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Bath owner Bruce Craig requests that the Toulouse match be replayed

20 Oct 2018

Fly-half Freddie Burns after Bath’s defeat to Toulouse

Bath Rugby owner Bruce Craig has written to the ECPR to request that last weekend’s Heineken Champions Cup game against Toulouse be replayed.

The match will be remembered for fullback Freddie Burns late blunder under the posts but Craig believes that his side were let down by officiating at The Rec.

“I think the game should be replayed,” Craig told The Times, “and we will do what we can to get equity.”

Craig believes that the ref blew the final whistle several seconds too early, which stopped Bath from taking a crucial lineout which could have led to them losing the match.

Craig also believes that Jerome Kaino and Lucas Pointud should have been red carded during the game. Both players were cited and subsequently banned this week.

Bath owner Bruce Craig's calls for a replay have raised a few eyebrows 👀
Healey: "That's a stupid statement to make."
Warburton: "It's never gonna happen."
❌❌❌ pic.twitter.com/1g07OTU7KZ
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) October 19, 2018

“This is the European Cup, there are massive sporting and financial implications,” Craig told The Times. “Bath have been majorly disadvantaged.

“This isn’t sour grapes, because maybe we wouldn’t have won the game, but that is not the issue.”

Bath owner Bruce Craig wants his side's Heineken Champions Cup clash with Toulouse replayed 👀
•Final whistle blown seconds too early
•Two sin-binned players opposition retrospectively banned
What do you think? Is that enough to warrant a replay? pic.twitter.com/75SRgMMNif
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) October 19, 2018

In May Craig criticised the RFU and the team England after a number of their players were injured during training camps.

At the time, Craig said: “The level of injuries in these training camps is totally unacceptable. What is going on in the camp?

“There is obviously an issue because of the number of injuries. There has got to be significant questions asked about duty of care.

“At Bath, we’re not having cruciate ligament injuries in training. I am unsure of whether the players are not being taken to levels that are unacceptable.”

“These are totally unacceptable injuries,” Craig said, “and it is the nature of them too, these are serious long-term injuries.”

Meanwhile Joe Cokanasiga returns to the Bath Rugby starting line-up side to face Wasps in the second round of the Heineken Champions Cup today at the Ricoh Arena.

Cokanasiga starts on the left wing with Semesa Rokoduguni on the other flank and Darren Atkins moving to full-back to complete the back three. Jackson Willison continues at outside centre and will be joined in the midfield by Max Wright, who came on as a replacement last weekend against Toulouse. Will Chudley makes his competitive debut for the Club, as the scrum-half links up with Freddie Burns in the half-back pairing.

Jack Walker comes in at hooker, with Nathan Catt and Henry Thomas taking their places at loosehead and tighthead prop respectively. Dave Attwood and Charlie Ewels form the second row combination, whilst there is an unchanged back row for the trip to Coventry. Tom Ellis and Francois Louw remain at six and seven, with Zach Mercer completing the pack.

Ross Batty marks his return to the first team squad, with the hooker is named among the replacements for the European clash.

Tom Dunn, Rhys Priestland and Jamie Roberts are all unavailable for selection for this tomorrow’s game. Dunn has sustained a small fracture to his right eye and is expected to be out for three-four weeks. Priestland sustained knee ligament damage during last weekend’s game and is likely to be sidelined for six-eight weeks. Roberts underwent return to play protocols after being knocked out against Toulouse, but has not recovered in time to take his place in the squad.