BATH RUGBY - 2013/14

First topic message reminder :

New Thread for the new season - https://www.606v2.com/t54781-bath-rugby-pre-season-2014-15

Announced today that Agulla has extended his contract to a 3 year one. Despite him being missing for part of the season with Argentina, I don't mind that at all, he is a very good player in my opinion, always seems to be fired up and takes some stopping.

I knew Agulla would settle in well at Bath. Has the skills to play the 'Bath way' but sits down an unprecedented amount of would be tacklers to make him a surprisingly physical force on the wing or even covering centre or 15.

Real shame we couldn't afford to keep him at Welford Rd. His replacement Thompstone did pretty well mind.

Didn't take long!


http://www.espn.co.uk/premiership-2013-14/rugby/story/190395.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-23286282

Whens the new kit out?

Whenever they have finished colouring in Biggsy...

Are we going to be making anymore signings?

I doubt it, they've been back in preseason for a while now, besides, I think in terms of player numbers we must have a pretty large squad now?

Bath have announced the signing of Samoan back-rower Alafoti Fa'osiliva.

Fa'osiliva, 27, turned out for Bristol last season and has represented Samoa at Sevens and full Test level.

The former Toulon man was part of the Samoa side which won the IRB World Sevens Series title in 2009-10 and he has gone straight into the Bath squad for the J.P Morgan Asset Management Sevens Series.

Source BBC.

Haha, so don't listen to anything I say then!

We have about 10 backrowers now, not entirely sure he is needed...

Bit of a strange one I agree.

Maybe we're going to play Warrenball!

Field a team where our backs including scrum half are all backrow forwards!
It might work?

As long as you have an 80%+ kicker, I think it probably works outs pretty well over the wet british season!

Bathman_in_London wrote:As long as you have an 80%+ kicker, I think it probably works outs pretty well over the wet british season!

Oh well, it was a nice idea!  

I'd like to think one of Heathcote, Ford and Henson would have a better % record that Donald did last year! We missed out in quite a few tight games due to that, so lets hope for some improvement!

If we start relying on Henson then we're in real trouble!

Fingers crossed Ford and McHeathcote step up to the mark.

http://www.bathrugby.com/news/club-news/the-hoops-are-back

Glad to hear the club have listened to supporters views! Interesting that they decided not to use an offical kit provider, one of the advantages of having a sugar daddy I suppose.

I missed that!

Nice kit.

It's going to take quite a long time to paint all 23 players on match day though, no? And those props will take quite a lot of paint.

 

Not long to go now then lads. What do we think the opening 15 for Newcastle might be then?

I'm guessing this, with James and Williams injured and Louw and Agulla away at 4Ns.

Catt-Webber-Wilson
Attwood-Day
Garvey-Houston-Fearns

Roberts-Heathcote
Banahan-Eastmond
Biggs-Bendy-Roko

It wont matter...you're going to get beat   

On a serious note i cant wait..back in the prem, with an far better team...an ambitious board and great coaching team.

Thats a big pack mind... 

No Ford Bathite?

I think they should have brought back Duncan Bell for that paint job...!

It will be really interesting to see what combinations are put together during the pre season, especially in the backs.

I reckon the pack will probably as you say Bathite, although that is a very large pack for the hard grounds of the early season, in terms of balance I would consider someone a bit quicker in the backrow, Ovens or Mercer maybe.

The backs... well who knows really, there are a lot of possible combinations!
I wonder if we will see something like:
Stringer
Ford
Henson
Banahan
Biggs
Bendy
Eastmond

I just think that on what is bound to be a windy day in newcastle, GG will be keen to have a second kicking option to take the pressure off whichever youngster is at 10.

Scrumpy wrote:No Ford Bathite?

 I don't think he should start, but that's just my opinion

http://www.bathrugby.com/news/team-news/francois-louw-extends-stay-at-bath-rugby

Pretty awesome news this, apparently turned down offers from France, Ireland and back to CT. He is our 1 genuine world class player, I just hope he gets a bit more support from his team mates this coming season.

I can't believe he's signed again! Amazing news for us

Bath vs Ospreys, should be a good fixture. Any idea what the team is likely to be?

Was there much point in our game in France...21-21 draw.

Barely a smattering of 1st choicers..

Bathite wrote:I can't believe he's signed again! Amazing news for us

Great news for Bath.

I thought he'd jump ship for sure, couldn't blame him if he did mind you.

Geordie Bath are saving themselfs for Bristol!

Scrumpy,

Neither side had any 1st choicers well barely.

It was just a bit of a pre season run out Geordie, Bath's reserve backs were 3 scrum halves and a backrower. So not really much to read into either sides performance I would think.

Besides, I can guarantee it wont be 32C+ in Newcastle for the opening game of the season!

 yeah thats pretty much a cert...

Did it even get that warm in the heatwave last month?!

Does anyone know when the England contingent is back? In time for the Brizz game or the Ospreys?
Or like the Lions players do they miss the begining of the season?

Well they could go well but something tells me a top 4 is being somewhat ambitious.

