Bath Rugby host Bristol Bears at the Recreation Ground on Saturday in Round 19 of the 2021/22 Gallagher Premiership.
Ahead of one of the biggest games of the season, South West rugby writer John Evely gives his prediction as to who will start in the derby.
Bristol Bears
Injuries mean Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam has very few selection headaches across the backline, but with what many considered a second-string side playing very well in the victory against Wasps, the question is will the likes of Antoine Frisch and Tiff Eden keep their spots in the starting XV.
I expect not.
Siva Naulago is back from his two-game suspension following a red card against London Irish and will undoubtedly come straight into the starting side on one of the wings.
I suspect Lam will opt for his proven performers in the derby with Ioan Lloyd installed at full-back and the more rounded, solid Henry Purdy moving to the wing in place of Niyi Adeolokun who started and scored against Wasps.
Despite Eden having a man-of-the-match display at fly-half in Round 18, it would be a brave man to bet against Welsh international Callum Sheedy not being installed back in the number 10 jersey for the derby.
Piers O’Conor, who was nursing a knock in midweek leading up to the Wasps game hence his place only on the bench, is likely to come back in providing he is fit enough.
In the pack, I suspect Lam will go for size, with his biggest lock pairing of Joy Joyce and Dave Attwood.
Who Lam selects in the backrow will be potentially the most fascinating call with Steven Luatua likely to start providing his troublesome calf is up to a long shift. He was due to start at number eight against Wasps before a late change saw Sam Jeffries pack down at the back of the scrum there for the first time.
Of course, if breakthrough star Fitz Harding passes a late fitness test on a cut he suffered while cooking, then he will likely come into the back row forcing a rejig.
Vui is a certain starter if fit, in my likely line-up he starts at six.
The seven jersey has been wide open this season but Dan Thomas made a real impact off the bench last weekend and I suspect his breakdown prowess will be required against Bath’s world-class backrow. Jake Heenan and Jeffries are the other contenders.
Bristol Bears:
15 - Ioan Lloyd
14 - Siva Naulago
13 - Semi Radradra
12 - Piers O’Conor
11 - Henry Purdy
10 - Callum Sheedy
9 - Theo Strang
1 - Jake Woolmore
2 - Harry Thacker
3 - Jake Armstrong
4 - Joe Joyce
5 - Dave Attwood
6 - Chris Vui
7 - Dan Thomas
8 - Steven Luatua
Latest injury list from Friday: Kyle Sinckler (England), John Afoa, Fitz Harding, Harry Randall (England), Andy Uren, Tom Whiteley, Toby Venner, Max Green, Sam Bedlow, Toby Fricker, Charles Piutau, Luke Morahan, Charlie Powell, Max Lahiff.
Bath Rugby
Winger Semesa Rokoduguni is back and available for selection having served his two-match suspension for his red card at Wasps but I suspect Bath head coach Neal Hatley might be tempted to promote big Joe Cokanasiga straight into the side as he offers a real point of difference between the two side’s attacks.
For all their attacking threats, Bristol have no one in their backline who comes close to matching Cokanasiga’s physicality and if used properly he could be a match-winner. The winger did very little for his two tries in the victory at Newcastle but remains a world-class threat when fit and put into the right positions which Bath did excellently at Kingston Park
Jonathan Joseph will surely come in at outside centre having been on the bench last weekend, with the England international’s top defensive skills needed to shut down the threat of Bristol’s Fijian star Semi Radradra who remains the ace up their sleeve despite not firing on all cylinders.
Danny Cipriani had his best game for the club at fly-half last weekend and with Orlando Bailey on the unavailable list last weekend he looks set for a continued run.
In the forwards, the homeside look set to be bolstered by a pair of world-class backrow operators in Sam Underhill and Taulupe Faletau.
Underhill is now fit and clear of both concussion issues and Covid, however he missed last week’s game through sickness but he is ready to go in the derby according to director of rugby Stuart Hooper.
Faletau rolled back the clock with a monumental performance for Wales against England in the Six Nations last weekend and Hooper outlined in midweek that having been out injured for so long this season with a calf/ankle issue he is keen to continue playing whenever possible.
Miles Reid skippered the side for the first time against Falcons and will likely keep his place on a flank in front of Scottish international Joss Bayliss who can provide some impetus off the bench.
The second row remains short of options for Bath with club captain Charlie Ewels unavailable with England and Josh McNally injured. Two of Ewan Richards, Mike Williams and Will Spencer, will start - with Spencer still a little off the pace for me and likely to start on the bench.
Bath Rugby
15 - Tom de Glanville
14 - Joe Cokanasiga
13 - Jonathan Joseph
12 - Max Ojomoh
11 - Will Muir
10 - Danny Cipriani
9 - Ben Spencer
1 - Lewis Boyce
2 - Jacques du Toit
3 - D’arcy Rae
4 - Mike Williams
5 - Ewan Richards
6 - Miles Reid
7 - Sam Underhill
8 - Taulupe Faletau
Latest injury list from Friday: Tom Ellis, Cameron Redpath, Juan Schoeman, Beno Obano, Anthony Watson, Ruaridh McConnochie, Tom Dunn, Johannes Jonker, Tian Schoeman, Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Ethan Staddon, Josh McNally, Orlando Bailey, Max Green (loan), Charlie Ewels (England), Will Stuart (England).
