ERCC: Pool 4, Round 6 - Bath Rugby v Glasgow Warriors

               
Bath Rugby v Glasgow Warriors
Pool 4, Round 6
Sunday 25 January 2015, KO 13:00
The Recreation Ground, Bath

Live on BT Sport

Referee John Lacey (Ireland)
Touch Judge 1 Sean Gallagher (Ireland)
Touch Judge 2 Olly Hodges (Ireland)
Fourth Official Peter Huckle (England)
TMO Marshall Kilgore (Ireland)
Citing Commissioner Yves Thieffine (France)

A. Teams:

1. Bath Rugby

15 Anthony Watson
14 Horacio Agulla
13 Jonathan Joseph
12 Kyle Eastmond
11 Matt Banahan
10 George Ford
9 Chris Cook
1 Paul James
2 Rob Webber
3 Dave Wilson
4 Stuart Hooper (c)
5 Dominic Day
6 Matt Garvey
7 Francois Louw
8 Leroy Houston

16 Ross Batty
17 Nick Auterac
18 Henry Thomas
19 Dave Attwood
20 Carl Fearns
21 Peter Stringer
22 Ollie Devoto
23 Sam Burgess

2. Glasgow Warriors

15. Sean Maitland
14. Tommy Seymour
13. Mark Bennett
12. Alex Dunbar
11. DTH van der Merwe
10. Finn Russell
9. Herny Pyrgos

1. Gordon Reid
2. Pat MacArthur
3. Mike Cusack
4. Jonny Gray
5. Al Kellock (Captain)
6. Leone Nakarawa
7. Fraser Brown
8. Richie Vernon

16. Kevin Bryce
17. Jerry Yanuyanutawa
18. Jon Welsh
19. James Eddie
20. Sean Lamont
21. Niko Matawalu
22. Peter Horne
23. Peter Murchie

B. Tournament Form:

1. Bath Rugby

18/1/15 - Toulouse 18 - 35 Bath

12/12/14 - Bath 32 - 12 Montpellier

5/12/14 - Montpellier 5 - 30 Bath

2. Glasgow Warriors

18/1/15 - Glasgow 21 - 10 Montpellier

13/12/14 - Glasgow 9 - 12 Toulouse

7/12/14 - Toulouse 19 - 11 Glasgow

C. Head to Head

7 Played 7
5 Wins 2
2 Losses 5
0 Draws 0
19 Tries 18
11 Conversions 13
19 Penalties 17
0 Drop Goals 0
174 Points 167

Unfortunately I think this will be one game too far for Glasgow.  Bath are now one of the form teams in Europe, and Glasgow haven't really been convincing for the last few months now.

This really hasn't been helped now by Bath only needing a win to stand a very good chance of qualifying, so I can't see it becoming an open expansive game that could lead to Glasgow getting the 4 try win they desperately need.

Ultimately the damage was done when Weir missed that conversion away to Toulouse, and Russell had one of his worst kicking displays of his career at home to Toulouse - fine margins at this level, but they are the difference between an extra 5 points for Glasgow and almost assured qualification.

A win without TBP could quite easily be enough for Glasgow. In fact you could top the table on 18pts**. Hard to achieve at the Rec but remember how well you played in the reverse fixture. Admittedly Glasgows form has declined and Bath's improved but not impossible.

** Montpelier win at home to Toulouse while Glasgow beat Bath and you top the group. (unless toulouse get two BPs and Glasgow zero)

or

You get one of the best runner up spots. Good chance that the runners up in Pools 1, 2 & 3 could all have no more than 18 points.

I suppose the good thing for Bath and Glasgow is the fact that they are one of the last games, so both teams should know exactly what they need to do.

Bath were playing well before they were hammered in Scotland. At least it's in your own hands. Win and there is a good chance that you will be one of the best runners up, even without the BP.

Without embracing cliché... it really is a cup final for both sides. Lose and you're out. Although current form and, perhaps crucially, injury lists must favour Baaarf.

I would be seriously impressed if Glasgow managed to win this one. The Bath pack are on a roll and that backline of theirs will ask serious questions. Glasgow need to get better at maximising opportunities and become more ruthless. They'll need to grab every point available if they are to win this one. Huge game for Russell against Ford.

I agree that the key thing for Glasgow is now injuries.

We have some props available who were not before (particularly the giant Michael Cusack whom I am dying to see face off against Auterac) but that is vastly outweighed by injuries to Harley, Strauss and Bennett. The latter two may make the field this weekend but they'll be a shadow of their usual influential selves.

If I was a neutral, this would be the first game I would watch in the final round. With Seymour and DTH smoking hot at the moment and the Bath midfield tearing Toulouse a new one, it could genuinely be a try fest. Hope it's decent weather.

it's worth mentioning too that if Bath win with a BP then they have a decent chance of topping the group (Toulouse would need to win at Montpellier with a BP to stay ahead, I think). All in all, I do like the fact that we're heading into the final round of matches knowing very little about anything very exciting...

