The Welsh international marked his return from injury last weekend in the 33-32 victory over Sale Sharks, and was delighted to be back out in front of a home crowd at the Rec.

Faletau said: “It awesome to get the 80 minutes and come through, it just gave me the extra bit of confidence that the knee is holding up well.

“It (the Rec) is a great place to play – every time you run out it’s a packed crowd, whatever the conditions and we really appreciate the support.”

Bath Rugby will face Harlequins in the rescheduled Aviva Premiership fixture tomorrow afternoon at The Stoop, and Faletau knows that the squad can’t afford to take their foot off pedal in their quest for a place in the top four.

“It’s pretty big – every game from now until the end of the season is important for us with so many clubs in contention for the play-offs. We just need to get as many points as we possibly can and a win is what we need against Harlequins - hopefully we can do that.”

At 27, Faletau was the elder statesman in the back row against Sale, as the British & Irish Lion lined up alongside Zach Mercer and Josh Bayliss, both seven years his junior.

“It’s was bit strange – they’re playing really well, they’ve got bags of energy and that’s exactly what you need in the back row. They’ll run all day and they’re pretty special players too.”

After tomorrow’s game, attention turns to next Friday’s Anglo-Welsh Cup Semi-Final against Northampton Saints, and Faletau believes that the competition could act as a springboard for Bath’s end of season run-in.

“It’s very important, just to get that winning feeling around the Club and the group of players that we’ve got right now. Obviously the Anglo-Welsh Final is before the Premiership, but hopefully we can use that to get the confidence building around the squad and take that into the rest of the season.”

Tickets for Bath Rugby’s Anglo-Welsh Cup Semi-Final are just £5 for juniors and start at £20 for adults. To book your seat at the Rec for next Friday’s game, click here.

Faletau looking for strong finish

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