Six months ago Bath sent their kids to play a cup match against Gloucester and lost 71-10. On Saturday they went back with their first team, Charlie Ewels, Sam Underhill and Taulupe Faletau in the pack, Ben Spencer and Danny Cipriani, Jonathan Joseph and Joe Cokanasiga in the backs, and lost again, 64-0 this time, with no excuses. It was the latest indignity in a season which has been one long humiliation. They started it by losing 12 games straight, were beaten 71-17 by Saracens, 64-7 by Leinster, 61-19 by Bristol – the sort of scores that make you turn up the radio to check whether you heard them correctly.
Bath still have two games left to play, at home to London Irish and away at Worcester, who are one point above them at the bottom of the table. But whatever happens next, it already feels like the season is long beyond saving. It was finished off by the merry cries of “Eeyore!” coming from the Shed as Gloucester ran in their 10 tries. The highlights were like watching traffic bollards try to defend against the sea.
