BATH first team coach Darren Edwards has admitted that it is hard not to have one eye on the return of their Premiership campaign as they prepare to take on Scarlets this evening.

Todd Blackadder’s side travel to Llanelli for their second Anglo Welsh Cup tie, having suffered a narrow 21-20 defeat at home to Leicester Tigers at The Rec last Friday.

The competition has been used by many as a chance to blood young talent into the first XV environment but, with a number of players away on international duty and a derby against Bristol on the horizon, Bath will use tonight’s contest as a chance to get everyone up to speed for that clash.

“I think we have got to have one eye now on the next set of league games,” said Edwards.

“It is important that we have a blend of a team where we are still playing our youngsters, so they continue to learn, but we are also getting our guys ready to play a week later.

“We are going to have to be clever in the way we put our team together this week.

“This is a real crucial week for us to get the blend of our selection right but also get the players out there and ready for Bristol.

“It is a huge game and a crucial time of the year when these autumn tests are on.

“It is important that the set of players keep the momentum we’ve had before our international boys run away.”

Despite taking an early lead last Friday, Bath were unable to chase down a 13-point lead Leicester had amassed shortly after the break.

However, there were parts of the performance that pleased Edwards, in particular academy product Zach Mercer.

“We are pleased with what we are seeing coming through,” he added.

“It is not only playing the game, it is preparation through the week and also asking some of those young guys, who are on the fringes, to actually go into a game and start leading others.

“The 80 minutes on the Saturday is actually the easy part, preparing and recovering and reviewing your game every week for 40 weeks, it gives them a good insight but also we can see the guys who have got that learning inside them and are going to go through.

“Seeing somebody like Zach Mercer, who has done well for us in Aviva games, but he had to be one of the leaders on the field, for his young age he was an experienced player out there.

“He really stood up and led from the front which was good to see.”

Meanwhile, Bath scrum-half Niko Matawalu has departed the club and joined Exeter Chiefs.