Angry Bath ready to sink Sharks
Alex Crockett insists Sale Sharks will feel Bath's fury after their Heineken Cup exit.
Alex Crockett has warned Sale Sharks to expect a backlash from Bath on Friday, as they look to release the frustration of a Heineken Cup semi-final defeat.
Bath lost 18-9 to Biarritz in the Estadio Anoeta, after a lacklustre performance that left both the players and management ruing what might have been.
Head coach Brian Ashton admitted in the aftermath that his players should have done better, and Crockett insists league leaders Sale will be the ones to suffer.
"We wanted to come out, leave nothing in the changing room and have no regrets, but we have got some regrets now," said the talented young centre.
"We don't feel that we did ourselves justice, and the penalties we conceded killed us.
"But we have got to use this as fuel now. We have got to go out there and play with passion and anger that is still burning inside because we let this game go.
"Having the Sale match as soon as next Friday night is ideal.
"As soon as you have had a game like this one, you want to get back out there as soon as you can and prove all the critics wrong."Bath are highly unlikely to qualify for next year's Heineken Cup competition, after a Premiership campaign that has seen them lose 11 of their 20 matches.
Two maximum wins would give the West Countrymen a slim chance, but Crockett admits a big opportunity was allowed to slip away in San Sebastien.
"I won't say this Biarritz game was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but it was a big chance for a lot of the guys," confessed the youngster.
"It was a Heineken Cup semi-final, and a lot of the big guns have already gone out of the competition."
Sale's form has suffered an alarming slump of late, with the Sharks losing four of their last six matches.
Another defeat could seriously dent confidence ahead of the Premiership finale, ensuring an intriguing contest at Edgeley Park.
