Bath head coach Steve Meehan has admitted that the drug scandal that hit the club earlier in the year has affected his team's form this campaign.

Bath have won just twice all season and suffered a desperate 16-0 home defeat to London Irish at the weekend.

"We came into this season with a few things happening in the background," Meehan told BBC Points West.

"And the complications of that ran deeper than any of us were prepared to admit or really understand."

During the second half of last season Bath lost Matt Stevens, Justin Harrison, Michael Lipman, Alex Crockett and Andrew Higgins - all to drugs-related issues.

Meehan acknowledges these last few months have been one of the toughest periods he has ever faced as a coach and it is a worrying time for everyone at the club.

"I don't know if you could get any more concerned than we are at the moment," he said.

"We're concerned because we're letting ourselves down and our supporters down and not playing the sort of rugby we're capable of."

"I don't know if you could get any more concerned than we are at the moment Steve Meehan

Bath have tried to remain loyal to their flowing brand of rugby but Meehan admits that the side have struggled to adapt to new rule changes and situations on the field this season.

"We've probably tried to run the ball more than the majority of sides in the Premiership and it hasn't worked for us so far," he said.

"On the weekend there was a state of confusion on whether to kick the ball or run the ball and we have to identify when to do those things better.

"It's not just about me saying to the players 'you must do this and you must do that '.

"We put a framework in place and the players have the opportunity to make the decisions on the field and we're trying to improve how we operate in all those circumstances."

But the Queenslander is still upbeat despite Bath languishing second-bottom in the Premiership.

"The immediate plan is to drag ourselves out of the current situation and you can only do that by being positive and enjoying yourselves," added Meehan.

"There's an old saying 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.'

"It is a testing moment but where would we be without our tests?"

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