Bath Preview

Three games in 7 days is never going to be easy.  Especially not at the end of a season when your key players are tiring.  And especially when your EPS players are only allowed a limited number if minutes in any week period (the Premiership defining a week as 9 days!).  So the team for the Bath match tomorrow night, postponed from the snow earlier in the year, includes some names that are almost unknown this season:

15 Barry Everitt; 14 Paul Diggin; 13 Joe Ansbro; 12 Jon Clarke; 11 Bruce Reihana; 10 Shane Geraghty; 9 Alan Dickens; 1 Regardt Dreyer; 2 Brett Sharman; 3 Brian Mujati; 4 Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe (capt); 5 James Cannon; 6 Mark Easter; 7 Neil Best; 8 Mark Hopley

Some good names there (very happy to see Digger back, he played fantastically while the capped players were off for the 6 nations, and I felt it tough on him that he got dropped), and a few more on the bench, but others that have struggled to get game time.  Overall, not a good feel about it.  Bath have named a strong side, they aren't taking risks, they want the win.  Against a Saints line-up who have no experience together.  Despite the presence of The Mooj, the front row is likely to struggle in the scrum. We won't have the set piece play.   This will be a tough match and, much as it pains me to say it, I give Bath the edge.  Predicting final score 24-13.  I will retain a get out clause however, the Shane factor, if he plays a blinder then it will turn the game on its head.