A CUP SALE
Hill: game time?
By Bath Supporter Jack
November 18 2025
In this strange period of “wall to wall” international rugby when every nation seems to play every other nation there is another rugby competition going on - The PREM Rugby Cup. The PREM Rugby Cup, formerly known as Premiership Rugby Cup, is a knockout cup competition for teams in the Premiership. For the past two years teams from the Championship also competed. Unfortunately, in my view, that has now changed, and now the only competitors are the 10 teams in the Premiership.
An Outline of a Regularly Changing Format
The historical format for the competition until 2019–20 consisted of the twelve Premiership teams grouped into three pools of four with at least one club having one local derby match in their groups. The three pool winners and the best runner-up entered the semi-finals with home advantage given to the team with the better record in the pool stage and the final would be held at the home of the highest ranked club. The winning club received £500,000!
The competition returned for 2021–22 season. The thirteen premiership rugby teams were split into one pool of five teams and two pools of four teams. Each team played the other teams in their pool and also played an additional inter pool match if required.
For 2023–24 twelve teams from the Championship and the ten teams from the Premiership.
For this year only the ten Premiership Clubs are competing. The 2025–26 edition features two pools of five teams. Each team will play every other team in their pool twice, once at home and once away, over ten rounds between September 2025 and February 2026. The top two teams from each pool will progress to the semi-finals, with the winners meeting in the final the week after the semi-finals.
In the six years with its current name, and derivatives it has been won by six different clubs. Maybe it is therefore fulfilling its purpose by acting as starting place for developing squads. In order the winners have been, Saints, Sale, Worcester, Exeter, Gloucester and Bath. Saracens, Leicester and Harlequins are prominent by their absence.
It is with some regret that following the reduction of the competition to just Premiership Clubs that player eligibility has not also been tightened up to ensure that it really is a competition for the development of younger players. So, some reasonable restrictions, like age – players must be under 25 years old, experience – players must have played less than 10 Premiership matches would force clubs to use more younger players and would ensure that it was a balanced competition.
Last season we did play some senior players but mostly always off the bench and generally as we progressed further into the competition.
There was some discussion on ’ERE, before last weeks match at Gloucester, that we should have picked some regular first team players purely to give them some game time. The argument being that many players last pulled on their match boots on the 25th of October against Bristol. If they don’t get a game this weekend then their next match will be away at Saracens on the 30th of November, more than a month between matches. This will be followed by two very big matches, Munster at home on the 6th and Toulon away on the 14th. Results in these two matches will largely dictate our progress in the European Cup.
With results so far in the PREM Rugby Cup being a loss at home to Exeter, 14 – 23, a win against Bristol away from home 49 – 19 and finally last weekend a loss away at Gloucester 19 – 17. Bath are 3rd in their table with Gloucester and Sale some distance ahead of us. If we want to end up in the top two places, we need to start winning….and starting with a win against Sale currently 6 points ahead of us would be helpful!
I watched the game against Gloucester and felt it was one we could have, should have won. In fact, I copied the following from the match thread from a Gloucester Supporter,
How did your guys contrive to lose that in the second half?
Just like watching us 2/3 years ago....
So, I would pick many of the players who played against Gloucester and would bolster the starting 15 with some of Quin Roux, Ross Molony, Francois van Wyk, Tom Dunn, Ted Hill, Cam Redpath, Tom Carr Smith, Tom de Glanville and Miles Reid with the rest being on the bench.
If we don’t win this game, then it will be very hard for us to get into the top 2……other than by picking a full team for the remaining matches in in the competition.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:11:30:09:20:49 by hasta.
Quote:
When did Kirk move to Bristol?
Agree that, to keep it meaningful and genuinely developmental, there should be some rules around player eligibility.
adopted player, 24/25 Hame Faiva. 23/24 Ted Hill. 22/23 Cam Redpath. 21/22 Max Clark. 20/21 Henry Thomas. 19/20 Max Wright. 18/19 Cooper Vuna.
Given how youthful we went with last week's team, hopefully JvG was always targeting this game as the one to ease a few first teamers back into the side. Could be a bit of a slugfest, so hoping for a reinforced pack that can hold the scrum together and squeeze out a victory.
Replacements: 16 Tom Dunn, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Vilikesa Sela, 19 Quinn Roux, 20 Ross Molony, 21 Neil Le Roux, 22 Ted Hill, 23 Kepueli Tuipulotu
Teams up
Bath Rugby: 1 Scott Kirk, 2 Dan Frost, 3 Kieran Verden, 4 Harvey Cuckson, 5 Ewan Richards, 6 Ethan Staddon, 7 Miles Reid, 8 Arthur Green, 9 Tom Carr-Smith, 10 Cameron Redpath, 11 Charlie Griffin, 12 Will Butt, 13 Chris Harris, 14 Sam Winters, 15 Tom de Glanville
Replacements: 16 Tom Dunn, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Vilikesa Sela, 19 Quinn Roux, 20 Ross Molony, 21 Neil Le Roux, 22 Ted Hill, 23 Kepueli Tuipulotu
Like the look of that squad, good blend of youth and experience
Interesting to see Redpath at 10 and Kepu in the backrow
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:11:21:11:53:54 by boozeboozebooze.
