Anthony Watson demands fast Bath start to stand chance against Bordeaux-Begles

This semi-final will showcase some of Europe’s most exciting and mercurial players, especially in the back three. Henry Ardunell and co will be facing what is perhaps the best wing pairing Europe has to offer in Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Damian Penaud. Matching up against the very best is of course what professional athletes live for but what faces the Bath back-three on Sunday is certainly a tall order.

Bath and England legend Antony Watson said, “I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't love to have played in this game, and I'd have loved to have played in that team that's playing out there at the moment.

“Playing for Bath in a semi-final away in a hostile environment like Bordeaux would be an unbelievable experience.”

Watson spent nine seasons at Bath making over 100 appearances and scoring 32 times for the west country club. He knows exactly how far Bath have come, having stuck with the club through their darkest days of finishing bottom of the Gallagher PREM.

On what reaching a European semi-final means for the club Watson said “I just think it's massive. I think the loyalty of the supporters throughout that period, throughout the periods of yes, the success, but then the downturn, finishing 11th and 12th in the league at the time, I think all of that adds to how important this is having won the Premiership last year after the downturn.

“It would be so big for the city, for the supporters and also for the ownership, because you've got to give credit where credit's due. Bruce and the guys have gone hell for leather trying to build a team that's successful, so it is unbelievable for them as well.”

When facing tough opposition Bath tends to fall back on the boxing kicking of Ben Spencer to challenge in the aerial battle rather than kick long.

Watson, knowing this area of the game inside out, warns, "It's a massive area of the game, especially against a Bordeaux team that, if you kick loosely, are going to punish you. So Bath are going to want to try and make sure their kicks are air on the side of short as opposed to long, so that the wingers can get up in the air and compete and try and force Bordeaux to have to defend on the back of receiving high balls.

“The aerial battle is undeniably huge. That's why the guys that we spoke about, 9, 10, (Spencer, Russel, Lucu & Jalibert), are going to be so important to this game because controlling the semi-final is so important and they'll be able to provide that.

“The thing with the aerial battle as well is that you're hoping that your scrum also are at least achieving parity because what happens on the back of a lot of aerial battles is knock-ons and therefore scrums.”

Bath’s scrum has been a great strength of theirs over the past few seasons with the addition of Thomas du Toit and others. However, their scrum, much like their performance overall, tends to build throughout the game to a crescendo, a luxury they may not have against the French champions.

“I think that a slow start against Bordeaux would probably be terminal, if I'm honest. I think that they've got too many game breakers and too many guys who once they get their tails up are just ridiculous.

“I think that's when Damien Penault, LBB. Jalibert, etc they'll grow two feet taller and the crowd will get behind the team and that adds a little 2-3%.” Watson said with the look of a man who’s won and lost similar games.

Whilst Bordeaux are a unique challenge, Bath have had good preparation facing Northampton Saints in the run up to this game. The Saints are probably the closest thing English rugby has to a Bordeaux style team who start fast and look to build momentum quickly in games.

“Johann (van Graan) spoke about how important the start was in the quarter-final against Northampton and they got it wrong that day as well. So I've no doubt he'll be on to them this week and I wouldn't be surprised if there's some form of tactical nous behind how they start the game to try and take the sting out of Bordeaux.

“Whether it is kicking to find space and just turning that back three or whether it is just a high ball fest, there'll be something in the way that Bath starts that game to make sure that Bordeaux can't get too much confidence early on”, adds Watson.

Bath will be desperate to keep a lid on the hostile crowd early and keep things tight if they are to make it to their first final since 1998.