Blackadder backs Bath to bounce back

Bath boss Todd Blackadder has backed his side to bounce back from Sunday's Challenge Cup semi-final loss to Stade Français and feels he can still build a "great" European team.

Bath suffered a 28-25 defeat to the Top 14 outfit, after holding a 25-18 lead at one stage in the second half, but despite finishing on the losing side, Blackadder was optimistic after the match when asked if he feels his side could become a "great" European power.

"We can, we've just got to get some depth in our squad in order to achieve that," he told the Bath Chronicle. 

"We've got to get some more consistency in doing our simple things really well.

"We've got to nail the opportunities when they come along. That's the difference from where we're at and being a really great side."

Blackadder was unhappy with his side's first-half performance especially at the breakdowns and they did well to fight back from an 11-6 deficit at half-time to lead 25-18 late in the second half.

They failed to close out the game, however, and Stade booked their place in the final thanks to a converted Hugh Pyle try and a Jules Plisson drop goal in the game's closing stages.

"I thought we had it there," admitted Blackadder. 

"To lose it the way we did was really disappointing.

"I was so disappointed that they broke down that left edge and there was a missed tackle (Watson on Camara).

"We just can't afford to have those lapses. You've got to make those tackles, you just have to."

"We then compounded that by chasing the game with that short kick-off, which let them back in.

"Even at the end, we had a chance to score a try. We had a two-on-one and should have scored that, but we didn't and that's often the difference in these really big games.

"A lot of work goes into getting these opportunities and when you don't take them you've got to be disappointed.

"I'm really disappointed, but I'm really proud of the guys to have dug deep and got us back into that game."