TOBY Booth admits Bath Rugby will have to be on their mettle if they are to make a much-needed return to winning ways against Sale Sharks tonight.

Bath are in the midst of the most difficult spell of their season and have lost their last fourth fixtures in all competitions.

That form has seem them fall down the Aviva Premiership table and they are outside the end-of-season play-off places for the first time this season, lying in fifth.

However, so tight is the competition this season that a single point separates second-place Saracens from Leicester Tigers in sixth, meaning victory over Sale at The Rec could be vital to their chances of making the Premiership semi-finals.

First-team coach Booth said: “Sale are a difficult side to beat. They make life tough for you and are extremely competitive at the breakdown.

“We’ve got to counter that and it’s a case of not being spooked by the pressure they put you under.

“They’ve got a lot of threats and we’ll have to be on our game. But most importantly it’s about what we do. If we have control over our own play then that’s going to give us the best chance of success.

“Although we understand why people talk about the league table we have to ignore it. We just have to focus on the next challenge that’s ahead of us and that’s Sale.”

Henry Thomas is available again having been on the bench for England in their Six Nations defeat away to Ireland last weekend but the rest of the Bath squad involved at the Aviva Stadium have been retained in the Red Rose camp by Stuart Lancaster.

Wales international prop Paul James is definitely out this weekend and also will miss the rest of the Six Nations after suffering a fractured thumb in their win over Wales.

Bath were beaten 16-6 away at West County rivals Exeter Chiefs last Saturday but Booth thinks that has been the brightest point in a tough month.

“I think it was our best performance in the last few weeks and there were positives for us to take forward,” added Booth.

“The competition is so tough it’s near impossible to be at your very, very best every week. Although we’re disappointed with the last few results with one more bonus point we’d be second in the league.”