Bath v Saints - Powergen QF Preview
By Chris G
January 24 2003
Well how times change! Not so many years ago a Quarter Final at Bath would have been one of the matches of the season. In our promotion season of 95/96 it was arguably THE game of the season, but the game has progressed to such an extent that in some eyes it's now just another Saturday afternoon.
Reading the message board on the Bath site tonight (Thursday) you would think they didn't have a game at all but as ever the Gold Black n Green hordes are up for it and travel in numbers. With around 750 travelling to Belfast last week the army continues to grow with over 1500 making the journey to the West Country, the majority travelling free of charge in Uncle Keiths Charabanc Convoy. (Do you think he'll reimburse my £44:00 train fare if I ask nicely???).
So what can we expect from Bath?
Well things are clearly not going to plan in the house that Jack built. Despite being kings of the paddock in the days of 'shamateurism' when their side boasted internationals of the class of Clarke, Guscott, Loms friend Ubogu, Robinson, my Mums favourite Chilcott, Geoghegan and Sleightholme (whatever happened to him?) they now clearly have not taken the professional game by the scruff of the neck like a club of their standing should. Languishing near the foot of the ZP for the second season and not even qualifying for a Heineken Cup they won just five seasons ago they are now probably considered bottom of the West Counrty mini league under Glos and Bristol in terms of success over the last couple of years.
However on their day they can still turn on the style and we meet them coming off the back of a fine win at Wasps earlier in the competition, no mean feat itself. Players like Catt, Tindall, Grewcock and the missing Balshaw are class acts but from what I have seen of Bath this season they lack continuity, cohesion and invariably tactical nous in other areas of the park that makes them frustratingly inconsistent for the followers of the team. They are still probably half a dozen players of side that can consistently challenge at the top but its this very inconsistency that makes it hard to deduct whether Saints get a stroll in the park or a tooth and nail battle (with maybe Bath just edging it) for the Powergen Semi Final spot. The weather, as ever at Bath, could be the deciding factor!
TEAM NEWS
The moment we've all been waiting for! The return of Hurricane Blowers and Budge Pountney to the pack. They form a new look back row with Deso Connors at 8 that looks on paper perhaps the strongest since the Budge, Rodber, Lammy days.
Mattie Stewart a proud father last week, (just like Assistant Ed, Rich) returns to action and forms a front row partnership with fellow Scot Tam Smith and ex Bathplug Dan Richmond at hooker while Steve Thompson takes a rest on the bench.
Matt Lord and Rob Hunter form an unexpected second row with Steve Williams joining Wally on the bench for the start of the game. We could well see a mix and match game with Rob and Deso switching when the demand arises.
The backs, on form, pick themselves with an international in each shirt from nine to fifteen. It's the usual suspects with Daws and Larry at halfback (or that's first five eigth for our ever growing band of antipodean readers).
Brucie Reihana, cup tied for the last two weeks, returns to the wing opposite our very own Donald Driver (go look it up), Ben Cohen on the other making his 150th appearance for the Saints.
Jorgy and Long John Leslie team up again in midfield while born again fullback Nick Beal brings up the rear.
15 NICK BEAL
14 BRUCE REIHANA
13 PETER JORGENSEN
12 JOHN LESLIE
11 BEN COHEN
10 PAUL GRAYSON
9 MATT DAWSON
1 TOM SMITH
2 Dan Richmond
3 MATT STEWART
4 Matt Lord
5 Rob Hunter
6 ANDREW BLOWERS
7 BUDGE POUNTNEY
8 MARK CONNORS
Subs:
16 STEVE THOMPSON
17 Chris Budgen
18 STEVE WILLIAMS
19 Grant Seely
20 Ian Vass
21 James Brooks
22 Mark Tucker
At time of writing, no definite news on the Bath side although as mentioned above Ian Balshaw definitely misses out. Keep watching the message board for updates.
HISTORY
The clubs first met in 1929-30 and have endured changing fortunes. In the fifties and sixties the clubs met 10 times with Saints winning 8 games to Bath's 2. In seventies they again played 10 times with Saints winning 7, Bath 2 and one draw. In 1980 Saints again beat Bath 12-6 but had to wait another ten games and 12 years before winning 11-8 in 1992-3. The eighties and early nineties were the golden era of Bath as they were the most professional club of the amateur times winning the league 6 times between 1988 and 1996 and the cup 9 times between 1984 and 1996. Long before clubs tried to be the next Leicester they all tried to be the next Bath.
The Saints have won just twice at the Rec in 1998 and 2002. You can read reports of these games by clicking the links at the bottom of the page.
