SOMETHING that has become very apparent during my time as coach at Trowbridge has been that there seems to be quite a decline in the playing population at local level.

A glance through the league fixtures and results sees quite a number of occasions where sides have had to forfeit points to their opponents because they have been unable to field sides.

There are a lot of teams in this position and it is a real worry for rugby at our level.

I’ve heard that some senior rugby teams are considering fulfilling fixtures on a 12-a-side basis and it would be a shame if we went down that route.

In that respect, the 2015 Rugby World Cup cannot come quickly enough.

We really need it – and for northern hemisphere teams to be successful – to give the sport a boost here, as the Olympic Games did last year.

At Trowbridge, our task is to make sure we have all the necessary coaching in place to ensure that youngsters stay in the game.

You do get a natural drop-off around the age of 16, when things like exams kick in, but the hardest task is bridging the gap between colts and senior rugby.

Bath are in a winning habit at the moment and what is great to see is that they are learning to close out tight matches.

That was demonstrated by last week’s victory over Exeter.

I lost count of the number of times during my Bath career that we won games in the 79th minute.

It’s a skill and a great position to be in as a team. Bath didn’t score any tries, but what does that matter if they keep winning?

The history books won’t show that they didn’t cross the try line, but that they won the game 21-16.

The important thing was that they kept their winning run going in what is turning into a very good season.

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