Bath's Olly Barkley emerges from dark times hoping to inspire victory over Leinster in Heineken Cup, the Daily Telegraph's Mick Cleary reports.
"The manicured 140 acres, the landscaped gardens, the 17th century restored manor house, the hi-tech 3G pitch, the purpose-built gymnasium, Bath’s sumptuous headquarters at Farleigh House seemingly has it all, save for one thing: the kick-up-the-backside facility. The millions invested by owner Bruce Craig allied to the shrewd input of Sir Ian McGeechan have yet to bring tangible yield.
"On Sunday, defending Heineken Cup champions Leinster come to the Recreation Ground, the ground as brimful as it has been for three years with not a ticket to be had. Yet the locals are half-enthralled, half-fearful.
"Their team are maddeningly inconsistent. If they stumble as they did last weekend against Sale, throwing away a significant half-time advantage to lose at home, then it could get very messy. For all Bath’s riches and resources, the glory years are a memory rather than a prospect.
“We’re probably not deserving at the moment of what we have here,” said Olly Barkley, as frank as ever, admitting also that he was still some way short of match fitness after an eight month lay-off with a broken leg."
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