Steve Meehan wants his Bath side to get back to basics after losing at home again, this time to Newcastle Falcons.
First league win makes long journey home much easier for Falcons
Bath coach Steve Meehan is backing his side to come out of their current slump after they failed to register a first home win of the season.
Newcastle became the latest side to cash in at The Rec, rallying from a half-time deficit to triumph 27-16 in the Guinness Premiership clash.
While the Falcons can celebrate a first league win of the campaign, Bath have now lost six of their last eight outings in all competitions.
Despite the poor run Meehan refused to criticise his players, instead calling on them to relax in an attempt to find some form.
Terrific effort
"We are training very well," he said. "The effort is terrific.
"But after this run of results we have to rely on the strong characters in this team, the belief that there really is a lot of talent in the side and get back to playing the type of rugby that we know we are capable of.
"The guys will spend a lot of time looking at themselves, their own performances and thinking about how they can do things better, individually and collectively.
"We've been through moments like this in the past and if they continue to work hard for each other then we will come out of it. We've just got to relax and do the basics."
Any hopes of a turnaround in their fortunes in the near future could be hit by a shortage of options in the front row.
England's scrummaging coach Graham Rowntree was in the stands to run the rule over David Flatman, Duncan Bell and David Barnes ahead of the upcoming autumn internationals.
"If we lose Wilson and Bell for next week (at home to Saracens) and potentially each week into November then we need to look at our resources and what we can do," Meehan added.
"Will we be able to take the field, knowing the health and safety issues and that we have a duty of care?
"The next tighthead is a 17 or 18-year-old, Kane Newport, and we can't do that at all. That's a question for the PRL (Premier League Rugby)."
While Meehan had plenty to contemplate opposite number Steve Bates was delighted with the display from his Newcastle side
Long journey
"We've got an eight-hour coach journey home but it will be a little bit sweeter," he said.
"The Premiership is a really tough environment to build a team. The boys should take a great amount of credit for the way they have worked but there's still a lot to do.
"Today's game has gone our way and it's one we'll remember for a long time,"
he said.
"We felt there was a great opportunity but we needed to get our accuracy and intensity right and we did."
