Bath Rugby are without a game this weekend – but 12 of their players are in matchday 23s for international fixtures being played on Saturday 8th November and Sunday 9th November.
Bath Rugby have no game this weekend but 12 of their players are in matchday 23s for international fixtures – including England A versus the All Blacks XV at The Rec | Photo © Richard Briggs
England head coach Steve Borthwick has named four of the Blue, Black & White in his team to play Fiji at the Allianz Stadium, London, on Saturday (5.40pm).
There are seven changes to the starting XV that beat Australia 25-7 last weekend, with Ollie Lawrence of Bath, Ellis Genge, Marcus Smith, Fin Smith, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Alex Coles and Chandler Cunningham-South all coming into the line-up.
England’s second fixture of the 2025 Quilter Nations Series sees Genge and Maro Itoje named as co-captains. With Itoje among the replacements, Genge will lead the team from the start. The duo are supported by vice-skippers Jamie George, Fraser Dingwall and Ollie Chessum.
Joining 35-cap centre Lawrence in the starting XV is Bath back row Guy Pepper. Their clubmates Ben Spencer and Henry Arundell are among the replacements.
Borthwick said: “It was a pleasing start to the series against Australia last weekend, and we know we’ll need to take another step forward against Fiji.
“The focus for us this week is on improving on last weekend’s performance and continuing to develop our game.
“Fiji are a dangerous team with power and quality right across the pitch.
“They play with physicality and skill, so we’ll need to bring intensity, accuracy and discipline in everything that we do.
“Playing in front of our supporters again at Allianz Stadium means a huge amount to the players, and the team are determined to deliver a performance they can be proud of.”
England starting XV: 1 Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears), 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks), 3 Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers), 4 Alex Coles (Northampton Saints), 5 Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers), 6 Guy Pepper (Bath), 7 Ben Earl (Saracens), 8 Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins), 9 Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints), 10 Fin Smith (Northampton Saints), 11 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs), 12 Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints), 13 Ollie Lawrence (Bath), 14 Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints), 15 Marcus Smith (Harlequins).
England replacements: 16 Jamie George (Saracens), 17 Fin Baxter (Harlequins), 18 Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks), 19 Maro Itoje (Saracens), 20 Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), 21 Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints), 22 Ben Spencer (Bath), 23 Henry Arundell (Bath).
There are two Bath men in Gregor Townsend’s Scotland side that will take on New Zealand in the Quilter Nations Series at Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh, on Saturday (3.10pm). And one of them, fly-half Finn Russell, has been picked as one of the hosts’ two vice-captains.
Russell and his fellow British & Irish Lion Ben White will resume their half-back partnership following a successful tour to Australia in the summer. The combination started all of Scotland’s matches during the 2025 Guinness Six Nations.
Edinburgh Rugby tighthead prop D’Arcy Rae will pack down in the front row alongside clubmates Ewan Ashman (hooker) and Pierre Schoeman (loosehead).
Kyle Steyn comes into the line-up on the left wing, with Darcy Graham on the right wing and Blair Kinghorn at full-back.
Northampton Saints’ Rory Hutchinson comes into the midfield and will partner captain Sione Tuipulotu in the centre.
Scott Cummings will join Grant Gilchrist in the second row.
Jack Dempsey continues at number 8 and completes an all-Glasgow Warriors back row alongside Matt Fagerson and Gregor Brown.
Bath back row Josh Bayliss is on the bench, which has a six-two split.
Scotland starting XV: 1 Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby), 2 Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh Rugby), 3 D’Arcy Rae (Edinburgh Rugby), 4 Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors), 5 Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby), 6 Gregor Brown (Glasgow Warriors), 7 Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), 8 Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors), 9 Ben White (Toulon), 10 Finn Russell (Bath), 11 Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors), 12 Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors), 13 Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints), 14 Darcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby), 15 Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse).
Scotland replacements: 16 George Turner (Harlequins), 17 Rory Sutherland (Glasgow Warriors), 18 Elliot Millar Mills (Northampton Saints), 19 Marshall Sykes (Edinburgh Rugby), 20 Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors), 21 Josh Bayliss (Bath), 22 Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors), 23 Tom Jordan (Bristol Bears).
The Quilter Nations Series fixture between Wales and Argentina at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff, on Sunday (3.10pm) could see two Bath players facing off against each other.
Hosts’ head coach Steve Tandy has named Blue, Black & White tighthead prop Archie Griffin among his replacements – and the Los Pumas starting XV features Bath’s Santi Carreras at full-back.
Tandy said: “It’s a real privilege to announce my first matchday 23 for Wales.
“I just want to see that 23 really go out there and express themselves on Sunday and enjoy every moment of representing the country in such a unique and special jersey.”
Wales starting XV: 1 Rhys Carré (Saracens), 2 Dewi Lake (Ospreys), 3 Keiron Assiratti (Cardiff Rugby), 4 Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter Chiefs), 5 Adam Beard (Montpellier), 6 Alex Mann (Cardiff Rugby), 7 Jac Morgan (Ospreys), 8 Aaron Wainwright (Dragons), 9 Tomos Williams (Gloucester Rugby), 10 Dan Edwards (Ospreys), 11 Josh Adams (Cardiff Rugby), 12 Ben Thomas (Cardiff Rugby), 13 Max Llewellyn (Gloucester Rugby), 14 Tom Rogers (Scarlets), 15 Blair Murray (Scarlets).