Here is how I see them currently:-

Front 8 - Massive pack with real quality. Teams will struggle to cope with the sheer weight and power of the tight 5. Set piece should go well and with a fair bit of strength in depth this is an area of little concern for them.

Half Backs - I expect Roberts to become first choice Scrum Half. Probably one of the fastest passes in the game and a real handful round the breakdown. Easily the best scrum half they have available. Ford played well for Leicester and with the service from Roberts he will get I expect him to be able to kick on from his season for the Tigers with his new team at Bath.

Backline - for me the real weakness in this Bath side and probably the main reason they will fail to climb into the top 4. Given the amount of investment from 1-10 its probably no surprise that the money is not there in the 4.2 mill wage cap to really splash out here. They probably will score a few tries against lesser sides but I don't expect to see Bath breaking out anything other than 10 man rugby against quality opposition.

Additionally - Conceding tries could be an issue for them as well as they don't have the biggest backs in the game (with the exception of Banahan) and with the forwards carrying so much weight could be subject to a lack of mobility. That said this will play in their favour in the winter months when its hammering it down.

Not a bad appraisal, but perhaps a touch harsh on the outside backs. Half back is definitely the potential weakness, with two flakey 10s and Henson backing them up. I agree, Roberts should be first choice, but I don't think it is that clear, so we might see a lot of 9/10 combinations early in the season, which will be difficult to settle. 

Eastmond continued development inside will help with the creativity and he will make line breaks, with the bludgeon of Banahan as back up and don't forget Joseph waiting in the wings, with a point to prove after being dropped from EPS.

In the back three, Biggs and Agulla are top AP wings, Agulla especially. Both are very physical, good defenders and make the hard yards.

I'm like that, Might get one this weekend.

http://www.bathrugbyshop.com/replica/adult/home-short-sleeve-shirt-13-14

Bath Rugby squad to face Bristol



First-half

15. Anthony Watson
14. Semesa Rokoduguni
13. Matt Banahan
12. Alafoti Fa'osiliva
11. Tom Biggs
10. Ollie Devoto
9. Martin Roberts
1. Charlie Beech
2. Ross Batty
3. Anthony Perenise
4. Stuart Hooper (C)
5. Will Spencer
6. David Sisi
7. Mat Gilbert
8. Will Skuse



First-half replacements
16. Tom Dunn
17. Nathan Catt
18. Kane Palma-Newport
19. Matt Garvey
20. Nick Koster
21. Chris Cook
22. Kyle Eastmond
23. Jonathan Joseph



Second-half

15. Anthony Watson
14. Matt Banahan
13. Jonathan Joseph
12. Kyle Eastmond
11. Semesa Rokoduguni
10. George Ford
9. Peter Stringer (c)
1. Nathan Catt
2. Rob Webber
3. David Wilson
4. Dave Attwood
5. Dominic Day
6. Matt Garvey
7. Guy Mercer
8. Leroy Houston



Second-half replacements
16. Ross Batty
17. Charlie Beech
18. Anthony Perenise
19. Will Skuse
20. Mat Gilbert
21. Chris Cook
22. Ollie Devoto
23. Tom Biggs

I am loving the depth to the squad these days and if the new recruits live up to any of the hype then we are in for a fascinating season. Competition for starting spots is going to be intense, pretty much in all positions. Looking forward to the Leicester game.

So pretty much everyone who is fit gets 20 mins or so it seems.

A real difference between the starting centres and the 2nd half ones, probably 10 stone!

I thought Alafoti Fa'osiliva was a back rower??

Big centres to attack off the shoulders of Ford and then skillful, pacey centres to exploit the gaps when he spreads it. Nice backline for the second half there. Be interesting to see if Ford can kick on, he was good for Tigers it was only his dire kicking at goal that stopped him piling pressure on Flood.

Your forward options look significantly stronger this season.

Bathite wrote:I thought Alafoti Fa'osiliva was a back rower??

Me too, I guess they want to try him out.

First time on for a LONG time. Like the squad this year, although it does seem to suffer from England syndrome - other than a few names/positions there are not enough obvious starters for my liking.
Was also worried about Jonathan Joseph after watching him play for England in the summer.

Lots of these team reviews and backline analyses do not so much as give a fleeting mention to Tom Heathcote. What do Bath fans feel will be the allocation of game time between him and Ford this season?

Ospreys heading to the Rec next. Will apparently not be selecting our lions but should put out a decent team.

I honestly think only Sarries and maybe Tigers can compete for squad depth. Although Bath's starters may not be that level yet, a few of them I could see getting there pretty quickly - players like Watson, Sisi and Eastmond.

That is a top 4 squad in my book. If Gold can't get them there, and I'm not convinced he will, they should look elsewhere.

Spoiler:

This image shows what Bath rugby is all about . BATH BTGOG.

What ....failure, immaturity, waste of talent...bad attitude???

I thought Bath were a decent side...

 

http://www.espn.co.uk/premiership-2013-14/rugby/story/196077.html

The Saint wrote: 

http://www.espn.co.uk/premiership-2013-14/rugby/story/196077.html

Henson without drunken antics is like cheese without the pickle!
If Gold manages to keep him quiet, could be a decent signing though....