Heineken Cup: Bath clash washed out

Bath’s Heineken Cup quarter-final clash against Llanelli was postponed at lunchtime today after torrential rain lashed the west country.

Match referee Alan Lewis carried out three inspections of a saturated Recreation Ground surface before the game was finally called off an hour and 50 minutes before the scheduled kick-off.

Surface water had settled on parts of the pitch, conditions worsening throughout the morning after Lewis’ initial 9am check.

The game has now been rescheduled for 3pm tomorrow afternoon, although whether it takes place at the Recreation Ground or not depends on a another 9am Lewis inspection in the morning.

If he rules the pitch unfit again, the onus will be on Bath as the home side to find an alternative venue.

Possible locations would be Bristol, Reading or possibly London, and officials convened a meeting this afternoon to discuss a potential alternative.

Neither the Bath nor Llanelli camps had any complaint about the postponement, although several supporters’ coaches had arrived in Bath from west Wales.

Lewis said: ‘‘We had a rainstorm at about 11.30, and there is just so much surface water on that pitch.

‘‘My ultimate concern is the players’ safety and that is what I have got to consider.

‘‘We have ultimate responsibility to the players and unfortunately all the factors weren’t in our favour today. Everyone is desperately disappointed.

‘‘You get all the build-up to big games like these they are fantastic occasions and it is just so disappointing that it cannot go ahead today, but you can’t get away from the fact that your ultimate responsibility is the players.

‘‘If someone got badly injured out there, then you would never forgive yourself,’’ Lewis added.

‘‘I will be back on the ground at 9am tomorrow and, if the pitch is fine and the weather forecast is in our favour, then we will go ahead here at 3pm.’’

Llanelli chief executive Stuart Gallacher added: ‘‘It is a great disappointment I feel so sorry for our fans, because this has been an expensive day for them.

‘‘I don’t think that the pitch was playable, but I think we could have waited until 3pm before calling it off.

‘‘Moral among our squad is fine, they are professional players, and we will just have to wait and see what happens tomorrow.

‘‘I hope that the game is played here in Bath but we will just have to wait and see.’’