Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Front rower Dunn set to make 200th appearance
TOM Dunn will make his 200th appearance for Bath Rugby should he come on from the bench when the Blue, Black & Whites visit Northampton this afternoon.
Dunn made his Bath debut in 2012 and his scored more than 30 tries for the club in that time.
Today, however, he plays second fiddle to Niall Annett, who starts in the number two shirt.
Head of Rugby Johann van Graan has made seven changes to the team that faced Leicester Tigers last week.
Annett starts between Beno Obano and Thomas Du Toit, while Josh McNally retains his place in the second row with Fergus Lee-Warner lining up alongside him.
Sam Underhill returns from World Cup duty in the back row, with Miles Reid captaining the team, and Jaco Coetzee completing the pack.
Louis Schreuder is in at scrumhalf with Orlando Bailey lining up outside him. Centres Cam Redpath and Max Ojomoh are partnered again, while Tom de Glanville starts at full-back with Will Muir and Ruaridh McConnochie on the wings.
Assistant coach Lee Blackett said: “I don’t think last weekend’s game (25-24 defeat to Leicester) has taken any confidence away from the group, I think we just feel we should have been better in certain moments.
“Whenever you play in conditions like that (heavy rain) it comes down to tiny moments and unfortunately we were just a few seconds away from winning the game.”
Sam Grahamslaw will make his Gallagher Premiership debut for Bristol Bears when they take on Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park tomorrow afternoon.
The former Jersey Reds loosehead lines up in a new-look front row from the round three defeat to Harlequins, with Will Capon and George Kloska also starting as Pat Lam makes five changes to his starting line-up.
James Dun switches to blindside with Josh Caulfield coming into the second row and captain Fitz Harding moving to openside.
Kieran Marmion gets the nod at scrum-half with Harry Randall moving to the bench.
Director of rugby Pat Lam said: “Heading to Sandy Park is a huge challenge for us this weekend – you only have to look at what the Chiefs have done to last season’s finalists already this season to see how strong they are at home.
“But it’s a challenge we’re looking forward to and the games between the two sides at Sandy Park tend to be close, hard-fought games.”
Bristol Bears: R Lane, N Heward, V Vakatawa,
B Janse van Rensburg, G Ibitoye; C Sheedy, K Marmion; S Grahamslaw, W Capon, G Kloska, J Caulfield, J Batley, J Dun, F Harding (capt), M Bradbury. Replacements: H Thacker, J Woolmore, M Lahiff, E Holmes, D Thomas, H Randall, J Williams, P O’Conor.
England stars Owen Farrell, Elliot Daly, Jamie George, Maro Itoje, Ben Earl and Billy Vunipola all start for Saracens against Leicester today.
Hartpury do not have a game in the Championship this weekend.
Gloucester Rugby’s match away to Sale Sharks last night finished after the Daily Press deadline.