A RETURN TO FRIENDL(IES) AT BEDFORD
Muir: to start?
By Bath Supporter Jack
September 7 2026
A return to playing a couple of preseason matches building to the start of the Gallagher Premiership with the away match at Harlequins. I recall playing Bedford in the PREM Cup a couple of years ago when the Championship Clubs were admitted and we played Bedford and Ampthill. Their league has been rebranded “Champ Rugby”, presumably by the same marketing company that imaginatively rebranded the The Premiership Cup as the PREM Cup!
Two years ago, when we won the PREM Cup, we beat Bedford at Goldington Road 7 – 21 and then again at the Rec 43 – 26. So, in these two matches our young squad managed the double. Then in March of this year as part of a warm-up for the business end of the 2025 - 26 season we played a “friendly” and won 94 – 14! Not much of a friendly, and in contrast to the previous season Bath went full on, to put some game time into the senior players legs at the end of the Six Nations.
Bedford is an illustrious club with a long history. They have been in the top league on three occasions the last time being in the 1999 – 2000 season. They won the RFU Knockout Cup in 1975. But have now been a fixture in the second league for some time as I believe they have said they do not wish to be considered for promotion as they are stable, both on and off the pitch. They believe that joining the Premiership might well disrupt that!
A bit of interesting miscellany which piqued my interest, in 1905 Bedford played the All Blacks losing 41 – 0!
To the current day I believe the match against Sale on Sunday which Bath lost 50 – 28 whilst only losing 17 – 14 at half time having led for much of the first half, will prove to be very educational for a very young side. Any of these players could play in the Bath first team if they were playing with the bulk of the first team squad.
The match against Bedford will I believe have a combination of players returning from injury, Will Stuart and Will Muir, players who have joined the Club in the Summer, Dan du Preez and Jamie Bhatti and a blend of regular first team players and players who played against Sale on Sunday.
I am sure that the coaching team will be wanting to build to a team playing against Glasgow a week later which will look a lot like the squad selected to play away against Harlequins in the opening match of the Premiership.
So, my go at a squad to play Bedford on Friday night is as follows
1 Beno Obano
2 Tom Dunn
3 Will Stuart
4 Ewan Richards
5 Charlie Ewels
6 Jaco Coetzee
7 Miles Reid
8 Dan du Preez
9 Tom Carr Smith
10 Ciaren Donoghue
11 Henry Arundel
12 Cameron Redpath
13 Ollie Lawrence
14 Will Muir
15 Tom de Glanville
16 Dan Frost
17 Jamie Bhatti
18 Scott Kirk
19 Ted Hill
20 Will Jeanes
21 Bernard van der Linde
22 James Linegar
23 Charlie Griffin
There is no point loading the squad to win as in last March 94 – 14. What is needed is to give as many players as possible proper match time and ensuring that all that they have been working on in training in the past 6 weeks is put to the test. If it all works, the score “should be” 50 to 60 – 0, with the Nil being just as important as the 50 – 60!
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Are you sure we will go that strong?
I suspect we will keep quite a lot of powder dry until the Glasgow friendly.
It will be fun though to see how close your selection is.
PG
Aren't Jamie Bhatti and Scott Kirk both looseheads?
[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]
Quote:BathMatt53
Agree PG, although they may have one strong half (and 15 subs) just to get 40 mins of match time in the legs.
Aren't Jamie Bhatti and Scott Kirk both looseheads?
Yep, they need a 'Griffin' in there somewhere.
PG
I imagine the bench will all be brought on at half time so everybody gets at least 40 minutes.
I would imagine that the order of priorities are that everyone gets 40 minutes.
Defence works so they do not score.
Attacking units work and training field plans are implemented....and work