Champions Cup Pool 5: Bath v Leinster, 21 November

       
Bath Rugby v Leinster Rugby
Saturday 21 November 2015
KO 15:15
Recreation Ground, Bath

Live on BT Sport / beIN Sports

Referee Jerome Garces (France)
Touch Judge 1 Salam Attalah (France)
Touch Judge 2 Laurent Millotte (France)
Fourth Official Bruno Bessot (France)
TMO Bruno Bessot (France)

A. Head to Head

7 Played 7
1 Wins 6
6 Losses 1
0 Draws 0
134 Points 199

B. Recent Form

4 April 2015
Leinster 18 - 15 Bath

17 Dec 2011
Leinster 52 - 27 Bath

11 Dec 2011
Bath 13 - 18 Leinster

22 Jan 2006
Bath 23 - 35 Leinster

C. Teams

Bath Rugby

15 Anthony Watson
14 Semesa Rokoduguni
13 Ollie Devoto
12 Kyle Eastmond
11 Matt Banahan
10 George Ford
09 Chris Cook

01 Nick Auterac
02 Rob Webber
03 Henry Thomas
04 Dom Day
05 David Attwood
06 Matt Garvey
07 Francois Louw (capt)
08 Leroy Houston

16 Ross Batty
17 Nathan Catt
18 Max Lahiff
19 Stuart Hooper
20 Alafoti Fa'osiliva
21 Niko Matawalu
22 Rhys Priestland
23 Tom Homer

Leinster Rugby

15 Isa Nacewa (capt)
14 Fergus McFadden
13 Ben Te'o
12 Luke Fitzgerald
11 Dave Kearney
10 Johnny Sexton
09 Isaac Boss

01 Cian Healy
02 Sean Cronin
03 Mike Ross
04 Devin Toner
05 Hayden Triggs
06 Rhys Ruddock
07 Jordi Murphy
08 Jamie Heaslip

16 James Tracy
17 Jack McGrath
18 Martin Moore
19 Dominic Ryan
20 Josh Van Der Flier
21 Luke McGrath
22 Ian Madigan
23 Zane Kirchner

If, and they are big ifs;
- the pack stay focused for 80 minutes,
- a flanker is put on the bench (van der flier or leavy maybe)
- Reddan ups the speed and accuracy of his passing
- Sexton doesn't have a horror show kicking out of hand
- Reid is dropped
- Madigan is moved to centre
- McFadden shifted to the wing or bench
- Teo starts
- Nacewa starts

If all that happens then maybe just maybe Leinster get a LBP out of the game.

This game could be nasty! It could be embarrassing. It could be Bath by >22 points

Good record there Bath... But I think you can say with confidence that your poor record will be coming to an end shortly!

Bath Rugby
15. Anthony Watson; 14. Semesa Rokoduguni, 13. Ollie Devoto, 12. Kyle Eastmond, 11. Matt Banahan; 10. George Ford, 9. Chris Cook; 1. Nick Auterac, 2. Rob Webber, 3. Henry Thomas, 4. Dom Day, 5. David Attwood, 6. Matt Garvey, 7. Francois Louw (c), 8. Leroy Houston
16. Ross Batty, 17. Nathan Catt, 18. Max Lahiff, 19. Stuart Hooper, 20. Alafoti Fa'osiliva, 21. Niko Matawalu, 22. Rhys Priestland, 23. Tom Homer

Leinster Rugby
15. Isa Nacewa (c); 14. Fergus McFadden, 13. Ben Te'o, 12. Luke Fitzgerald, 11. Dave Kearney; 10. Johnny Sexton, 9. Isaac Boss; 1. Cian Healy, 2. Sean Cronin, 3. Mike Ross, 4. Devin Toner, 5. Hayden Triggs, 6. Rhys Ruddock, 7. Jordi Murphy, 8. Jamie Heaslip
16. James Tracy, 17. Jack McGrath, 18. Martin Moore, 19. Dominic Ryan, 20. Josh Van Der Flier, 21. Luke McGrath, 22. Ian Madigan, 23. Zane Kirchner

Is Reddan injured or is he dropped. Boss starting - oh dear God we're f1cked

100 nil to Bath.

