Bath roll over for unstoppable Tigers

England centre Mike Tindall hobbled out of a bruising 27-9 defeat by Leicester at The Rec and questioned the timing of last week's dramatic coaching shake-up at Bath.

Jon Callard left his post as head coach, and the club he had served for 13 years, after former Wallaby hooker Michael Foley - a newcomer to the high-pressurise worlds of coaching and West Country rugby - was appointed 'team director' by chief executive Andrew Brownsword.

Tindall said: 'We just came in on Tuesday, a late meeting was called and that was that. No-one knew anything about it and it was a massive shock. Even Mike Catt and John Mallett, Jon's close mates, knew nothing about it.'

For Tindall, at least, shock has given way to doubts about the wisdom of the reshuffle. He said: 'I don't think Jon should have gone when he did go. I don't think it's the right time for us.

'Michael didn't want people to think that it had been his plan to go in and get the head job. He didn't really want the title. Obviously Mr Brownsword has a different way of going about things.'

Bath's hunt for an experienced director of rugby now carries an element of urgency and Foley said: 'There are probably only a handful of people in world rugby capable of doing the job we need. Australia's Rod Macqueen would be wonderful but I think his interests now are more commercial. Graham Henry, the former Wales coach, would also fit the mould.'