Bath Rugby vs Newcastle Falcons – Teams and Aviva Premiership Match Preview
Crunch Sports Staff
in Other Crunch News 15 November 2020
Olly Woodburn (credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Bath vs Newcastle Falcons takes place this afternoon in the Aviva Premiership.
The game takes place at the Recreation Ground and is scheduled to start at 17:00 GMT.
Bath will be determined to keep up with the leaders in the Aviva Premiership as they look to prove they are genuine top four contenders with another victory later today.
Bath are currently in the play-off positions in four spot with a total of 20 points and are only five behind leaders and defending champions Northampton Saints, while Newcastle are really struggling at the moment as they sit in 11th position with just two wins from six matches.
Bath Rugby’s only victory in their last five matches in all tournaments was a 47-7 win at home to London Welsh in the Anglo-Welsh Cup on October 1st.
Bath are unbeaten in their last five Aviva Premiership Rugby fixtures played at The Rec since Sale were the visitors in March.
Newcastle Falcons have won their last two Aviva Premiership Rugby matches against Exeter and London Welsh and have not won three in a row in the competition since March 2009.
The Falcons have won two of their last three away games in all competitions. Newcastle’s only victory over Bath in their last 18 encounters since 2004 was 27-16 at The Rec in Premiership Rugby on 24th October 2009.
Stuart Hooper and Jonathan Joseph return to Bath’s starting line-up. Club captain Hooper takes his place in the second row alongside Dominic Day, with Charlie Ewels shifting to the blindside flank.
David Sisi and Leroy Houston form the rest of the back row at openside and number eight respectively. The powerful young front row of Nathan Catt, Ross Batty and Henry Thomas continues.
Micky Young partners Gavin Henson once more in the half-backs, as Joseph is named at outside centre with Ollie Devoto on the inside. Matt Banahan shifts out to the wing, with Olly Woodburn lining up on the opposite side and Luke Arscott completing the team at fullback.
Adam Powell of Newcastle Falcons scores (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)
Newcastle Falcons have named a side showing four changes from the LV= Cup defeat to Cardiff last weekend. In the backs, Simon Hammersley replaces Alex Tait at fullback while Sinoti Sinoti comes in on the right wing for Noah Cato.
In the forwards, George McGuigan makes his first start since September following a successful comeback from injury last weekend which sees Bobby Vickers move across to the loose head prop berth.
On the bench, Scott Lawson returns following his involvement in Scotland’s 41–31 win over Argentina at Murrayfield to provide front row cover alongside Alex Rogers and Oliver Tomasczyzck.
Teams:
Bath:
15. Luke Arscott
14. Olly Woodburn
13. Jonathan Joseph
12. Ollie Devoto
11. Matt Banahan
10. Gavin Henson
9. Micky Young
1. Nathan Catt
2. Ross Batty
3. Henry Thomas
4. Stuart Hooper (c)
5. Dominic Day
6. Charlie Ewels
7. David Sisi
8. Leroy Houston
Replacements
16. Tom Dunn
17. Nick Auterac
18. Kane Palma-Newport
19. Matt Garvey
20. Tom Ellis
21. Max Northcote-Green
22. Chris Cook
23. Richard Lane
Newcastle Falcons:
15 Simon Hammersley
14 Sinoti Sinoti
13 Gonzalo Tiesi
12 Adam Powell
11 Alesana Tuilagi
10 Juan Pablo Socino
9 Ruki Tipuna
1 Rob Vickers
2 George McGuigan
3 Scott Wilson
4 Callum Green
5 Dom Barrow
6 Sean Robinson
7 Andy Saull (C)
8 Mark Wilson
Replacements:
16 Alex Rogers
17 Scott Lawson
18 Oliver Tomasczyzk
19 Scott MacLeod
20 Ally Hogg
21 Mike Blair
22 Rory Clegg
23 Alex Tait