Pity Big Sammy cleared off before Teo got his hands on him though...

Too many players off form unfortunatley. If the weather holds up Bath should run riot.

rodders wrote:100 nil to Bath.

Pity Big Sammy cleared off before Teo got his hands on him though...

As they shared a house in Sydney would have been perfectly amicable I am sure.

LondonTiger wrote:

rodders wrote:100 nil to Bath.

Pity Big Sammy cleared off before Teo got his hands on him though...

As they shared a house in Sydney would have been perfectly amicable I am sure.

And we all know how those rugby league boys show affection for their mates...

Other than the lack of a replacement lock that is a better looking Leinster team than the one that didn't show up against Wasps.

How is Healy still starting?

Is Ruddock covering second row?

Apart from that and Boss I like the look of the team. Would prefer Ringrose at 23 though.

McGrath started against Wasps and didn't really impress so Healy might as well start here to change things up. Would have dropped Heaslip too, was utterly anonymous (even more than usual) last week.

Bath have been pretty awful so far this season, so the winner could be whoever serves up the least dross. There are a lot of experienced internationals in the Leinster team and they will be hurting after last week, so it wouldn't surprise me to see Bath lose.

It's a bit quiet on this thread. I thought this match would generate a lot of interest. Will Leinster bounce back this afternoon with a big performance? It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if they did.

Think Leinster have started better than last week, still look weak in defence when there line speed slows

I seriously can't understand why Cian Healy is still the starting loose-head for Leinster and possibly Ireland.

Haven't seen much of him, how poor has he been?

nathan wrote:Haven't seen much of him, how poor has he been?

His handling in open play is weak, but most importantly every scrum he has been involved in has been shaky at best.

I agree that Leinster are looking much better. Bath looking dangerous though with ball in hand.

I always wonder what ford would be like at tigers now we have mauger as coach

Haha just checked George Ford on wikipedia to see when he did play for the Tigers, and this is what it has to say about him:

"He played for England Under 18s at just 15 years of age, he still looks 15."

"If we don't see we don't see." Love it - good to see such honesty from Garces.

That was given as a yellow yesterday

Any streams?

Check your PMs.

nathan wrote:That was given as a yellow yesterday

Garces was not interested at all. Don't think either one deserved much punishment.

Need to get McGrath and Marty on asap

stub wrote:

nathan wrote:That was given as a yellow yesterday

Garces was not interested at all. Don't think either one deserved much punishment.

Just more inconsistency ...

Bit of Poopie decision there

Leinster player not rolling away, another trying to get the ball who is on his knee.

About time we see changes in the front row.

Another dodgy decision, didn't look like he was on his feet either

Batty deserves red just for that haircut lol

that's a bad cut mind ha

Why does Garces also keep telling them to use the ball when the scrum is going forwards to the point where he gives a penalty? If they'd used it presumably they wouldn't have got the penalties?

What was on that banner - "snip snip Burgess" or something similar?

Heaf wrote:Why does Garces also keep telling them to use the ball when the scrum is going forwards to the point where he gives a penalty?  If they'd used it presumably they wouldn't have got the penalties?

Don't know but it seems very strange..

Stupid.

Marty Moore has struggled in the scrum since returning from injury as well.

McGrath and Ross are the clear first choice props for Leinster.

Great scrumming from Bath. Auterac and Henry Thomas looking strong.

Is sexton still on the pitch?

Henry Thomas impressed me today....

GeordieFalcon wrote:Henry Thomas impressed me today....

Yeah, thought he has done well. Unfairly pinged a few times

Nick Auterac has had an excellent game as well against a very experienced front row. Where is he in the England reckoning?

nathan wrote:Is sexton still on the pitch?

I think George Ford punted him off a few minutes ago.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:Nick Auterac has had an excellent game as well against a very experienced front row. Where is he in the England reckoning?

Nobody knows where anyone is at the minute

That makes things interesting!

Van der Flier is going to be a star, honestly.