100 Up and Counting ! Bath Preview

By GTD
November 2 2006

I’ve just received the Irish line-up for the Bath match this weekend… 1.Hodgson 2.Hodgson 3.Hodgson 4.Hodgson 5.Hodgson 6.Hodgson 7.Hodgson 8.Hodgson 9.Hodgson 10.Hodgson 11.Hodgson 12.Hodgson 13.Hodgson 14.Hodgson 15.Hodgson

I reckon we'll walk it with that line-up !

Seriously though this game unfortunately is all about injuries with both sides suffering badly in that department. Those of us that witnessed the spectacle in Toulouse may have noticed one or two playing slightly out of position, still if it was good enough for them…

I remember writing the preview for this match last season with much talk of painful close finishes. I made the trip last season and witnessed Topsy’s staggering try that had to be one of the Top 3 for the season !! That was part of a display that led to another close finish but at last the tables were turned in our favour as we ran out 33-28 winners after trying to throw it away.

Bath may have the upper hand at 13-4 wins in the Premiership against us but it feels to me like the ascendancy is with us right now. Toulouse showed us signs that some fight is back on display with Hodge and Mapusua leading the way in that department. There’s also talk of a certain Mr Casey being “touch and go” this week – here’s hoping !!

We will have to wait for the team sheet to see just how bad things are in the treatment room but I get the feeling it will be a very different side that beat Bath last season at the Wreck taking the field on Saturday.

With all that said we should take stock of Dec Danaher’s achievement. To gain 100 caps in the Premiership at the age of 26 is quite something – I bet he does feel old !! Let’s hope that he scores the winning try this weekend (and maybe even gets the conversion) to set us on the way to building that platform we need to attack the Top 4.

Prediction : Bath 15 v 22 Irish