Just when their rivals might think Bath Rugby have got problems, the Blue, Black & White announce a mega-powerful line-up for the Gallagher PREM Round 3 clash with Gloucester Rugby tomorrow (Saturday 11th October).
Bath Rugby will play their first Gallagher PREM derby of the season tomorrow (Saturday 11th October) when they take on Gloucester Rugby at The Rec | Photo © Richard Briggs
Johann van Graan’s outfit lost locks Charlie Ewels and Quinn Roux and flanker Ted Hill to injury in the Round 2 victory over Sale Sharks last week.
But the Bath head of rugby has selected a squad for the Derby Weekend fixture that bristles with international experience – including Argentinian sensation Santi Carreras and returning British & Irish Lions.
Lion Will Stuart will join fellow prop Beno Obano and hooker Tom Dunn in the front row.
Ewan Richards and Ross Molony will partner up in the engine room.
And in the back row, England international newcomer Guy Pepper and long-serving England man Sam Underhill will play at blindside and openside flanker respectively, alongside Josh Bayliss at the base of the scrum.
Fly-half Finn Russell, also back from duty with the Lions, will captain the Blue, Black & White in the absence of Ben Spencer, with Tom Carr-Smith paired alongside the Scotland international at scrum-half.
Max Ojomoh will return to his more familiar role at inside centre having operated at fly-half in the previous two PREM fixtures. Ollie Lawrence is named at outside centre.
Henry Arundell and Joe Cokanasiga will start on the wings – and Tom de Glanville will be full-back.
Van Graan has selected a five-three split among his replacements, with Carreras set to make his Bath debut after playing a starring role for Los Pumas in recent weeks. Should Carreras play, it will be a highly charged experience for him – he moved to The Rec following a five-year stint with the Cherry & Whites.
Scrum-half Neil le Roux and Chris Harris – who has also made the switch from Gloucester to Bath this year – are the other impact backs.
Francois van Wyk, Kepueli Tuipulotu and Thomas du Toit – who is fresh from winning The Rugby Championship with South Africa last weekend – are the replacement front rowers.
Miles Reid and Alfie Barbeary complete the matchday XXIII.
Bath starting XV: 1 Beno Obano, 2 Tom Dunn, 3 Will Stuart, 4 Ewan Richards, 5 Ross Molony, 6 Guy Pepper, 7 Sam Underhill, 8 Josh Bayliss, 9 Tom Carr-Smith, 10 Finn Russell, 11 Henry Arundell, 12 Max Ojomoh, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 15 Tom de Glanville.
Bath replacements: 16 Kepueli Tuipulotu, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Miles Reid, 20 Alfie Barbeary, 21 Neil le Roux, 22 Santi Carreras, 23 Chris Harris.
Of the injuries suffered in the 28-16 success against Sale, van Graan said during his pre-Derby Weekend press conference on Tuesday 7th October: “Charlie will be out for a number of weeks with his knee, Ted has gone for some more specialist opinion, it’s his ankle, that will be a few weeks that he’ll be out, and Quinn similar, he’s done his knees, we’ll just take our time and see how long that takes to come back.
“That’s just the game, we’ve just got to adapt, and whoever puts on the jersey we’ll make sure that we perform on the week.”
While Bath will go into the derby with two bonus-point victories to their credit, Gloucester come to The Rec having lost both of their 2025-26 PREM matches.
Head coach George Skivington has announced a starting XV featuring three changes from the side defeated by Northampton Saints in Round 2.
Summer arrival Nepo Laulala, a former New Zealand international, will make his first appearance in the Cherry & Whites’ front row, joining Ciaran Knight and Seb Blake.
Cam Jordan has retained his spot in the second row, with Matias Alemanno coming into the XV to partner him.
Freddie Thomas, James Venter and Josh Basham will complete the pack.
In an unchanged back-line, skipper Tomos Williams will partner Ross Byrne, with Seb Atkinson combining with Will Joseph in midfield.
Ollie Thorley and Ben Loader will be on the wings, with Charlie Atkinson at full-back.
The replacements have a six-two split, with Jack Innard, Archie McArthur, Afo Fasogbon, Hugh Bokenham, Jack Mann and Harry Taylor set to add power and energy to the pack.
Josiah Edwards-Giraud and Caolan Englefield will cover the backs.
Gloucester starting XV: 1 Ciaran Knight, 2 Seb Blake, 3 Nepo Laulala, 4 Cam Jordan, 5 Matias Alemanno, 6 Freddie Thomas, 7 James Venter, 8 Josh Basham, 9 Tomos Williams, 10 Ross Byrne, 11 Ollie Thorley, 12 Seb Atkinson, 13 Will Joseph, 14 Ben Loader, 15 Charlie Atkinson.
Gloucester replacements: 16 Jack Innard, 17 Archie McArthur, 18 Afolabi Fasogbon, 19 Hugh Bokenham, 20 Jack Mann, 21 Harry Taylor, 22 Caolan Englefield, 23 Josiah Edwards-Giraud.
Kick-off tomorrow will be at 5.30pm, with gates opening at 3.30pm.
Remaining tickets are available here.