CUP HISTORY
This will be the fourth cup meeting between the clubs with Bath having won the first three.
In the fourth round in the 91-92 season at the Gardens John 'Tinman' Steele for Saints and a quiet unassuming chap from Bath called Stuart Barnes exchanged penalties throughout a game that end 9-9, unluckily a Jim Fallon try saw the Saints edged out in extra time.
In the 94-95, the season Saints were relegated, at the quarter final stage Bath ran out easy winners at the Rec 26-6 with tries from Callard and Clarke. The deadeye boot of Larry got all Saints points.
The following season 95-96 the Saints lost their only game of their promotion season at Bath in the cup on the day before Christmas Eve 1995. Bath were riding high in the Allied Dunbar Premiershipwhile Saints were running away undefeated at the head of the old Division Two.
In dire muddy conditions the Saints were edged 12-3, all points coming from the boots of Callard and Grayson but defying the argument that tries make the sport the game was an absolute classic with no quarter asked or given.
Saints were certainly then a side in the making while Bath were already there and doing it season in season out and indeed went on to win the cup and league double that season, something that for all their achievements Leicester have failed to do.
Four Saints remain from that side that played that day in Daws, Grays, Jon Phillips and Budge while on the Bath side Mike Catt is the single player still plying his trade at the Rec although Jon Sleightholme, then a Bath player, saw the light and now dons the Gold, Black n Green.
My abiding memory of that day was a quite sublime tackle on Ben Clarke by a young Budge Pountney. Clarke, then described by Paul Ackford as 'the most influential forward in the country' broke off a scrum virtually on the Saints line and just had to ground the ball to score.
Somehow the slighter Budge wrapped him and got between the ground and the ball and held on for dear life to kill the attack. From then on Clarke didn't look so influential and Budge had announced himself as a player of promise.
Other players that shone that day were, a week after his international debut, Matt Dawson and Matt Allen and Gregor Townsend in the centre outplaying and knocking back the more illustrious pairing of Guscott and De Glanville.
Out of interest, here is the Saints team that day.
Michael Dods
Harvey Thorneycroft
Gregor Townshend
Matt Allen
Craig Moir
Paul Grayson
Matt Dawson
Matt Volland
Tim Beddow
Martin Hynes
Martin Bayfield
Jon Lee Phillips
Tim Rodber
Budge Pountney
G Seely
If tomorrows half as good we are in for a good one.
SO............
Bath, will obviously on recent showings, be targeting our scrum, especially the front five, but a lot of work has apparently been put into training this week on this aspect of play, however doubts linger.
This is however only one facet of the game and I fully expect our back row to dominate the game putting pressure on the Bath halfbacks from the off and ably clearing up any problems in the loose before them.
If our backs get good ball they could run riot but pride comes before a fall so lets just wait to see (just like London Irish three weeks ago) which Bath side turns up!
All things then being level, Saints by a score!
See you there!
AND FINALLY...........
The final word goes to Stockers who celebrates Burns Night with this homage to the Scottish Bard. Take it away soncey face...........
TO A CATT
With the very greatest apologies to Scotland's Bard, Robert Burns, whose birth is celebrated the world over on 25th January (this Saturday!!), here is a reworking of his classic tale, "To A Mouse" ahead of this weekend's ongoings.
(I've toned down the "Ayrshire" a wee bit for you Sassenachs!)
To A Catt, not by Robert Burns.
Wee, sleekit, cowering, timorous beastie
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need not start away so hasty
From Glorious Saints,
They would be loath to run an' chase thee
In case ye faints!!
I'm sorry that Saint's domination
Has broken poor Bath's rugby union
An' justifies that true opinion
Which makes thee startle
At us, thy poor, earth-born companion
An' fellow mortal!
Thy wee bit club is too, in ruin!
Its silly stands the winds are strewing'!
An' nothing, now, to be a new one,
O' Brownswords dreams!
An' bleak January's winds pursuing,
Bath's sunken team.
Thou saw the Rec laid bare an' waste
An' weary. winter staying fast,
But cosy here, beneath the blast
At Fortress Franklins
Where Smudger's dreams are made and mastered,
Defeat we're plannin'!
But Catty, thou art surely tame
Bath's game plan, t'is all in vain
The best-laid schemes o' Catts an' men
Gang aft agley
An' leave you nought but grief an' pain
For Jimmies joy!
Still we art blest, compared wi' you!
As mighty Jimmies pour on through
Your ragged backs, wi feet like glue
An' shedding tears,
Your forwards,aye tis surely true,
Will quake in fear!
.