Glasgow have played ok in one game so far, so I am not expecting much
from this one.

We are under powered in the scrum, our line out was flaky and we seems a little befret of cool heads

A huge improvement needed if we are to win this one

Really looking forward to this one, hopefully Watson will have recovered from Flood trying to pull his head off and Eastmond will be fit again too. There will inevitably be media talk about Burgess, but barring injuries I wouldn't change the matchday squad at all I don't think.

As mentioned above it is possible that the winner of this could top the group I think, but the more likely scenario is a best runner up spot and a probable trip away to Toulon for the winner...!

Mad for Chelsea wrote:it's worth mentioning too that if Bath win with a BP then they have a decent chance of topping the group (Toulouse would need to win at Montpellier with a BP to stay ahead, I think). All in all, I do like the fact that we're heading into the final round of matches knowing very little about anything very exciting...

Yep. If on level points with Toulouse they top it due to them geting 6 points to 4 in the head-to-head.

George Carlin wrote:If I was a neutral, this would be the first game I would watch in the final round. With Seymour and DTH smoking hot at the moment and the Bath midfield tearing Toulouse a new one, it could genuinely be a try fest. Hope it's decent weather.

Agreed - game of the round for me.

Wasps v Leinster could be good as well. And Saints v Racing. And Clermont v Saracens. All three are group deciders.

But they shall be discussed elsewhere. This one could well be a cracker. I remember the build up for the last one and there was a lot of feeling it could be great. And it was from Glasgow's POV if not Bath's. Hoping this one is more of a contest.

In the first game it was Bath who were struggling to get out a back row, this time round it will be Glasgow. Hard to see Strauss recoverying from being carried off in a week, if the other players are not back fit and probably only Holmes of our regular backrow may be, then we will probably play Vernon, Eddie and Wilson. Swinson looked injured as well, so Naka may well be back in the second row, with Kellock on the bench.

The other option is Bordell I suppose, but it seems a very big game to drop him into and I am not even sure if he is in the squad. That is going to be our weak link and will probably cost us the game.

Will batman not be available?

RDW_Scotland wrote:Will batman not be available?

Depends on how City of Glasgow police are feeling.
We may need to explain this line of comments for Bath fans.

BigGee wrote:In the first game it was Bath who were struggling to get out a back row, this time round it will be Glasgow. Hard to see Strauss recoverying from being carried off in a week, if the other players are not back fit and probably only Holmes of our regular backrow may be, then we will probably play Vernon, Eddie and Wilson. Swinson looked injured as well, so Naka may well be back in the second row, with Kellock on the bench.

The other option is Bordell I suppose, but it seems a very big game to drop him into and I am not even sure if he is in the squad. That is going to be our weak link and will probably cost us the game.

Vernon against Francois Louw. Holy Mary mother of JC.

You know you are struggling when the services of the ruck inspector could be called upon!

I'd like to see the soap dodgers progress but I think this will be a bridge too far

Well this is my Glasgow side for Sunday (set piece front 5):

1 Yanuyanutawa
2 Hall
3 Cusack
4 Kellock
5 Gray
6 Eddie
7 Holmes
8 Wilson

9 Pyrgos
10 Russell
11 DTH
12 Dunbar
13 Bennett
14 Seymour
15 Maitland

16 Brown
17 Reid
18 Welsh
19 Nakarawa
20 Swinson
21 Matawalu
22 Horne
23 Vernon

Had to drop players who i think don't add much to the team and are holding Glasgow back like Grant and MacArthur. Cusack must start i don't care if he walks from scrum to scrum as long as the scrum doesn't get a backward step and won the odd penalty. Anyone else feel he was underused against Montpellier? Welsh was out of his feet from the 55 mark. Bit worried about the backrow as some player haven't been getting much gametime but Nakarawa needed to be dropped after is shambolic display yesterday.
Backline pretty much picks itself up.

If you put that pack out against Bath then say ta ta to any possession and bye bye to your chances of staying in the comp!

The fact that Cussack did not come on till the 75th minute tells you all you need to know about his current state of fitness. There is no way that he will be fit enough to start. I actually thought Welsh and Grant did ok, they had a pretty good scrum and we held our own at least. It was the line outs that were poor. Grant seems to be gaining fitness and form, unless he gets some porridge, he will be there or therabouts for the 6N squad.

Got to be Naka and Gray in the second row, unless Swinson is fit. I think we all know where big Al is in the pecking order these days and he will only play if there are no other options. Eddie played well when he came on as well, I would not be surprised to see him start somewhere.

I agree with you on the backs though, I think from 9-15 they pick themselves.

tigertattie wrote:If you put that pack out against Bath then say ta ta to any possession and bye bye to your chances of staying in the comp!

