BATH coach Michael Foley has conceded his relegation-haunted team must show a huge improvement to have any chance of beating Wasps in their critical final Premiership game on Sunday.

Bath, just four points above bottom club Leeds in 11th place and having played a game more than the Tykes, were blitzed 68-12 by West Country rivals Gloucester at Kingsholm on Saturday.

It was Bath's record league defeat, eclipsing their 48-9 loss against Premiership champions Leicester earlier this season.

And it now means that should Bath lose against Wasps and Leeds win at least one of their remaining two fixtures against Sale and Gloucester, then the six-time English champions and 1998 Heineken Cup winners could be relegated.

English rugby chiefs have yet to sanction Rotherham's promotion as National League One champions but, either way, Bath face an anxious week.

Australian Foley saw his injury-hit team concede nine tries and he said: "If we play like we have in the past two weeks, then we've got no chance of beating Wasps."

"The young guys got distracted by seeing the scoreboard ticking over at such a rate but the young players who came in did well and have given us a base for next season.

"Ideally, we need the close season now in order to change some personnel and get some new players in.

"I've now got to go and reassure some of the young guys that their performances were good, and also tell some of the experienced players that theirs wasn't good enough."