Bath back-row Josh Bayliss: ‘We are definitely on the right path’
Josh Bayliss is a product of Bath's Academy
©Patrick Khachfe/Onside Images
Following a narrow 37-31 loss to Saracens on Saturday afternoon, Bath’s Josh Bayliss still believes he and his teammates are on the path to success under Johann van Graan.
When you look at things on paper, Bath are repeating last season’s early form in the new campaign. Under the guidance of new Head of Rugby Johann van Graan, after five games the men from Somerset are winless and at the foot of the Gallagher Premiership table.
With six points to their name, the club will be hoping that the visit of Northampton Saints to The Recreation Ground this weekend will kick-start their season.
For large parts, Bath have been competitive in each game they have played. Their loss to Saracens at the weekend a perfect example of this, the side merely lacking that cutting edge to put an opponent to bed.
Also seen in losses Bristol Bears, Wasps, London Irish and Gloucester, it will be hoped by those in Somerset that sooner rather than later the team will break their duck. Josh Bayliss is certainly one of this belief.
At 25, the Scotland international has experienced more lows than highs in his professional career, however in spite of the current form the team are in, the back-row says that the side is in a far better place than this time a year ago.
“What I have loved so far is, despite results everyone is on the same page, that real sense of clarity and purpose,” he said.
“We know what we are doing on the pitch, we know what we are doing off the pitch and we’ve got a real belief that that is the right way and despite the results that we’ve had, actually we keep going. We make a few minor adjustments, and we are definitely on the right path.
“To the outside it looks like Bath have lost five from five, which is true results-wise, but we feel our performances are getting better and better.
“We are under no illusions that things were just going to change overnight, but I think that Johann and the rest of the guys have brought a real attitude and determination that we just find the way we want to play or the way that is best for the team and we stick to that, whilst acknowledging we do have to make changes here and there. Little adjustments.”
Already this season, Bath have found themselves hampered by injury. At the StoneX Stadium over the weekend, England prop Will Stuart departed the field early, while other names on the injured list include Charlie Ewels, Piers Francis, Will Muir, Ben Spencer, Beno Obano and Sam Underhill.
In part, the team has been buoyed by the signing of Ollie Lawrence. The England international arrived in the West Country just prior to Worcester Warriors having entered administration, initially committing to the club on loan before signing a long-term deal.
Against Saracens over the weekend, the Birmingham-born back was nothing short of astonishing. Beating 11 defenders, running for 254 meters and providing two try assists, it was a real sign of things to come from the 23-year-old.
“To have someone like Ollie in the team, that is brilliant,” Bayliss said. “He has come in with a great mindset and a great attitude. He has just got straight into his work, and it shows.
“Twice he’s played already, he’s been unbelievable, and he has got us real go-forward. He is just one of those guys that you want to follow. You know he is going to get you yards, and that is so important and so vital. We are really grateful to have him on board and pushing us forward.”
Along with Lawrence from Worcester came Ted Hill and Fergus Lee-Warner. Just a trio of players to have found themselves a new place to call home, they will also be feeling for those at Wasps who suffered the same fate on Monday.
On Tuesday afternoon it was announced that Bath would be hosting the Barbarians on Sunday 20 November, the tourists likely to have several from Wasps and Worcester among their ranks, and also offering the side from the Rec an opportunity to host a home game following Warriors’ enforced relegation.
This weekend’s opponents will also host the Barbarians, Saints welcoming the team to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens the following Saturday for what will no doubt be a highly attacking fixture.
That attacking flair now sees Phil Dowson’s team in third position, the club hoping to reach the playoffs yet again. It will be a major challenge for Bayliss and his teammates.
There was much talk during the offseason about the new horizon for Bath, who very early on seemed to have shown very little change overall.
Regardless of early season form, the 25-year-old believes that the side is on the way to success, the key to picking up that all important first win coming down to the ‘clarity’ that he spoke of previously and the continued belief that the strategies the new coaching staff has implemented is the correct way forward.
“It is very easy to get caught in a losing streak and change something new every week, and then you end up not having changed anything at all,” Bayliss said. “Like I say, the clarity that we have had from the beginning of the season of how we want to play rugby and what we want to do has been the same.
“The overriding philosophy is never to change. We know that’s the case and that has been great. It’s just about learning from individual mistakes and errors that we are making each week, within our system, to move on.
“We know that the system we are playing is the right system. It is just little individual errors. We have only been playing it for a couple of months now, so once we start to learn from those mistakes, that’ll be the key for us moving forward I think.”
