TOWERING lock Rob Fidler believes the combination of fear of failure and raw ambition is keeping Bath's magnificent season on the right track.

Fidler reckons the mix of experienced club campaigners and hungry new recruits has provided the perfect recipe for success.

Last Sunday's victory over Colomiers in France maintained the club's incredible form which has seen them lose just one of their 18 league and cup matches this term.

Yet the campaign has not been without problems, with the World Cup and a succession of injuries depriving them of the chance to field a full-strength three-quarter line at any stage.

The injury situation was so bad last week that wing Simon Danielli filled in at full-back and scrum-half Ross Blake was shunted on to the wing.

Yet Bath overcame that to pull out a seven-point advantage for tomorrow's second leg (2.15pm).

It's not the only example of courage amid adversity, Bath having claimed huge Zurich Premiership wins over Harlequins and Leicester earlier this season despite playing the majority of both matches with 14 men, following the sendings-off of Michael Lipman and Martyn Wood respectively.

Every hurdle placed in front of Fidler and his teammates so far, it seems, has been negotiated without fuss.

And the ex-Gloucester man admitted: "The general spirit among the squad and the staff at the club has been tremendous this season.

"It's the combination of old and new.

"I think that, after what happened here last year when they were battling against relegation, the guys do not want to be involved in that again.

"Then you have the guys who have been brought in who really want to do well.

"There have been a few times this season when we have hung in there to grind out a result.''

Fidler is expected to win a recall to the starting line-up for tomorrow's encounter, with England youngster Steve Borthwick nursing an injury to his nose after last week's first meeting.

Many considered him unlucky to lose his place following the return of club skipper Danny Grewcock from the World Cup.

A philosophical Fidler admitted: "When I signed I knew there would be hard competition with Steve and Danny here.

"If you get your chance to play, you have to do as well as you can, but you are being slightly over-enthusiastic if you think you can play every game.''

Beziers or Grenoble await the winners of Bath's tie in the quarter-finals of a competition that Bath were runners-up to Wasps in last season.

And Fidler added: "Things have been going well in this competition and we would like to think we could get somewhere handy in it.

"The French teams don't traditionally travel very well but, such is their unpredictability, we won't be taking them (Colomiers) lightly.

"French sides have a lot of pride in playing at home and they will not be happy at being beaten by us.

"They will come at us with all guns blazing and they played some good rugby and put us under a bit of pressure last week.''

Bath's backline with Danielli and Blake still in place is set to remain unchanged for tomorrow's clash.

Australian fly-half Chris Malone will come on to the bench.

In the forwards, Duncan Bell should return in place of youngster Matt Stevens at prop, with Lee Mears standing by in case hooker Jonathan Humphreys doesn't recover from a head knock.