A place for young talent in cup clash
There will be no knee-jerk selection from Bath Rugby this weekend heading into the Premiership Rugby Cup.
Despite the Blue, Black and Whites’ coaches being under significant pressure with their record of having lost 13 of their last 14 games dating back to the end of last season, Bath will continue to use the cup competition as a development tool to help them in the long run.
While a morale-boosting win away at West Country derby rivals Gloucester on Friday night would certainly be welcomed, the club’s challenging injury situation and a raft of international call-ups mean a combination of young and fringe players will run out at Kingsholm.
Bath scrum coach Mark Lilley said: “I think where we are with the squad depth we can’t look at it that way. People have to have a rest because of where we are from a numbers point.
“There will be a balance of youngsters and more experienced players but there will definitely be a group of players who will have rest.”
He continued: “We have had everyone in this week so even though some senior players won’t play this weekend they have been in helping out those younger guys, going off and chatting about specifics.
“Everyone is desperate for a win and a performance this weekend.
“There is still scope to bring in some younger players. The likes of Ewan Richards (19) who made his debut last weekend, Nahum Merrigan (20), Tom Cowan, they will be going into this week. There is still scope for change but it is more an opportunity to give some players we have already seen some more experience in senior games.”
Bath have a bye weekend in the Premiership Rugby Cup next weekend and will use the break in the calendar to give the players some time away from the club to recuperate ahead of an intensive block of games during the winter months.
Players on the verge of returning from injury will be given the additional time to get themselves fit for the key period as the club look to climb off the foot of the Premiership table and get their European Heineken Champions Cup campaign under way in a ‘group of death’ against Leinster and La Rochelle.
Lock Will Spencer looks set to make his first appearance of the season having recovered from the calf injury he picked in pre-season and Will Butt is set to run out in the centres having excelled on loan at Coventry Rugby in the Championship last season.
Lilley said it is important the club make the most of the challenging circumstances that have been thrown at them.
He said: “Looking for positives from the current situation, unfortunately, we have got injuries and international call-ups but perhaps if these injuries don’t happen we don’t see the likes of Orlando Bailey and Max Ojomoh come through and Ewan Richards get his starting debut against Leicester.
“We will potentially see some more players as well.
“But they are not just young players, they are young players who performed and for us and it is really important these players stand up and perform and compete within the team, the boys who played against Leicester have genuinely done that.
“There is an opportunity now for other players to do that.”