Ep 207 - 'Feisty one you are!' The derby does not disappoint as Bears battle hard but Bath are a bit better

Bears Beyond The Gate

It was a derby day to remember and although it didn't go our way for us, the effort was there.

Pete, Lee and Miles ‘deep dive’ into the heated clash with them down the road, where the Bears battled hard, created big moments, but ultimately found that Bath were just that little bit better on the day.

🔥 Key Talking Points:

• Early impact & momentum:

From the off, the Bears looked fired up: a charge-down leading to a try inside a minute set the tone. That fast start put Bath on notice, yet despite that spark, the boys found themselves under pressure as the first half progressed, with Bath creeping into the ascendancy. Was the Ben Spencer “not looked at deliberate knock on” a turning point?

• Defence showing heart:

The Bears defended really well when they needed to. Two Bath tries were disallowed thanks to our pressure and scrambled defence and even if the final scoreboard didn’t ultimately reflect it, the character was there.

• Bench depth & injuries exposed

With many first-choice names missing, the squad felt the effects. The Bears’ bench couldn’t quite match Bath’s firepower and depth and the gap that showed.
The hosts executed late and we paid for the small moments that went against us.

• Refereeing & derby tension

Derby matches bring emotion and this one was no exception. The officiating was under the microscope — scrums, scuffles, yellows, and debate. We consider whether the match officials were the right choice for this much-heated affair, whilst at the same time recognising that it can be a thankless task.

🤔 Looking ahead: can we build from this?

Yes, the result stings. But there is more to this performance than just the score. The Bears showed fight, structure and signs of promise. The focus now is to turn this into consistency.

🎖 Player of the Week:

Our pick: Matías Moroni — despite travel and squad changes, he produced several big plays and gave the Bears something to build on. Stay tuned for his full ratings in the episode.

🗣 Listener shout-outs:

Massive thanks to all the fans who weighed in but our top three contributions this week were:

• “Defence was incredible… Worsley more than held his own versus the overrated Russell.” — Morgan
• “Bears battled. Bath better.” — Huge Swede
• “You’ll get top 8. Fair Play’ - Tony Sarsby (a Bath fan)

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✅ Final Word:

A valiant effort, full of heart, grit and individuality, but at the final whistle, Bath came out on top. If the Bears can keep the intensity shown here, tighten up when it matters, and improve depth, then this performance won’t feel like just a defeat but rather a stepping stone.

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