Stuart Hooper: Bath captain sees progress within team

Bath captain Stuart Hooper says missing out on a trophy last season will inspire the team to improve this term. The Rec outfit failed to reach the Premiership play-offs after losing to Harlequins on the final day of the regular season. And they went on to lose to Northampton in the Amlin Challenge Cup final. But 32-year-old Hooper, who will skipper the side for a fourth year, said ‘We've now got the experience.’ He continued: ‘We didn't get the silverware we wanted but when you look back on it with a more analytical view, rather than an emotional one, you can see that there was huge progress. ‘We've now played knock-out rugby and we've got to a final. We've been in that situation where we've competed for trophies so it's a good mindset for the boys to be in,’ according to BBC.