TEAM director Michael Foley believes his Bath players have finally grasped the reality of their fight against relegation.

And in case any of his squad were in any doubt about that, the former Australian international has spent this week drumming the message home at a squad bonding session in Bristol.

A disastrous run of three successive defeats has dragged the Recreation Ground outfit into the thick of the survival battle alongside Harlequins and Leeds.

And defeat today at home to Northampton will deepen Bath's anxieties as the season enters its final phase.

But Foley reckons any players who might have dismissed the threat of the drop have had their eyes opened in the last few weeks.

"We have got everybody together this week and talked about the reality of our fight to stave off relegation,'' said the Wallaby World Cup winner.

"It's very important the players have a clear understanding of that and the fact that we are now looking at a six-game mini-season.

"But the guys have shown a great deal of honesty this week and that gives me great heart.''

Danny Grewcock has had his appeal against a yellow card, picked up in the defeat to Leicester this month, thrown out by a disciplinary panel.

The Bath lock had appealed against stampting but an RFU panel went against him and, having already picked up a sin-bin earlier in the season, is one more yellow card away from a likely ban.