might be cutting it fine, even sweet victory could not prevent Bath emerging from the Rec with a growl. The problem stems from the loss of four key players for the league decider against Saracens on 24 April: the champions are concerned that the tour party's get-together over the same weekend threatens their chances of collecting a fourth Courage title.

While the Scots were dispatched to the Second Division, news that Wasps had scraped in at Orrell did nothing for Bath's peace of mind. They now expect their rivals to clear the final hurdle by beating Bristol at Sudbury, which means that nothing short of a win would do on the visit to Sarries.

It was at Southgate three seasons ago that the West Country giants ran into a minefield. 'I thought you'd have forgotten,' Andy Robinson, the Bath captain, said. 'My brother Sean kicked the conversion that won them the game.' Any such repeat has to be avoided, hence the worry over the involvement of Stuart Barnes, Jeremy Guscott, Ben Clarke and Andy Reed with the Lions and the preparations for the summer tour of New Zealand.

'We would like Geoff Cooke to release them,' Robinson said. But will the Lions' manager be so accommodating? 'Well, if that's not possible then we'd like the game brought forward a week to the 17th.' Bath have fingers crossed and Jack Rowell, their coach, hopes 'that logic will prevail'.

A Lions decision is expected today. 'I think the whole situation undermines the leagues,' Robinson said. 'The players have got where they are because of league rugby, particularly Barnes. He has only had two

internationals this season and he's really made the trip on the strength of what he has achieved for Bath.'

Any suggestion, though, that the Bath players would defy the Lions management by turning out against Saracens were dismissed by Robinson. 'You can't expect them to do that. They've been picked for the tour and if they have to attend training and we can't get a switch of dates then we'll have to find four others.'

The 17th is county final day, which does not affect Bath, though they would still have to absorb the loss of Adedayo Adebayo, the wing, to the England squad competing in the World Sevens at Murrayfield. However, that is a small price to pay compared to four absentees a week later.

On Saturday, meanwhile, Bath shrugged off the weather with an enterprising display producing six tries against a Scottish side who appeared to regard the situation as one of damage limitation rather than any slight hope of preserving their status. And down they went, joining Rugby, West Hartlepool and the luckless Sarries, who nevertheless have a say in the destiny of the title.

Bath: Tries Swift, Ubogu, Barnes, Clarke, Callard, de Glanville; Conversions Barnes, Callard; Penalties Barnes 2. London Scottish: Penalties Grecian 2.

Bath: J Callard; T Swift, P de Glanville, J Guscott, A Adebayo; S Barnes, R Hill; G Chilcott, G Dawe, V Ubogu, A Reed, N Redman, A Robinson (capt), B Clarke, J Hall.

London Scottish: M Appleson; N Grecian, S Wichary, G Dingwall, L Renwick; R Cramb (capt), D Millard; D Denham, L Mair, B Hillicks, D Cronin, R Scott, N McBain, C Brown, I Dixon.

Referee: A Sparks (Leamington Spa).