MORE OF THE SAME PLEASE: BATH V QUINS

Hill: return?
By Rokobilly
March 28 2025

Should this season end as all of us hope it does, there will undoubtedly be moments we remember with a smile—those key turning points that truly mattered. Small passages of play that gain significance as the season's narrative unfolds.One of those should be François van Wyk's try at The Stoop back in mid-October, before the clocks went back. With a quarter of the game to go, Quins led by 10 and looked in control. A du Toit try got us back within a score, but it was van Wyk's short-range drive in the left-hand corner with two minutes to go that sealed the points.

It was Game 5 of the league season—the difference between Bath being (if you'll forgive the American phrasing) 4-1 rather than 3-2. We went on to smash Sale a week later and entered the Autumn International break top of the table. Five months later, we are still there.

Van Wyk's try felt important at the time. It sealed a third away win from three, for one thing. More importantly, it suggested we could win the arm wrestles—the tight games when we weren’t at our best. None of our first four games had gone to the wire. Perhaps, we mused, the 24-25 vintage Bath had added a bit of extra steel.

Looking back, that first Quins game revealed a theme we've seen time and again this season—not least last Sunday against Gloucester: the 6-2 split and the Bath Bomb. At The Stoop, van Wyk, du Toit, Annett, Hill, and Ewan Richards all arrived on or around the critical hour mark to turn the tide. Quins may have started fastest, but our now-characteristic second-half dominance was already on show.

Quins will need no reminder of that second-half strength. Several of the players they are likely to field on Saturday were at The Rec for the Premiership Cup Quarter Final a month ago, where they were swept away after they had made another fast start. It will be interesting to see how they manage their 23 this time. Bath’s bench strength is no secret, and doubtless opposition coaches are plotting ways to counteract it.

Whatever their approach, Quins won’t lack motivation. Sitting fourth in the league, they are a win behind Tigers in third and just ahead of Glaws, Sale, and Sarries. The playoffs are very much within reach if they finish the season strongly. An impressive away win at Sarries last week was a great start to the run-in.

Quins also have the small matter of a European Champions Cup knockout tie at Saracens next week. Beating Leinster in Dublin is unlikely, but they will surely want to give themselves a shot. Will that impact their selection this week?

Whatever their selection strategy, I expect we'll see Marcus Smith back after a week in the sun. With every passing week, the opportunities to audition for Lions shirts decrease, and he will relish the chance to go head-to-head with Finn.

And what of Bath? More of the same, please.

It speaks volumes about our progress that a comfortable six-try beating of our oldest local rivals was described by many as "satisfactory but a little ring rusty post-Six Nations." Not long ago, we would have given anything just to beat Gloucester 3-0, let alone 42-26.

Another bonus-point win would put us very close to guaranteeing a Top 4 spot and within sight of the Top 2. To that end, I expect more rotation against Pau the following week and a full-strength team for Quins. A few tweaks, perhaps—Underhill and Hill to start? Butt in for Redpath? Sela on the bench instead of Stuart?

One thing I hope has been discussed this week is not giving Quins too much ball in broken play or off poor kicks. Like Bristol and Gloucester, they have the skill set to score from deep and rack up tries quickly. If we have an Achilles’ heel this year, it’s our ability to defend when teams cut loose and we lose our shape. Exhibit A: Bristol at The Rec. Exhibit B: the first half last Sunday.

Rugby, for all its laws, is a simple game at heart, and JVG’s power-based approach reflects that. If we play to our strengths and keep our discipline, we should be just fine.

Let’s hope for another one of those moments to look back on with a smile come season’s end.

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

Date: 28/03/2025 07:05

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:04:02:10:09:18 by CoochieCoo.