Bath look to end travel sickness

Bath head coach Steve Meehan accepts his team need to "improve habits on the road" as they target an unlikely [more]

Lions Australia Tour 2013

Bath head coach Steve Meehan accepts his team need to "improve habits on the road" as they target an unlikely

emiership win at leaders Leicester on Saturday.

The west country club have failed to notch a league victory on their travels this season, which does not auger well for an appointment with Tigers at Welford Road.

Bath, though, have only lost once in their last four away games against Leicester in all competitions.

Meehan said: "What we are looking for is a good performance away from home, and an 80-minute performance.

"It has been suggested to me Leicester is ideal for that as it brings out the best in most English teams.

"Our last away performance (against Worcester) wasn’t where it should have been, and we just need to improve our habits on the road.

"Any trip to Welford Road is a good trip to make. It brings the best out in a lot of players, so they will be up for it."

Leicester, firmly on course for a home game in the play-off semi-finals, have seen their advantage over second-placed Gloucester cut to three points.

Tigers were deducted one point by England Rugby Limited for fielding one of their players who was temporarily registered with another club.

Fly-half Ian Humphreys played for Leicester on November 18 and 26 while he was registered as being on-loan to National League One title contenders Leeds Tykes, and therefore ineligible under Premiership regulations.

Worcester will climb off the foot of the Premiership if they beat Sixways visitors Newcastle tonight, although the Warriors go into battle without injured skipper Pat Sanderson.

England international Sanderson has undergone surgery on his broken hand, but is expected to return against Bristol at the Memorial Stadium on April 7.

Scrum-half Matt Powell continues as skipper in a Worcester team unchanged following an away win against champions Sale Sharks last Friday night.

Newcastle also find themselves among the Premiership’s bottom third, and they will travel without England trio Toby Flood, Mathew Tait and Jamie Noon, plus an injured Jonny Wilkinson.

Falcons rugby director John Fletcher said: "This is a huge match for both clubs.

"One of five teams will go down this season and we are both among that five, so the importance of the game is obvious.

"Worcester are in a decent run of form with two wins in their last two games, and playing good rugby to boot.

"Their league position doesn’t do justice to the quality they have in their squad, and we are certainly not underestimating them."

Elsewhere on Saturday, Gloucester will look to take advantage of any Leicester slip-up against Bath by seeing off Kingsholm visitors Harlequins, while relegation-threatened Northampton host fellow strugglers Sale Sharks.

Sunday’s Premiership action takes Wasps to London Irish, where a bumper five-figure crowd is guaranteed, with play-off contenders Saracens hosting Bristol, who have not recorded a league win since edging past Newcastle a month ago.

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