1988-1989 ANECDOTES

1988-1989 ANECDOTES
PORTENTS OF CHANGE
BBC Wales cameras provided live coverage for the Principality and BBC Grandstand carried highlights. These were formative years for sports coverage. ITV had been quick to corner the market on nation-wide soccer, and the eventual live telecasting of club rugby in England was destined to popularise the game and raise sponsorship interest to unforeseen heights.
The game was now caught up in a process of fundamental and unstoppable change.

GATORADE
Symptomatic of Bath’s declared pursuit of excellence, support staff began to take a fresh look at match conditioning, diet, training, injury recovery times etc.
One of the first moves was to scrap the ‘traditional’ half-time orange slices in favour of liquid supplement and players began to take frequent quaffs of Gatorade, to replace salts and minerals lost with sweating.
If one could jump ahead a few years, there was no better example of benefit, than the Bath v Gloucester Final 1990, when Bath players frequently took liquid on board, while Gloucester dehydrated in the blazing sun. (But that’s another story!)

PUBLIC SCHOOL WANDERERS Selected team:- Mark Wyatt (Wales), Ian Williams (Australia), David Irwin (Ireland), Roger Baird (Scotland), Matt Duncan (Scotland), Malcolm Dacey (Wales), Ray Giles (Wales), Norrie Rowan (Scotland), Steve Smith (Ireland), Jim McCoy (Ireland), Steve Sutton (Wales), Willie Anderson (Scotland), Richie Collins (Wales), Willie Duggan (Ireland), Mark Jones (Wales).
Watched by a surprisingly small crowd of around 3,500 spectators the Bath faithful were treated to a thrilling exhibition of running rugby, which produced 18 tries and nigh on 100 points. Twenty eight internationals contributed to the enjoyment, with not inconsiderable ‘sympathy’ from celebrity referee Clive Norling.
37- year old, John Horton made a welcome re-appearance, contributing a try and a conversion. He benefited greatly from Hill’s long service and had a hand in at least ten of the tries. Barnes’s final tally was a try and six conversions, and not to be outdone – Gareth Chilcott put another one between the posts. Proceeds went to the Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital.
PAY FOR PLAY?
An overcrowded fixture list, and now – England and Club demand for ‘warm-weather’ squad training was placing an intolerable burden on some players. University lecturer Tom Hudson, was an outspoken member of the Bath coaching set up. He asserted the inevitability of a move away from amateur status and doubted that the game would survive within the amateur ethos, beyond the 1991 World Cup.
There were rumblings of large earnings for top players in France and South Africa.

January 1989. Bath joined with South Western Electricity Board in a £155,000, three year sponsorship deal.

14/3/1989 Bath cried off from a scheduled ‘Friendly’ with Bristol, and an unpleasant exchange of words was to follow. Bath were days away from a crucial Semi-Final at Gloucester and did not wish to expose a depleted squad to further injury. Although relations remained soured for some time afterwards, Bath felt that their offer to forfeit home advantage for their next encounter was adequate recompense for Bristol’s loss of sponsorship income.

LUMSDEN’S NECK INJURY
In the 76th minute, Albion centre Meakin was allowed to break through the Bath cover, and Audley Lumsden denied him access with a try saving head-on tackle.
In the process, he sustained a very serious neck injury, understood to be two fractured vertebrae, and many thought it was an end to his rugby career. It was to be a very long journey back – but he was destined to make it.

68 POINTS FOR J.P.’s COMMAND PERFORMANCE
A rousing reception greeted John Palmer, as he led the team out for his last ‘official’ game on the Rec.
It was a suitably memorable match marking the departure of one of Bath’s greatest servants.
Playing at full-back, Palmer wrong-footed the opposition on the 22 metre line, initiating a swift handling movement, ending with John Hall grounding the ball.
There were similar tries in abundance, with Guscott giving free reign to his talents, with his final tally of four. His best effort was in the second half, when he ‘showed’ the ball to his opposite numbers, turned on his exceptional pace, and rounded the Scarlets’ defence with deceptive ease. Appropriately, John Palmer was called up to kick the final conversion.
After this stunning display, Richard Hill’s only concern was that the backs had not really clicked in recent weeks, and the team had been slow to get into their stride. On this performance they need have no fears.

THE SUPPORT
Bath were supported by approximately 35 fans who had travelled through France on a Stones 53-seater coach; a few had flown down and there was a sprinkling of exiles from here and there. The atmosphere had to be experienced to be believed. Some thought things might be improved by a short spell of community singing. A group of friends were cajoled into accompanying the writer of these notes in the old Mini Rugby song:

“When I go out walking,
people often ask me.
Where the hell are you from?
And this is what I tell them.
I’m from Bath – lovely, lovely Bath.

And if they can’t hear me,
I sing a little louder.
I’m from Bath, lovely, lovely Bath” etc

Unfortunately they dried up, and yours truly was left to sing to the whole stand alone. Astonishingly, there was a polite clap when the ditty was finished! Perhaps it did calm the jagged nerves after all!

The game kicked off just before midnight.
Was it stiflingly hot – or were we all terribly tensed up?

Steve Walklin was sent off in this game. It was in the 65th minute for dissent, following Cazalbou’s try. In the context of the previous game’s mayhem, it was but a trifling offence.
Bath’s achievement – a win over the French Champions on French soil is deserving of highest praise. To say the atmosphere was electric is a sizeable understatement. To the faint hearted – it was terrifying!

Bath fielded five senior players, and the balance was made up of United and Spartans regulars. This makeshift collection denied Toulouse ball for the first half hour. Barnes had missed two early penalty chances, when Hill lofted a ball and forced N’Tamack into an error. From the loose ball, Barnes coolly dropped a goal. Five minutes later, Walklin grounded for an unconverted try. N’Tamack missed a penalty, but Eric Bonneval took over and was successful from an easy position.
After the interval, Peter Blackett got away, but was felled near the corner flag, but Peter Miles was on hand to score. Barnes converted from far out and soon added a 40-metre penalty. In the 65th minute the French were awarded their first try: “Not down ref.,” shouted Walklin,” and the ex Plymouth winger was sent for an early bain. Suitably encouraged, the Frenchmen scored a second unconverted try – but Bath held out. A great win – but a frightening game.
Bath’s overall tournament success was utterly stunning! An immortal chapter in the annals of our great Club.