Cipriani drops to bench as ‘wounded’ Bath attempt to stop rot
Danny Cipriani has taken the fall for Bath’s 71-17 humbling at the hands of Saracens last weekend, dropping to the bench for his club’s trip to Harlequins.
The fly-half, who endured a torrid afternoon at the Recreation Ground, has been replaced in Stuart Hooper’s starting line-up by 20-year-old Orlando Bailey.
Bath, bottom of the Premiership table and also shorn of Anthony Watson following the British and Irish Lion’s knee injury, will be attempting to stave off a fifth consecutive defeat of the league campaign against the reigning champions.
Harlequins themselves are coming off the back of a loss to Sale Sharks, but have stacked their starting team with the England quartet of Joe Marler, Alex Dombrandt, Marcus Smith and Joe Marchant, who was drafted in to Eddie Jones’s squad for Watson.
“It’s always much harder when you face a wounded team and Bath will be after last week’s performance,” said Harlequins’ senior coach Tabai Matson, part of Bath’s backroom ticket as recently as 2017. “They have quality people throughout that organisation and we’re preparing for their backlash.”
Meanwhile, Sale have suffered a setback for their trip to the East Midlands to face unbeaten tabletoppers Leicester Tigers. The Daily Telegraph understands that scrumhalf Raffi Quirke, one of four uncapped players in England’s 34-man group for the autumn internationals, suffered a knee injury in training last week.
Compounding the absences of Faf de Klerk and Will Cliff, that means Alex Sanderson has selected two inexperienced half-backs, Gus Warr and Nye Thomas, in his match-day 23. Sale have been able to assemble a heavyweight centre partnership of Manu Tuilagi and Rohan Janse van Rensburg, with Springboks lock
Lood de Jager making a first appearance of the Premiership season after his exploits with South Africa.
Ben Youngs returns for Leicester, reuniting with in-form George Ford. There are starts for Freddie Steward and captain Ellis Genge but two more England call-ups, Nic Dolly and George Martin, must make do with places among the replacements.
“Sale are one of the league’s benchmark sides and are showing again this season that they will be a force in the Premiership,” said Tigers head coach Steve Borthwick.
“We know the power, experience and class they possess and are preparing for a big challenge on Saturday afternoon.”