Cameron Redpath has acknowledged that Bath’s performance in last season’s Premiership semi-final against Exeter Chiefs fell short of their best, but he is confident the team is better prepared as they face Exeter once more this Friday night at The Rec.
Bath’s narrow 27-26 defeat to Exeter brought their title defence to an end. Reflecting on that match, Redpath said: “We were not good enough in certain areas of our game. We’ve taken a close look at ourselves, and as backs, we have to support the forwards more effectively.”
He continued: “The Premiership is incredibly competitive, with teams evolving rapidly-just as we have over the past few years. We’ll be back to fight another day.”
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Redpath, who came off the bench in Bath’s opening weekend victory over Harlequins, hopes to have a greater impact from the start against Exeter. “I want the ball more; when I’m involved, I feel at my best. I had a tricky back problem over the last 18 months, which slightly affected parts of my game, particularly my tackling, which I really enjoy. Although I was fit to play, I underestimated how much it was holding me back,” he admitted.
Asked about playing under the floodlights at The Rec on a Friday night, especially ahead of the stadium’s expansion, Redpath shared his enthusiasm. “Playing at The Rec on a Friday night is brilliant. I’ve been fortunate to play in some significant games here. Bath is an amazing city where, for that evening, all focus is on rugby.
“The support is immense-even when things aren’t going perfectly, we sell out every week. The fans, the staff at The Rec, the groundsmen-all contribute to making it a very special place. It’s definitely one of my favourite venues.”
In addition to his ambitions with Bath this season, the Scotland international plans to push for a return to international duty when the Nations Championship resumes in November. “I would love to get back into the Scotland squad. At times in your career, you need to assess yourself and recognise areas for improvement. I don’t think I played enough last season, but now I’m eager to progress and back myself. If I perform well, hopefully, I’ll earn the chance to represent Scotland again, and I’d do anything to seize that opportunity,” he said.