Bath Replacements Aim To Emulate Premiership Stars

By Glen Leat
December 5 2003

Bath travel to Italy to play in their first European match of the season against L'Aquila with this game providing coach John Connolly with a marvellous opportunity to rest his battle weary Premiership wonders and welcome back Iain Balshaw and Danny Grewcock for their first starts of the season.

This game also provides the opportunity to let a group of supporting players have a full run out instead of warming the bench for the first hour of each game and introduces James Hudson and Chris Goodman in to (almost) the big time. I am beginning to feel my age now because young Goodman started his rugby career in the same mini side as my boy "The Rickster" (as he is known by my old ERE partner Clive Banks). Chris Goodman looked the part when just a child, with great strength, super ball handling skills and a footballing brain beyond his years. Whereas so many lads drop out of rugby as they find other interests during their early and mid teens it is good to see one player reaping the rewards of sticking with it. It's about time we had another Jerry Guscott rising up through the Bath mini ranks and hopefully Chris will fit the bill.

Bath won't be treating this game as a training run out, they are far too professional for that, but facing a team that is currently just eighth in the Italian Super Ten Championship should not pose too many problems. Mind you Alex Ferguson probably thought the same before his second string line up was beaten 2-0 by West Brom in the Carling Cup on Wednesday night! Instead Bath will be aiming to emulate Arsenal who beat a full strength Wolves 5-1 with their second string team.

As John Connolly told the Official Bath Rugby website, “We will be going out there determined to win. The key is to produce a performance that we can be proud of. This is a big game for the likes of David Barnes and Ross Blake who are all pushing hard for a regular starting place, whilst for young Chris Goodman and James Hudson this game will provide an ideal stepping-stone from second team rugby.”

It's also likely to big a big week-end for the many travelling Bath supporters and two of Bath's finest, Penny and Kelvin Brunton flew out early to secure bragging rights in a local Irish bar, Jaysons, and are hoping that the air will be turned blue, black and white with the voices of other Bath fans. If you are lucky enough to be in Italy this week-end why not join Penny and Kelvin in Jaysons before the match?

As for the result? It has to be Bath by a clear 20 points.

Bath Team

15 Matt Perry, 14 Iain Balshaw, 13 Kevin Maggs, 12 Alex Crockett, 11 Simon Danielli, 10 Olly Barkley, 9 Ross Blake, 1 David Barnes, 2 Lee Mears, 3 Matt Stevens, 4 James Hudson, 5 Danny Grewcock, 6 Scott Gray, 7 James Scaysbrook,8 Chris Goodman.

Reps: Rob Hawkins, David Flatman, Steve Borthwick, Andy Beattie