Taulupe Faletau hailed after impressive comeback

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Bath director of rugby Stuart Hooper was pleased with the performance of returning number eight Taulupe Faletau after their 16-14 win over Sale.

The Wales number eight emerged unscathed from his first 80 minutes of the season, just in time to mount a challenge for a Six Nations place under new national coach Wayne Pivac.

After their second victory in as many weekends, Bath move into serious play-off contention, with Hooper thrilled with the team and in particular Faletau after his comeback.

“He is pleased he has got through it,” Hooper said. “Credit to him for the work he has put in and to our medical team.

“I was watching him closely and thinking, ‘When do we bring him off?’ But he was going really well and had some big moments at the end of the game which you would expect from a player of his quality.”

Hooper’s men, whose Champions Cup hopes are over for the season following a poor run of pool results, got the job done at the Rec as their focus is now solely on the Premiership.

“I thought we found ways to pressure them, kick points and ultimately come away with the four points,” he said. “It sharpens our focus going into Gloucester.

“Europe was going to be a tough competition for us. It was a realisation of where we are. The Premiership is our single focus (now) and we believe that, on any single day, we can beat anyone in the Premiership but we have to play really well to do that.

“Having a single focus is big for us and we go to Gloucester with that single focus. It is not a turning point (beating Sale) but it is an opportunity for us to push hard in the Premiership.”

Sale director of rugby Steve Diamond was not as satisfied with Saturday’s events, and was adamant that referee Craig Maxwell-Keys should have given his side a penalty six minutes from time when, he claimed, Bath’s Tom Dunn made an illegal tackle on England flanker Tom Curry.

Diamond said: “Tom Curry, who is a world-class player, has had a no-arms tackle but I need to have a look at that.

“Those decisions are really crucial. The wins and losses are decided on that one decision.

“With those decisions, you have to be rock sure and I wonder why he did not consult his TMO.”

As for the game, Diamond said: “Fair play to Bath, they had their 16th man out there (the crowd) but well done to them.

“I don’t know where we are going in the league because we have a dominant scrum and South Africa proved in the World Cup final that, if you have a dominant scrum, you win games.

“But ours isn’t getting anything. There is no point in coaching players and getting them to this standard if they are never going to get any ascendancy. That is really disappointing.”

Diamond insisted, however: “We are in a good place, definitely.”

Bath