Bath Rugby allay Kyle Eastmond injury fears ahead of Aviva Premiership opener

First-team coach Neal Hatley expects Kyle Eastmond to shake off an ankle injury and be fit for Bath Rugby’s Aviva Premiership opener at Newcastle Falcons next Friday.

The England centre limped off with 15 minutes to play as Bath rounded off their pre-season friendly programme with a 27-10 victory over Ospreys at The Rec last night.

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   Bath Rugby do not expect the injury Kyle Eastmond suffered in last night’s pre-season win over Ospreys to keep him out of the start of the Aviva Premiership season

   
   

Eastmond appeared in some discomfort after getting his leg trapped under a ruck but forwards boss Hatley says the problem does not look as bad as first feared and it should not keep him out of next week’s trip to Kingston Park.

“Kyle took a little bit of a bang on the foot but it looks like just a niggle, so we think he will be alright,” said Hatley.

 

“By the looks of it he should be OK for Friday. We’ll know a bit more tomorrow but it doesn’t look as serious as we initially thought.”

Bath produced a dominant second-half showing at The Rec as they recovered from a 10-8 deficit at the break to record an impressive win.

George Ford and Dan Biggar traded early penalties before Matt Banahan’s try gave Bath the lead. Despite controlling possession and territory, however, the hosts trailed at the interval courtesy of Ryan Bevington’s converted try.

Bath upped their game in the second half and Leroy Houston, Semesa Rokoduguni and Ollie Devoto all touched down to secure the win in front of a sizeable crowd at The Rec.

“We are very pleased with the way it finished up,” added Hatley. “We’ve been making incremental steps from Newcastle in Beziers to now and we were particularly pleased with the second half tonight as we were a lot more accurate.

“Last year we were very impressive in the three pre-season games and stuttered against Worcester away.

“We wanted to be tested. We went away to Dragons and then again today we were up against a good Ospreys side who finished off with a lot of internationals.

“I think we are bubbling along nicely and probably where we’d like to be, but we expect more to come.”

Hatley was pleased with the way Bath responded to last week’s 22-20 defeat at Newport Gwent Dragons and added that there was still more to come from the exciting new-look back-line, which cut through the Ospreys defence on several occasions.

“We are pleased with where we are at the set-piece but we are still scratching the surface with what we can do ball-in-hand,” said Hatley.

“We made one or two inside breaks, we were a lot more clinical and I think, as the boys get more time, they came into the game more. We were a lot more effective off that quick ball in the second half especially.

“It’s about the decision-making process. Against Newport we had real dominance up front and didn’t make the most of it. For us, a good side is a side that learns quickly.

“They showed that they’d learned from Newport and then in the first half they learned again, which showed in the way we played second half.

“We have talked about kicking on the front foot and making sure you are not kicking when you are completely under pressure. George understands that and I think Tom Heathcote came on and looked to do the same thing.

“We have worked hard with Kyle, George – Tom did it a bit last week – and Ollie Devoto and people like that going to the line. We want to go to the line but it’s the work that’s being done outside them that makes the opportunities.

“With people like Kyle, Jonathan Joseph and Ollie Devoto, it’s no good having players like that and not making the most of their strengths. We’d like to think we are putting them in positions where they can do what they are good at.”

Bath Rugby allay Kyle Eastmond injury fears ahead of Aviva Premiership opener