Bath’s glorious rugby past is so detached from the present that it feels ancient
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.