Can L'Aquila Put Up Some Opposition This Week?


By Glen Leat
December 12 2003

So it's half time in this first round match against Italian side L'Aquila and the score is 75-11 to Bath with the home leg to be played: ridiculous really and not what we should expect in European rugby.

If this second string competition is to have credibility in the rugby world and attract future sponsorship. How many of you have predicted a win by over 100? Well if you have I suggest you take nothing for granted because you can bet your (rugby) boots that our very professional coaching staff will be treating this match as a much tougher proposition than it really is.

Following Bath debuts last week James Hudson and Chris Goodman will make their First Team debuts at the Rec as will Rob Hawkins once he gets the nod from the coach to leave the bench. Iain Balshaw is the only doubt and will face a late fitness test on his leg.

World Cup winners Danny Grewcock with Mike Tindall will get a run out to stretch their legs and get some Bath rugby under their belts on the bench. Duncan Bell, Zak Feaunati and Rob Fidler are on the bench, no doubt sampling a little bit of play to get themselves ready for the match against Newcastle next week.

Bath Team

15. Matt Perry
14. Iain Balshaw/Ross Blake
13. Kevin Maggs
12. Alex Crockett
11. Simon Danielli
10. Olly Barkley
9. Hentie Martens

1. David Barnes
2. Lee Mears
3. Matt Stevens
4. James Hudson
5. Danny Grewcock
6. Scott Gray
7. James Scaysbrook
8. Chris Goodman

16. Ross Blake
17. Rob Hawkins
18. Duncan Bell
19. (No player)
20. Mike Tindall
21. Zak Feaunati
22. Rob Fidler

First Round Fixtures and Results

Date Home Team Res Away Team
Fri 5 Dec Rotherham Titans 10 - 17 Narbonne
Fri 5 Dec Rugby Leonessa 0 - 55 AS Montferrand
Sat 6 Dec VRAC 10 - 71 Newcastle Falcons
Sat 6 Dec Rugby Roma 13 - 45 Saracens
Sat 6 Dec Gran Rugby 10 - 35 Grenoble
Sat 6 Dec L'Aquila 11 - 75 Bath Rugby
Sat 6 Dec Rugby Rovigo 14 - 53 Castres Olympique
Sat 6 Dec Colomiers 37 - 12 Petrarca Rugby
Sat 6 Dec Montpellier 11 - 30 Glasgow Rugby
Sat 6 Dec Brive 39 - 3 Viadana
Sun 7 Dec Cetransa El Salvador 18 - 31 NEC Harlequins
Sun 7 Dec Montauban 30 - 26 London Irish
Sun 7 Dec Rugby Parma 28 - 33 Pau
Sun 7 Dec Beziers 10 - 18 Connacht
Fri 12 Dec Glasgow Rugby v Montpellier
Fri 12 Dec Narbonne v Rotherham Titans
Sat 13 Dec Connacht v Beziers
Sat 13 Dec Bath Rugby v L'Aquila
Sat 13 Dec NEC Harlequins v Cetransa El Salvador
Sat 13 Dec Petrarca Rugby v Colomiers
Sat 13 Dec AS Montferrand v Rugby Leonessa
Sat 13 Dec Castres Olympique v Rugby Rovigo
Sat 13 Dec Pau v Rugby Parma
Sat 13 Dec Grenoble v Gran Rugby
Sun 14 Dec Newcastle Falcons v VRAC
Sun 14 Dec Viadana v Brive
Sun 14 Dec Saracens v Rugby Roma
Sun 14 Dec London Irish v Montauban