PROP Henry Thomas says the Bath squad cannot afford to dwell on their mistakes after letting a second Premiership win slip through their fingers in as many weeks.
A last-gasp Harlequins try saw the Londoners snatch a 31-29 victory at the Rec last Saturday, with Bath having gone down 27-26 at Northampton Saints in similar circumstances a week earlier.
And it is the third time in the last four rounds of Premiership fixtures that Todd Blackadder’s side have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory following a 21-19 loss at Worcester Warriors back in January.
Although frustrated by the side’s lack of composure at crucial moments, Thomas says Bath must not lick their wounds for too long, particularly with reigning champions Saracens visiting the Rec on Friday night.
“It’s frustrating and disappointing. Three of the last four games in the Premiership, we have thrown away,” said Thomas.
“We have made it tough for ourselves in terms of what we want to achieve this year, but you can’t dwell on what’s gone for too long as there is always that next challenge coming up.
“Saracens are a big test and although they might have a few guys missing because of the Six Nations and it takes a bit of the star dust off their team, the guys who come in are quality players and they’ll do a similar job.
“They play in a certain way and I don’t think that is going to be any different just because they will have to make a few changes to their team.
“We’re back at home and we need to start winning.
“It’s always special playing under lights on a Friday night and it creates a real buzz in the stadium off the back of that.
“Hopefully we can feed off that and put in a performance that lays a few of the demons from the last two weekends to rest.”
Tries from Jonathan Joseph, Nathan Catt and Ross Batty, alongside 14 points from the boot of Rhys Priestland, looked to have Bath on course for victory against Quins after building up a 29-21 lead.
However, Joe Marchant and Nathan Earle scored tries in the closing stages for the visitors to see them snatch an unlikely victory.
Thomas added: “I am not going to point fingers but I think game management comes into it and a bit of inexperience in closing stages of that game.
“At the end of the day, the result was what it was because of the things we did.
“It’s a tough one to swallow but you come in on Monday and do your analysis and reflections on it and try to put it right on the training field before the next game.”
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