BATH'S outgoing director of rugby, Sir Ian McGeechan, admitted Sam Vesty was embarrassed over what could be his defining role in the Aviva Premiership relegation battle.

An extraordinary try-saving tackle by wing Tom Varndell, cutting down Vesty as he was waving to the crowd in premature celebration in Bath's 17-12 win at the Rec, may yet save Wasps from relegation.

The late incident which needed a TV match official ruling cost Bath a bonus point, making their outside chance of a Heineken Cup spot even more improbable.

And it means that when Newcastle meet Wasps in a do-or-die match on May 5 they must deny their opponents a bonus point and win by at least 24 points to send the Wycombe side into the Championship.

"Sam's been apologising ever since," said McGeechan, whose spell at Bath ends in a fortnight because of that failure to stay with the European elite.

"Five points today would have been very good.

"But we've got a lot of things right here - I know some people may not think that.

"Sometimes it's been the ball going the wrong side of a post which has cost us four wins."

After a poor first half, Bath cut loose after the break, scoring tries through Lee Mears, Stephen Donald and Nick Abendanon.

"We were just more accurate in the second half," McGeechan added.

"We carried with real venom, got into the phases, stayed accurate and then we were always a threat."

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