Match Preview: Bath to Repel Chiefs War Band

The pressure never eases when you have championship aspirations. Bath enter the last 3 months of the season smarting from a home loss to Saracens, but with a realistic chance of success in all 3 competitions.

Having had their game plan thwarted by the blitz defence, experience and opportunism of Sarries, the players will welcome an opportunity restore their reputation for enterprising and winning rugby. To do so they will need to deal with two significant obstacles: the form of visitors Exeter Chiefs and international call ups.

Exeter got their first Premiership win in 6 matches against Irish last weekend, ending a frustrating spell in which they have played some great high tempo rugby but came away with only 2 losing bonus points from 5 games. This weekend they will have added motivation to win. Their league position suggests the LV Cup as their only viable route to European rugby next season; they have yet to beat Bath in any competition since 1978, yet they have outscored Bath on tries in the past 2 encounters –losing by a total of 9 points. To add to all of that, their home at Sandy Park is the venue for the final on Sunday 16 March.

As England play Wales this Saturday, Bath must face a fired up Chiefs war party without 3 key forwards: Paul James, Davey Wilson and Dave Attwood. George Ford could also be required and Bath’s coaches will hope that Stuart Lancaster decides on his 23 early in the week as he has before. Exeter will also lose key men to England. Jack Nowell has got a lot of the media attention, but the busily dynamic and increasingly influential Tom Johnson could be the bigger loss to the Chiefs if called on by his country.

With most rounds of the competition, including the final, played on international weekends, it is used by most clubs as a proving ground for developing players. This though, is a semi-final for 2 teams eager for silverware so we can expect strong line-ups from both clubs – perhaps as strong as injury and international commitments allow. Bath will be regretting the absence of Rob Webber, Carl Fearns and Jonathon Joseph & hoping for a clean bill of health for Matt Garvey.

Whatever the selections, this looks likely to be a stirring contest. Exeter’s brand of play is winning admirers and causing anxiety among opponents. In search of their chance of glory they are unlikely to depart from Rob Baxter’s usual high tempo, fluid game plan. Bath, who have scrummaged several sides into submission have found implacable resistance at the scrum from Exeter in the AP matches so far. I expect them still to try to turn the screw at first phase by hard scrimmaging and driven mauls from the lineout. Eastmond, Devoto, Watson & Abendanon will be looking to find the gaps which Saracens denied them on Friday.

In a close match up the two packs may well cancel each other out. Bath have a little bit extra behind the scrum which was just enough to win the mid February humdinger. More of the same please Bath.

Possible Bath Team: Catt, Batty, Perenise, Hooper, Day, Garvey, Louw, Houston, Stringer, Heathcote, Rokoduguni , Devoto, Eastmond, Watson. Abendanon Bench: Palma Newport, Guinazou, Orlandi, Caldwell, Mercer, Young, Henson, Banahan

Possible Exeter Team: Moon, Cowan-Dickie, Tui; Mumm (capt), Welch; Horstmann, White, Ewers.Lewis, Steenson, James, Dolman, Whitten, Jess, Arscott Bench: Rimmer, Yeandle, Brown, Armand, Scaysbrook, Thomas, Slade, Vainikolo