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Bath are set to welcome back a host of international stars for their European Rugby Challenge Cup rematch with Cardiff Blues. - 13/12/2016 11:03
Bath are set to welcome back a host of international stars for their European Rugby Challenge Cup rematch with Cardiff Blues.
England duo George Ford and Jonathan Joseph, Wales No 8 Taulupe Faletau and South Africa flanker Francois Louw are all in the frame to start the Pool 4 encounter after the Blues were convincing 28-3 winners in the Welsh capital last weekend.
Bath remain behind the Blues in their search for qualification for the competition’s latter stages but with the likes of Ford and Faletau back in their side, Todd Blackadder’s men will be firm favourites to get revenge over the Blues.
“We’d have liked to have put a stronger team out last week but there are no excuses. It’ll be a different team for Thursday,” said the Bath head coach.
“It’s a really good opportunity to turn it around quickly and we’ll have to play a lot better to win.”
Fly-half Ford and centre Joseph were rested for the game in Cardiff following their autumn exertions with Eddie Jones’ England. But their availability is a big boost to Blackadder who saw his team produce their worst performance of the season in defeat by the Blues.
Matthew Morgan, Alex Cuthbert and Scott Andrews scored tries with the rest of the points coming from the boot of man of the match Steve Shingler.
That said, Thursday’s meeting between the two sides is likely to be a much tougher test for the Blues. Luke Charteris remains touch and go with a sternum problem and Dan Bowden is out with a hamstring injury, but Bath will be much stronger than they were in Cardiff.
“Taulupe Faletau was close to being ready last week and we should have Francois Louw back too which will improve things,” Blackadder said.
“We can turn it around but actions speak louder than words and we have to do that. If you don’t turn up and execute then you can be beaten.”
Blues coach Danny Wilson is likely to stick with the team which impressed on home soil as he is forced to make do without a host of key men.
“We’re all aware Bath will go fully loaded at home and that’s a powerful strike force,” he said.
“We have 14 injuries but we’ve got to get on with it and we’ll go into the game knowing we’ve beaten them at home. We’ll go there with enthusiasm and we’re looking forward to it.”
Bath got revenge over Cardiff Blues as they prospered from George Earle's red card in their European Rugby Challenge Cup encounter. - 15/12/2016 22:41
Bath got revenge over Cardiff Blues as they prospered from George Earle’s red card in their European Rugby Challenge Cup encounter.
The English side had been beaten 28-3 in the Welsh capital, but scored five tries on home soil to turn the tables for a comfortable 38-3 victory.
Earle’s dismissal for making contact with the eye area of Tom Ellis was the decisive moment as a brace of tries from Ross Batty and scores from Jack Wilson, Aled Brew and replacement Elliott Stooke moved Todd Blackadder’s men back top of Pool 4 on points difference.
Bath totally dominated the first quarter, George Ford prompting things from fly-half on his return to the side.
Remarkably, though, they failed to turn almost total domination of possession into points, Ford’s kicking let him down as he put a simple penalty wide early on and the Blues made the most of the England international’s surprising miss.
The Welsh side went up the other end – their first visit to the Bath half – Steve Shingler scoring the first points of the evening with three points of his own. The fly-half’s effort came as a total surprise, but Bath soon put a fairer reflection on the game as they moved back ahead.
Ford found Ben Tapuai with a lovely chip, only for scrum-half Kahn Fotuali’i to knock on. It was then second time lucky for Tapuai, the centre making another break which set up a score for Batty.
The Bath hooker found himself in plenty of space and when the ball was recycled, he had an easy run to the line. Ford converted and added a penalty for a 10-3 half-time lead.
Shingler had struck a post with a penalty before the break and knocked on over the line, but the Blues would have been happy to turn around just seven points down.
Any hope they had of taking something from the game expired though at the start of the second period. Kirby Myhill was yellow carded for upending Dave Attwood before Earle was dismissed.
Tries either side of the red card from Wilson and Brew plus two conversions from Ford then put Bath in total control against 13 men. From there, the home side only moved further ahead.
Hooker Batty intercepted Nicky Robinson’s pass to sprint clear from 50 metres for a bonus-point score which sent the Bath crowd wild and Stooke, who had replaced Charlie Ewels in the first half, added a late fifth.
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