Is the Catt Man Back For Bath Against Leeds?

The Bath absentees include Olly Barkley, Iain Balshaw, Kevin Maggs, Simon Danielli, Danny Grewcock all on international duty. Rob Hawkins is with England Under 21s, Steve Borthwick is banned, and Mike Tindall, Robbie Fleck, Brendon Daniel, Lee Best, Adam Vander and Gareth Delve are all injured.Connolly has also had to plan his campaign during the week without Martyn Wood, David Flatman and Matt Stevens who have been training with the England squad.

But it's not just Bath who are suffering, Leeds have seven players unavailable through international selections and assistant coach, Jon Callard, has been away with the England U21 side so Phil Davies has taken to the pitch once again as the Tyke's coach.

There has been a lot of comment on this and other websites as well as in the press about the conflict between club and country, with John Connolly calling for some financial compensation and a slackening of the salary cap for clubs greatly impacted by international call-ups, and few of us would disagree with the notion that the current situation does nothing to raise the profile of the Zurich Premiership.

Bath will be picking players for this game who otherwise would not have expected a start. James Hudson, the 6ft 7ins second row, will pack down in the powerhouse with Rob Fidler and Spencer Davey will join Andrew Higgins in the centre. Whilst it is an exciting prospect to see our strength in depth, and of course our players have exceeded all our expectations this season, we are now in a position of wanting to go all the way and settling for a top four place to gain European qualification is no longer enough. Consequently we want our top players in as many games as we can and the current situation is so frustrating it makes me want to spit (and I hate spitting!).

It was always said that you know you are getting old when policemen look like boys, well I know I am getting old when players starting for Bath in a top match are the same age as my children - scary stuff! Nevertheless a great consistency this year has been how all the Bath players, whatever their experience, have raised their game when it counts and that is why we are on top of the pile. I have no doubt these boys will do the same for us and soon earn the applause of everyone at the Rec.

Leeds Tyke's coach Phil Davies has made three changes to his pack however, for the third week running, Davies has named an unchanged backline from the one that played against Newcastle and London Irish. Matt Holt comes in for Mike Shelley, who has been ill this week, Dan Hyde returns after recovering from shingles to replace James Ponton, who has a calf strain and Phil Murphy and Stuart Hooper swap places, with Murphy coming into the starting line up.

Predicting the result of this game is a very tough call, and it will be interesting comparing Phil Christophers against his old Bristol club mate, Andrew Higgins, but I'm going with the home side (as if I'd do anything else) and say it's going to be Bath by 10.

Click here to remind yourself about the last match against Leeds.

Click on to the Leeds site for their perspective on things.