Wales replacements: 16 Liam Belcher (Cardiff Rugby), 17 Nicky Smith (Leicester Tigers), 18 Archie Griffin (Bath), 19 Freddie Thomas (Gloucester Rugby), 20 Olly Cracknell (Leicester Tigers), 21 Kieran Hardy (Ospreys), 22 Jarrod Evans (Harlequins), 23 Louis Rees-Zammit (Bristol Bears).
Argentina starting XV: 1 Mayco Vivas, 2 Julián Montaya, 3 Pedro Delgado, 4 Guido Petti Pagadizábal, 5 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera, 7 Juan Martin González, 8 Joaquín Oviedo, 9 Simón Benítez Cruz, 10 Gerónimo Prisciantelli, 11 Mateo Carreras, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 13 Justo Piccardo, 14 Bautista Delguy, 15 Santi Carreras.
Argentina replacements: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Thomas Gallo, 18 Tomás Rapetti, 19 Matías Alemanno, 20 Santiago Grondona, 21 Agustín Moyano, 22 Juan Cruz Mallía, 23 Rodrigo Isgró.
Bath’s versatile prop Thomas du Toit will start at tighthead in South Africa’s Quilter Nations Series clash with France at Stade de France, Paris, on Saturday evening.
South Africa starting XV: 1 Boan Venter (Edinburgh Rugby), 2 Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), 3 Thomas du Toit (Bath), 4 Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks), 5 Lood de Jager (Wild Knights), 6 Siya Kolisi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), 8 Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks), 9 Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers), 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomzulu (DHL Stormers), 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls), 12 Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), 13 Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), 14 Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath), 15 Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers).
South Africa replacements: 16 Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls), 17 Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls), 18 Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls), 19 RG Snyman (Leinster), 20 Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls), 21 Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks), 22 Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks), 23 Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners).
And there will be three Bath men in the England A side taking on the All Blacks XV at The Rec on Saturday (1.15pm).
The one Blue, Black & White player in the England A starting XV is centre Max Ojomoh, who has been named vice-captain. Ojomoh has already played once for the senior England side, in a 40-5 success against the USA at Audi Field, Washington DC, on Saturday 19th July.
Ethan Roots will captain England A, following Joe Batley and his partner welcoming their second child. Tom Lockett (Northampton Saints) will start with Batley in the second row.
Bath hooker Kepueli Tuipulotu and prop Vilikesa Sela are in line for their first England A appearances, having been handed places on the bench.
England A head coach Mark Mapletoft said: “Everyone’s buy-in this week has been second to none. Squad and staff have been adaptable and prepared excellently in our unique turnaround. Building togetherness has been key, and I believe we’ve achieved that.
“Our aim is to create an environment where players can learn to win and increase that window for development, and this All Blacks XV side will test our players in a high-pressure international arena.
“This fixture is a challenge for our team. But in equal measure it is a prime opportunity for everyone to push on for senior honours. We want them to step up and take their shot this Saturday.”
England A starting XV: 1 Emmanuel Iyogun (Northampton Saints), 2 Jamie Blamire (Leicester Tigers), 3 Afolabi Fasogbon (Gloucester Rugby), 4 Tom Lockett (Northampton Saints), 5 Joe Batley (Bristol Bears), 6 Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs), 7 Tom Pearson (Northampton Saints), 8 Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs), 9 Archie McParland (Northampton Saints), 10 Charlie Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby), 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins (Leicester Tigers), 12 Max Ojomoh (Bath), 13 Angus Hall (Saracens), 14 Noah Caluori (Saracens), 15 Josh Hodge (Exeter Chiefs).
England A replacements: 16 Kepueli Tuipulotu (Bath), 17 Tarek Haffar (Leicester Tigers), 18 Vilikesa Sela (Bath), 19 Ben Bamber (Sale Sharks), 20 Fitz Harding (Bristol Bears), 21 Caolan Englefield (Gloucester Rugby), 22 Rekeiti Ma’asi-White (Sale Sharks), 23 Adam Radwan (Leicester Tigers).
All Blacks XV head coach Jamie Joseph has selected a very experienced side for the clash at The Rec.
Sevu Reece, a 36-Test All Black, will start on the left wing, with Luke Jacobson (25 Tests) providing impact from a reshuffled bench.
The scorer of 20 Test tries, Reece forms a rejigged back three with fellow wing Caleb Tangitau and full-back Chay Fihaki.
The backline, which is guided by Josh Jacomb at fly-half, includes four capped All Blacks, with Kyle Preston taking over at scrum-half and David Havili and Braydon Ennor teaming up in midfield.
In the pack, Brodie McAlister starts at hooker, TK Howden comes into the side at lock with Jamie Hannah, and Christian Lio-Willie starts at number 8, pushing Devan Flanders to the blindside flank.
Joseph said: “It’s great to have Sevu and Luke join the squad and add their experience to the group for what we expect will be a strong and motivated England A squad.
“The challenge this week is to build on the performance against the Barbarians [a 33-19 win for the tourists on Saturday 1st November] and once again it’s a great opportunity for the players to perform and execute on the international stage.”
All Blacks starting XV: 1 Xavier Numia, 2 Brodie McAlister, 3 George Dyer, 4 TK Howden, 5 Jamie Hannah, 6 Devan Flanders, 7 Dalton Papali’i, 8 Christian Lio-Willie, 9 Kyle Preston, 10 Josh Jacomb, 11 Sevu Reece, 12 David Havili, 13 Braydon Ennor, 14 Caleb Tangitau, 15 Chay Fihaki.
All Blacks replacements: 16 Jack Taylor, 17 Josh Fusitu’a, 18 Siale Lauaki, 19 Josh Beehre, 20 Luke Jacobson, 21 Folau Fakatava, 22 Rivez Reihana, 23 Dallas McLeod.