Why do you think so? at least the scrum is unlikely to go backward and lineout should be better than against Montpellier with Kellock presence, although ruck inspection would be greater. But everyone in the team have been taking advices from big Al re rucking recently. This is where Big Bad Bob will be severely missed.

BigGee wrote:The fact that Cussack did not come on till the 75th minute tells you all you need to know about his current state of fitness. There is no way that he will be fit enough to start. I actually thought Welsh and Grant did ok, they had a pretty good scrum and we held our own at least. It was the line outs that were poor. Grant seems to be gaining fitness and form, unless he gets some porridge, he will be there or therabouts for the 6N squad.

Got to be Naka and Gray in the second row, unless Swinson is fit. I think we all know where big Al is in the pecking order these days and he will only play if there are no other options. Eddie played well when he came on as well, I would not be surprised to see him start somewhere.

I agree with you on the backs though, I think from 9-15 they pick themselves.

I don't care if he just sit in the corner and wait for the next scrum, set piece will be primordial and i have seen what Bath did to Toulouse at the weekend, going with Grant and Welsh who barely got parity againts Montpellier 2nd front row is asking for troubles.

As for Kellock, remember Strauss is unlikely to play so some leadership may be needed.

Weir has been ruled out for 4 months, Holmes 6 weeks, Strauss - they're not sure yet.

RDW_Scotland wrote:Weir has been ruled out for 4 months, Holmes 6 weeks, Strauss - they're not sure yet.

Holmes is out too? we are royally fecked then. Not sure i want to see Vernon in the back row, looks even skinnier than before.

Broken eye socket against Edinburgh - we were obviously just too tough for him!

I think we all need to hold our horses on the soapdodger side. Some huge and unwarranted assumptions being made here:

1 Cusack can play a half. He did against Scarlets and it was a stinking wet night in a bog. Real energy sapping stuff. The Coo will bench, at least. Shame it's a Sunday game - we could have used Euan Murray.

2 Locks will be Ickle Jonny and Big Naka. They are our best locks and one poor performance from Naka in the last game doesn't change that. I am happy with them both starting.

3 We have no specialist openside if Holmes is out. Nothing we can do about that. I think that Bluto will make it and Batman played well in the last game. Add Eddie and Ashe and whilst it's not our first choice loosie combination, it isn't lacking in quality and they'll do a job for us. Vernon isn't getting anywhere near the pack.

Form and momentum is definitely with Bath but it's still going to be a properly competitive tear-up.

So, as the genius that is Bud Luckey said in his masterpiece "Boundin' "
"Why the mope 'lope?"

1 Yanuyanutawa
2 Hall
3 Cusack
4 Kellock Naka (ok he may have suffered headless chicken syndrome on Sunday but he is still a huge part of this team)
5 Gray
So far this is a good front five which will compete, though putting any of Grant, Shrek or Angela in would not make it too much weaker.
6 Eddie He is the Scotstoun Jedi, he's been battering the door for some time now: cometh the hour cometh the Jedi
7 Holmes You gotta hope he's fit: he has impressed this season after rather struggling to displace Fozzie but his grunt and willingness to scrap will be much needed.
8 Wilson Holy Zap Kapowie Batman, you mean you have a day job when not acting as a kebab shop doorman? You owe us big time big man.

9 Pyrgos
10 Russell
11 DTH
12 Dunbar
13 Bennett If the messiah is not fit then possibly Downey (remember him?) at 12- David caused Bath problems when he ran at them and Downey can defend better than him.
14 Seymour
15 Maitland

16 Brown
17 Reid
18 Welsh
19 Bordill/Ashe
20 Swinson
21 Matawalu
22 Horne
23 Vernon

RDW_Scotland wrote:Broken eye socket against Edinburgh - we were obviously just too tough for him!

Didn't Big Bad Bob got his 1st injury ever against Edinburgh too? Can't say both Scottish sides have been helping out each other!

Who's left who can play back row if Strauss is doubtful as well now? I feel that Vernon is making a decent go of converting to centre and should be only considered for the backs from now on. Surely Bordill deserves a chance, he's played for Sale so should be more than ready.

It will definitely be Ashe - an 8 replacing an 8.

Is Ashe fit?

Gonna be a crunch match. I am not sure if I am looking forward to it or if I have to hide behind the sofa. Lets hope for a real good rugby match

TJ, I'm firmly of your mind; I don't know if I could bear to schlep all the way to Bath to be disappointed, but if I watch it on BT and we win I'll kick myself for missing a damn fine day.
I think that it will be one hell of a contest, but that may benefit Glasgow. I think we are streetwise enough to play the percentages and wait for our opportunities. IF we start with Henners Piecrust at 9 instead of Mad Mad McMata. I think Bath will be expected to win and that brings its own pressure.
I don't think Glasgow have lost their way as much as some posters here claim nor do I think Bath are as unbeatable as some would have it. It'll be a damn close run thing, as Arthur Wellesley that well known Irishman once said.

