His ire was sparked as much by the fact that Saracens could not stage this fixture today because of a ruling which states that clubs cannot include England internationals in their teams six days before a Test.That meant Bath could not play on the original date because of the raft of England players on their books. Nigel Wray, their owner, had a pop at the International Rugby Board and Twickenham in the match programme, accusing both bodies of working independently of clubs in structuring the season.But Wray feels that the “unreasonable” approach adopted by the game’s ruling bodies will eventually cost them. Jackson, from Waikato, looks a slippery fly-half and his arrival midway through the second half galvanised his side.It was a match littered with errors but fiery enough to entertain, with Saracens on the attack even before the kick-off. The two new signings, Saracens’ Glen Jackson and Bath’s Frikkie Welsh, impressed on debut and both scored tries, Welsh two. And it was bitter – the “home” captain Hugh Vyvyan was a picture of anguish when, with his men pressing hard, the referee blew for full-time.But there is hope for the future, whether here or at Vicarage Road.

Bath had not won at Franklin’s Gardens since 2000 and while they still have to beat Northampton here, at least they have broken that run. But it was close.
Saracens were unable to muster much support for this hastily rearranged fixture, but they gave their loyal followers in the 3,595 crowd a treat, fighting to the bitter end. The Welsh and Scots teams they have vanquished have been similar to the Irish in their mix of playing levels, but the England side are composed of full-time professionalsearmarked as potential Great Britain internationals.An Irish victory would be a huge shock, but Powell is adamant about one thing. “They won’t be able to quell our spirit, because that’s the best I’ve ever come across anywhere. All we can do is play the very best we can and, if you do that, things can happen.”I still love coaching and I think I’ve a lot to offer coaching and that I get a pretty good response from players.”.

“They have all played rugby union, so they understand the principles. These days, good athletes can come from anywhere and we have to go out and find them. There’s certainly an untapped reservoir in Ireland.”Powell is not deluding himself about the step up that will be required today. Only Barrie McDermott and the Salford pair of Stuart Littler and Karl Fitzpatrick are regular Super League players.