Get Up and Go Again...

By Devonport Boy
October 4 2023

I’m told that this phrase has been one of the cornerstones of pre-season training at Farleigh this year, aimed at embedding momentum and dynamism in all aspects of the Bath game. There was certainly plenty of that on display against Saints last Saturday from a strong Bath team running out for the first time together. Expectations were high after a brilliant first half although ultimately it turned out to be “frustration at Franklin’s” as Northampton staged a second half comeback to win by one point. Plenty for the defence coaches to work on, but similarly there’s a lot to look forward to especially when those currently playing in France come back into the mix.

So, it’s time to get up and go again for next weekend, but with a friendly scheduled for Friday evening against Edinburgh at the Hive stadium and Exeter coming to the Rec for the final round of the Premiership Cup pool games, who’s going where? Looking at the opposition, Edinburgh have played one friendly game against Connacht last week. They fielded a strong team in the first half to lead Connacht 19-7 at the break but wholesale changes in the second half lead to a 19-45 defeat. Exeter on the other hand ran out 47-10 winners at Sandy Park against London Scottish.

It says something for the work of the coaches and the strength and conditioning teams in pre-season that we are able to field two match fit squads in one weekend. I also think we can assume that JvG has done his analysis during the Premiership Cup games and knows pretty much who will be in the mix for selection for the Newcastle game on 14th October. With that in mind, I think one squad will be based on the team that played against Saints, although there may be some changes with the likes of Alfie Barbeary, Ruaridh McConnochie, and Josh McNally yet to make an appearance this season. I may be completely wrong, but I think the other squad will look very much like the one that started the Premiership Cup off with a win against the Pirates, albeit with a few more experienced players in some positions.

As a supporter we always want to see the strongest possible Bath team run out at the Rec and the indications are that we’re going to get what we would like with a strong team running out against Exeter and Andy Robinson taking a more youthful squad up to Edinburgh. On balance I think that’s right – we need to build up the momentum before Newcastle come to town next week.

I know a lot of us were sceptical about the value of the Premiership Cup format, but on the whole I think it’s worked. On one level it’s provided a great opportunity for younger players to showcase their talents, but you could also regard it as a structured pre-season competition which must have given JvG and his coaching team a good insight into how the playing strategies are developing and what changes need to be made. I’ve enjoyed watching our developing players and the Championship teams make this a strongly contested competition, although it never crossed my mind that the game against Jersey might be the last time we saw them as a team. We all feel for them and hope that a solution will be found both for them and for Championship rugby as a whole. We need them.

So a big weekend coming up. The boys are going to get up and go again and both these games will be hard, so we need to do the same, especially at the Rec.

COME ON YOU BATH.

Get Up and Go Again...Team Up!

Posted by: Comeonmylovers.co.uk (IP Logged)

Date: 04/10/2023 18:29

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2023:10:09:17:14:19 by CoochieCoo.

Re: Get Up and Go Again...

Posted by: Quel Carreleur (IP Logged)

Date: 05/10/2023 13:26

Bath vs Exeter
Saturday, 2.00

Bath Rugby XV:
15 Tom de Glanville
14 Joe Cokanasiga
13 Max Ojomoh
12 Will Butt
11 Will Muir
10 Piers Francis
09 Louis Schreuder

1 Juan Schoeman
2 Niall Annett
3 Johannes Jonker
4 Ted Hill
5 Charlie Ewels
6 Miles Reid (c)
7 Chris Cloete
8 Alfie Barbeary

Replacements: 16 Tom Dunn, 17 Beno Obano, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Fergus Lee-Warner, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Ben Spencer, 22 Orlando Bailey, 23 Jaco Coetzee

Meanwhile, Ruaridh and Max are babysitting the kids up in Edinburgh (against a much stronger looking Embra side). With Sam Harris starting at FH, and Billy Sela is (I think) due to make his debut.
Things I don't like, are Francis at FH, and why we insist on a 6:2 bench, (especially egregious with the extra backrower in the 23 shirt).

Otherwise, great to see Alfie back, and to see Miles back in his proper shirt.

A man who cannot change his mind, cannot change anything

RAEBURN SHIELD

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2023:10:05:13:30:06 by Quel Carreleur.