George Carlin wrote:It will definitely be Ashe - an 8 replacing an 8.

I don't think Ashe is fit. Has not played since the NZ game and the were giving a gloomy prognosis about him at the time. I think Wilson and Eddie are likely to be our only fit, regular back row. That's why RV had to cover the bench on sunday. I don't think that Bordell is even in the squad. Injuries have certainly not helped us.

I am afraid I can't see past a BPW for Bath. Glasgow have been poor for a while and Bath have hit their stride.

cakeordeath wrote:I am afraid I can't see past a BPW for Bath. Glasgow have been poor for a while and Bath have hit their stride.

I suspect you are not aware that Glasgow have comfortably the best defensive record (in terms of tries conceded) across all 3 leagues - 4 in Europe and 16 in the Pro12.
20 tries in 18 matches.

Can't see past a Bath win, Francois Louw to have free reign at the breakdown. The likely Glasgow backrow are too lightweight and underpowered to be able to shift him once he gets over the ball or to cause any issues on Bath ball. Plus Bath's backs look to be hitting top form, their one major weakness is receiving kickoffs but that's not a large enough area of the game to guarantee points if they have the edge in breakdown, lineout, scrum etc.

teh_Dingmeister wrote:Can't see past a Bath win, Francois Louw to have free reign at the breakdown. The likely Glasgow backrow are too lightweight and underpowered to be able to shift him once he gets over the ball or to cause any issues on Bath ball. Plus Bath's backs look to be hitting top form, their one major weakness is receiving kickoffs but that's not a large enough area of the game to guarantee points if they have the edge in breakdown, lineout, scrum etc.

I know, I know.

malky1963 wrote:

cakeordeath wrote:I am afraid I can't see past a BPW for Bath. Glasgow have been poor for a while and Bath have hit their stride.

I suspect you are not aware that Glasgow have comfortably the best defensive record (in terms of tries conceded) across all 3 leagues - 4 in Europe and 16 in the Pro12.
20 tries in 18 matches.

Exactly. For all their other weaknesses, Glasgow have only conceded 64 points in Europe this season. Only Racing Metro (61) and Northampton (50) have conceded fewer, and they are both in a group with Treviso, who could play against the Cheltenham Women's History Society 2nd XV during their AGM, Bridge Afternoon and Bake Sale, and still not score.

Well, bringing Treviso into it, I see that they scored a brace of tries at home to Glasgow. Are Bath twice as good as Treviso?

IanBru wrote:

malky1963 wrote:

cakeordeath wrote:I am afraid I can't see past a BPW for Bath. Glasgow have been poor for a while and Bath have hit their stride.

I suspect you are not aware that Glasgow have comfortably the best defensive record (in terms of tries conceded) across all 3 leagues - 4 in Europe and 16 in the Pro12.
20 tries in 18 matches.

Exactly. For all their other weaknesses, Glasgow have only conceded 64 points in Europe this season. Only Racing Metro (61) and Northampton (50) have conceded fewer, and they are both in a group with Treviso, who could play against the Cheltenham Women's History Society 2nd XV during their AGM, Bridge Afternoon and Bake Sale, and still not score.

To be fair, those ladies defend the honour of their cakes pretty viciously, what chance have old Treviso got

Well I have been reliably informed that as far as the back row is concerned, Glasgow are feiced.

It's looking like Naka at 6.

Injuries are a massive problem.

"Reliably informed" Tattie? By whom? How? Tell us more, tell us more.

Did Nakarawa not play 8 a few times last season?

I reckon we might see

6 Eddie
7 Wilson
8 Nakarawa

I suppose it may well depend on the rules re. drafting in replacements for injured players: this could allow Bordill to play. Otherwise we could see
6. Jedi
7.Richie Vee
8. Naka
if batman is still sitting on the naughty step at the back of the Batcave.
Looking at the players available I'm struggling to see who'll be on the bench to cover the back row. We could start with Big Al in the second row and Swinson on the bench. But if Guns needs to go in at lock then we could end the game with Downey and Richie Vee in the back row.

I was reliably informed that Scarlett Johansson is really into me, but apparently she hasn't called because she has a pathological fear of rejection.

IanBru wrote:I was reliably informed that Scarlett Johansson is really into me, hunks like the Pipmeister but apparently she hasn't me called because she has a pathological fear of rejection rejects.

Fixed that for you, my deluded brother.

jimbopip wrote:

IanBru wrote:I was reliably informed that Scarlett Johansson is really into me, hunks like the Pipmeister but apparently she hasn't me called because she has a pathological fear of rejection rejects.

Fixed that for you, my deluded brother.

Oh, ZING!