TOBY Booth expects both his current and former side to be nursing a sense of frustration when they meet at the Rec tomorrow (3pm).

While Bath’s unbeaten start to the season ended at free-scoring Saracens last weekend, London Irish threw away a winning position to fall to Exeter at home.

Coach Booth, who joined from the Exiles last summer, could at least take solace from Bath’s improved second-half display at Allianz Park, turning a 31-3 deficit into a 31-17 defeat.

He said: “That’s a positive reflection on the environment we’ve got and the culture we’ve created here and if things had gone slightly differently, I think we could have sneaked a losing bonus point there.

“One of our players said it best – we lost one half of rugby.

“The mark of a good side is the one that reacts from adversity. You don’t want to put two poor performances together.

We put 40 minutes behind us and had another 40 minutes to put it right, which we did and is great so it means we can move on quickly.’’

Booth watched Irish’s reverse against Exeter and, while the Reading-based side have been many people’s tip for the drop this season, he said: “There are no idiots in the Premiership and we need to make sure we are at our best.

“They let it slip from their grasp really and they will no doubt want to react.

“They are a team that, from a back three point of view, if you give them broken-field, they are going to be dangerous. Topsy Ojo and Marland Yarde – you’re under no doubt what they can do.’’

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