MATT Garvey watched the LV= Cup triumph over Leicester last week from the comfort of his sofa – but the back row ace knows even those left on the sidelines are crucial to Bath’s success this season.

While the 26 year old was given the night off as his teammates went about their winning business at Welford Road, Garvey was content in the knowledge that he had helped plot the taming of the Tigers.

The former London Irish man is in a constant battle to earn a place in Bath’s highly-competitive back row area – competition he reckons is merely driving up standards.

“What’s good about this club is that the boys who get told they’re not involved; they’re the ones that make us play better at the weekend.

“The guys wearing the yellow bibs in the training week do whatever the team’s we’re facing is going to play like and they come hard at us.

“It makes us better because we know what’s going to come and when the tables turn, it might be disheartening, but you’ve got a responsibility to push for the other guy’s shirt.

“We do awards like ‘man of the match’ and ‘defender of the week’ but we’ve also got ‘attitude of the week’ and that tends to go to the players that are not involved.

“Guy Mercer, Wlil Skuse or any of the boys that are pushing me, train as hard as I do and push me to be better and when I’m not involved, it’s my responsibility to do the same for them.

“It’s a respect thing and we’re very good at it.’’

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