Bath vs Saracens

[Puja]

Bath Rugby team to face Saracens


15. Anthony Watson

14. Semesa Rokoduguni

13. Jonathan Joseph

12. Max Clark

11. Matt Banahan

10. Rhys Priestland

9. Chris Cook

1. Beno Obano

2. Tom Dunn

3. Anthony Perenise

4. Luke Charteris

5. Elliott Stooke

6. Matt Garvey (capt)

7. Francois Louw

8. Taulupe Faletau


Replacements:

16. Jack Walker

17. Nick Auterac

18. Scott Andrews

19. James Phillips

20. Paul Grant

21. Kahn Fotuali’i

22. Freddie Burns

23. Ben Tapuai

[Puja]

Saracens team to face Bath

15 Alex Goode (232)
14 Nathan Earle (20)
13 Duncan Taylor (103)
12 Brad Barritt (c) (196)
11 Chris Wyles (227)
10 Alex Lozowski (32)
9 Richard Wigglesworth (187)

1 Richard Barrington (109)
2 Schalk Brits (206)
3 Vincent Koch (17)
4 Dominic Day (1)
5 Maro Itoje (76)
6 Michael Rhodes (57)
7 Schalk Burger (27)
8 Jackson Wray (174)

Replacements

16 Christopher Tolofua (0)
17 Mako Vunipola
18 Juan Figallo (59)
19 Nick Isiekwe (7)
20 Ben Earl (4)
21 Ben Spencer (101)
22 Owen Farrell (152)
23 Liam Williams (0)

[Puja]

No Underhill for Bath and he's not on their list of "Not Available For Selection." What's that about?

Itoje back at lock, tf. Good to see Earl on the bench for Sarries; hopefully he'll get a good run.

Puja

[Banquo]

Decent array of 10's there....

[Which Tyler]

Could simply be a case of sending out a message that you won't be dropped if you play well.
Basically everyone had a good game at Leicester, so they all get another chance this week (except KPN with his rutptured achilles)

Of course, it could also be that he's "fit enough to play" but not 100%; so let's not risk it.


Who the hell is Scott Andrews though?
ETA: Apparently 13 caps for Wales...

[Puja]

Who the hell is Scott Andrews though?
ETA: Apparently 13 caps for Wales...

Loan signing from Briz this week.

Puja

[Which Tyler]

Didn't know Bristol had moved 40 miles Westwards.

https://www.bathrugby.com/news/andrews- ... y-on-loan/

[Numbers]

Could simply be a case of sending out a message that you won't be dropped if you play well.
Basically everyone had a good game at Leicester, so they all get another chance this week (except KPN with his rutptured achilles)

Of course, it could also be that he's "fit enough to play" but not 100%; so let's not risk it.


Who the hell is Scott Andrews though?
ETA: Apparently 13 caps for Wales...

An average tighthead who plays for Cardiff Blues or did.

[fivepointer]

Game of the round for me. Saracens looked ominously good last week and I was impressed with how Bath played.

Ben Earl is a terrific young player and one to keep an eye on.

[Puja]

Didn't know Bristol had moved 40 miles Westwards.

https://www.bathrugby.com/news/andrews- ... y-on-loan/

Oops. Could have sworn he'd been at Bristol.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Itoje bring played again. Seems strange. Has Jones earmarked him for a rest during the AI's or is the proof he's indestructible.
Can only see one winner here - Sarries. The difference in quality of the forwards on the bench is just silly.

[Gloskarlos]

I'll be watching this one, looks tasty. Torn between wanting Bath to win to show that Sarries are beatable, but at the same time can't bring myself to want Bath to do well (unless they are up against Welsh opposition, then different rules apply)

I'll hope for a high scoring and entertaining draw.

[Banquo]

Itoje bring played again. Seems strange. Has Jones earmarked him for a rest during the AI's or is the proof he's indestructible.
Can only see one winner here - Sarries. The difference in quality of the forwards on the bench is just silly.

frickin nuts keeping Itoje going...

[Puja]

Itoje bring played again. Seems strange. Has Jones earmarked him for a rest during the AI's or is the proof he's indestructible.
Can only see one winner here - Sarries. The difference in quality of the forwards on the bench is just silly.

frickin nuts keeping Itoje going...

In vague mitigation, he did get a nice 6 week break last season with his hand injury, so he's not as flattened as the likes of Vunipola. I expect him to be played until both Vunipolas and Farrell are back and then to be given a couple of weeks off - I trust Sarries to be sensible.

Puja

[Banquo]

Itoje bring played again. Seems strange. Has Jones earmarked him for a rest during the AI's or is the proof he's indestructible.
Can only see one winner here - Sarries. The difference in quality of the forwards on the bench is just silly.

frickin nuts keeping Itoje going...

In vague mitigation, he did get a nice 6 week break last season with his hand injury, so he's not as flattened as the likes of Vunipola. I expect him to be played until both Vunipolas and Farrell are back and then to be given a couple of weeks off - I trust Sarries to be sensible.

Puja

..hmmm..

[Numbers]

Itoje bring played again. Seems strange. Has Jones earmarked him for a rest during the AI's or is the proof he's indestructible.
Can only see one winner here - Sarries. The difference in quality of the forwards on the bench is just silly.

At least they are playing him in the correct position this week.

[Timbo]

The thing about that Bath pack is it's full of very niggly, hard bastards. Garvey and Charteris, when on form, are two of the most destructive forwards in the league. Stooke is in a similar mould. Louw is always a menace around the breakdown. Then they've got Dunn and Faletau who have insane workrates...

When they have something close to their best pack out Bath are a pain in the arse to play against. Their problem is just the constant injuries over the last 12 months.

[kk67]

Decent array of 10's there....

Agreed. Not a bad array of frontrow as well.

[Scrumhead]

No Underhill for Bath and he's not on their list of "Not Available For Selection." What's that about?

Itoje back at lock, tf. Good to see Earl on the bench for Sarries; hopefully he'll get a good run.

Puja

I hope Earl gets a run off the bench. It's a fairly big game against an experienced Bath back row so you'd imagine they'll need some energy off the bench at some point.

[twitchy]

Some one make a clip of watson at about the 10 min mark when they watch this back.

[Which Tyler]

The uniqueness of him wearing a shirt with 15 written on it?

It got me proper excited

[twitchy]

Top quality from bath.

[Which Tyler]

Fantastic patience by Bath there, switching the point of attack before Louw goes in in the corner.

Whoever called for JJ to cut in rather go right with Roko - great call

[Which Tyler]

Hmmm, making Mr Brits annoyed might just bitenus on the arse

[Oakboy]

Why did Brits stay kneeling up in the way? Had he got flat it would have been different.