LOCK Luke Charteris says there is no sign of a hangover from last season at Bath Rugby following his arrival over the summer.

The Wales international had much to celebrate on club duty in 2015/16, helping Racing 92 secure the Top 14 title in France as well as reaching the final of the European Champions Cup.

That was in stark contrast to what happened at Bath, however, who entered the season with plenty of promise but that went unfounded as they finished well down the table.

However, Charteris has dismissed any notion of the Bath squad feeling sorry for themselves and is excited about what they can achieve this season.

“When I first started talking to Bath it was before the end of the season before, so they were doing really well, and then after I signed they got to the final of the Premiership,” said Charteris.

“For whatever reasons, they didn’t kick on the way they wanted.

“There are always different reasons for that but it’s hard for me to say what they were as I wasn’t part of the team but certainly coming in now this year, the boys are at a very high level in training, both physically and mentally.

“It’s a good place to be, there’s a good atmosphere, a good attitude amongst the boys and no-one is really talking or dwelling on what happened last year.

“It’s just a very strong focus on going well in the Premiership this year, getting into the play-offs and ultimately, you want to be in the Champions Cup.”

Charteris is no stranger to Bath, having been to university in the city before commuting west along the M4 in his early playing days at Newport.

The six-foot 10-inch second row was always keen to return to the area with his family and the fact he has been able to do that while still playing is a bonus.

“My wife and I always said about coming back after rugby, we always wanted to live around Bath,” said Charteris.

“That was an aim from a long time ago because my wife’s parents live here and we have that support and my parents are only a couple of hours away in Wales.

“We love the area, it’s a great place for bringing up kids so when the opportunity came before I’d actually finished rugby, it was perfect. It was something that really appealed to me.”