Wonder who the hybrid players will be? Can Kepu be a crashball center? Ted on the wing? Dunn has obviously mastered the dummy so he can slot in anywhere in the backline
PG
Great to see Frost and Hill (and also Ewels for England) back in the mix this weekend. Injury concerns easing a little perhaps and the Cup break hasn't come at the worst time for us.
Looking at the Sale team, which I don't recognise a lot, we should be looking to win this with a BP. Interesting that Regan Grace is on the wing for them!
2024/25 adoptee: Guy Pepper
15. Alex Wills, 14. Obi Ene, 13. Osian Roberts, 12. Joe Bedlow, 11. Reagan Grace, 10. Ollie Davies, 9. Dom Hanson, 8. Reuben Logan, 7. Tristan Woodman, 6. Jos Gilmore, 5. Tom Burrow ©, 4. Patrick Hogg, 3. James Harper, 2. Ethan Caine, 1. Tumy Onasanya.
Replacements:
16. Tadgh McElroy, 17. Ralph McEachran, 18. Patreece Bell, 19. Huw Davies, 20. Seb Kelly, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Toby Wilson, 23. Albert Bradshaw.
Reagan Grace! That's come out of nowhere
Certainly looks less experienced than ourselves, plenty of names I've never heard of.
15. Alex Wills, 14. Obi Ene, 13. Osian Roberts, 12. Joe Bedlow, 11. Reagan Grace, 10Ollie Davies, 9. Dom Hanson, 8. Reuben Logan, 7. Tristan Woodman, 6. Jos Gilmore, 5. Tom Burrow ©, 4. Patrick Hogg, 3. James Harper, 2. Ethan Caine, 1. Tumy Onasanya.
Replacements:
16. Tadgh McElroy, 17. Ralph McEachran, 18. Patreece Bell, 19. Huw Davies, 20. Seb Kelly, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Toby Wilson, 23. Albert Bradshaw.
Bath squad bench seems interesting maybe deliberately to give some like Roux and Moloney game time. Wonder who would go into backs after Le Roux maybe Hill or Kepu.
I recall last year when we played Harlequins (in the semi-finals?), Quins with a very strong team and us with the young ones, we went down 14 - 0 in the first five minutes but ended at half time 21 - 7 and it was a real credit to the young ones to hold them. Heavy weights come on at half time and by 50 minutes we were in the lead and of course went on to win.
However it was the excellent performance in the first half that really made the difference.
PG
That is accusing me of "insider trading" absolutely NOT!
He just seemed a sensible strategy
Puzzled by quite a few of the refs decisions but tgey did not really affect the match much.
BBC wittering on about us “denying Sale a home semi” but there are still half the pool matches to play!
BBC
Bath were efficient when they got in to the Sale 22, but they did is so infrequently.
TCS has got to improve his kicking.....
Even when the "big boys" came on there was no great improvement....
Watched the Ladies for 30 minutes.....far more entertaining!
Quote:BBC have completely lost the plot and not got the memo about this year's formatP G Tips
Job done, but not a very entertaining match.
Puzzled by quite a few of the refs decisions but tgey did not really affect the match much.
BBC wittering on about us “denying Sale a home semi” but there are still half the pool matches to play!
BBC
Quote:nigewing
Who took the kicks for us?
TDG. First hit the post. The others were all out wide, the first half ones into a tricky wind.
They all were well kicked just a little off course. I have no doubt that if he spent some time, lots of time, practising he would be a very good kicker
[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]
Assume it is a long way south of ticket prices for the prem?
Tempted to take the kids (u16s) to either the bris game or eng u20s in feb.
Went to eng u20s last season and was v good value (about 20 quid for undercover!)
Quote:Charlieboa1
Does anyone know the ballpark pricing for prem cup games?
Assume it is a long way south of ticket prices for the prem?
Tempted to take the kids (u16s) to either the bris game or eng u20s in feb.
Went to eng u20s last season and was v good value (about 20 quid for undercover!)
For the East Stand v Sale, our group paid £25 for kids and £45 for adults
Eng u20s v good value again, fiver for kids. Outbreak of common sense.
Quote:I believe there were cheaper tickets available for that match, with kids from £10 and adults from £35, possibly early bird deals or limited numbers.RokobillyQuote:Charlieboa1
Does anyone know the ballpark pricing for prem cup games?
Assume it is a long way south of ticket prices for the prem?
Tempted to take the kids (u16s) to either the bris game or eng u20s in feb.
Went to eng u20s last season and was v good value (about 20 quid for undercover!)
For the East Stand v Sale, our group paid £25 for kids and £45 for adults
Quote:dr.bath1865
Interesting that Regan Grace is on the wing for them!
[www.bbc.co.uk]
My goodness that young man get no luck with injuries:
Regan Grace has suffered another setback in his quest to make a mark in rugby union.
The 29-year-old joined English Prem side Sale Sharks on a short-term deal in November 2025 that is due to expire in February 2026.
However, as that contract draws to a close, dual-code winger Grace has told his social media followers that he has sustained a fresh Achilles injury, this time "on the opposite side". He said he will undergo surgery.
[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]