By Harry Mottram: Under the lights at Bath’s Recreation Ground the Blue Black and Whites will renew their rivalry with Northampton Saints at 7.45pm tonight (September 20, 2024) cheered on by a packed stadium of BB&W supporters. The rugby union club will be seeking to regain the bragging rights following Northampton Saints becoming the Gallagher Premiership champions earlier in the summer in a 25-21 victory against Bath at Twickenham.
In that game Bath had to play for an hour with 14 men after Beno Obano (pictured) was shown red for a high tackle – a subject that has been hotly discussed in Union circles this summer with some fans suggesting there should be a different punishment for a high tackle that is just mistimed and not deliberate. A 20 minute sin bin or simply a straight replacement after a 10 minute delay as 15 against 14 spoils games – especially finals – with a feeling the result was tainted.
That said the rules remain the same and tonight Bath begin the new campaign with a desire to their first league trophy since the 90s. Beno Obano is in the starting line up and so is the Mercurial Finn Russell while fans favourite Ollie Lawence starts. If the team looks familiar it is because much of last season’s squad has been retained.
TEAMS
Bath Rugby XV: 1 Beno Obano, 2 Tom Dunn, 3 Will Stuart, 4 Quinn Roux, 5 Charlie Ewels, 6 Ted Hill, 7 Miles Reid (100), 8 Alfie Barbeary, 9 Ben Spencer ©, 10 Finn Russell, 11 Will Muir, 12 Will Butt, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 15 Tom de Glanville
Replacements: 16 Niall Annett, 17 Francois van Wyk (debut), 18 Archie Griffin, 19 Jacques du Plessis, 20 Guy Pepper (debut), 21 Louis Schreuder, 22 Orlando Bailey, 23 Jaco Coetzee
Northampton Saints XV: 1 Emmanuel Iyogun, 2 Curtis Langdon, 3 Trevor Davison, 4 Angus Scott-Young, 5 Chunya Munga, 6 Josh Kemeny,* 7 Tom Pearson, 8 Sam Graham, 9 Tom James, 10 Fin Smith, 11 Ollie Sleightholme, 12 Rory Hutchinson, 13 Fraser Dingwall, 14 James Ramm, 15 George Furbank (c)
Replacements: 16 Robbie Smith, 17 Tom West, 18 Luke Green, 19 Callum Hunter-Hill, 20 Juarno Augustus, 21 Archie McParland, 22 Toby Thame, 23 Tommy Freeman