A double-header this weekend will see as many as 53 players take to the field for Bath Rugby, as the club plays two fixtures on consecutive days.
There will be plenty of action at the Rec this Saturday | Photo © Richard Briggs
The games against Worcester Warriors and Exeter Chiefs on Friday 19th and Saturday 20th, will offer important opportunities for players to build sharpness and cohesion, as well as highlighting Bath Rugby’s commitment to building squad depth, and fostering young talent.
On Saturday, with a kick-off of 3.05pm, a 23-man squad will face Chiefs at The Rec as the Blue, Black and White begin their PREM Rugby Cup campaign, a competition which the club has targeted as providing invaluable game time for its Academy players and emerging talent.
This developmental approach last season saw Bath winning the PREM Rugby Cup – the club’s first trophy in 17 years – as around 50 players, many making their debuts, featured across the competition in 2024/25.
Like last year, Ewan Richards will lead the team from the engine room as the captain lines up against Exeter alongside fellow lock Harvey Cuckson.
The front row sees hooker Jasper Spandler joined by props Scott Kirk and Kieran Verden.
Ethan Staddon, named Pol Roger ‘Performance of the Match’ in the pre-season game against Glasgow Warriors, is selected in the six jersey with Thompson Cowan and Arthur Green playing as openside flanker and Number 8, respectively.
Fly-half James Linegar is set to make his Bath Rugby debut from the start, partnering scrum-half Tom Carr-Smith.
Will Butt and Louie Hennessey are the centres with fullback Jack Woods and wings Tyler Offiah and Austin Emens completing the side.
There are three more debutants named amongst the replacements in hooker Max Pearce, prop Alfie Griffin, and back row Alex Ridgway. The other replacement forwards are prop Mikey Summerfield, second row Will Jeanes and back row George Timmins. Backs Neil le Roux and Charlie Griffin will be ready to make an impact off the bench.
Taking to the field at Sixways Stadium on Friday night (kick-off 7.45pm), a Bath United side will complete the third of three pre-season fixtures for 2025/26.
Scrum-half Ben Spencer – one of seven Bath players to return to the West Country from England’s camp this week – will lead the side.
Props Francois van Wyk, who scored in last Friday’s pre-season 28-28 draw away at Munster Rugby, and Archie Griffin line up alongside hooker Kepueli Tuipulotu in the front row.
Ted Hill and Charlie Ewels are selected in the engine room with flankers Miles Reid, another try-scorer in Cork, and Guy Pepper lining up with No.8 Josh Bayliss.
Max Ojomoh will wear the number 10 jersey as Cameron Redpath partners Ollie Lawrence in Bath’s centres.
Wingers Will Muir and Joe Cokanasiga comprise the back-three with Henry Arundell, who has scored three tries in the two warm-up games so far this season, selected at fullback.
Bath have named 15 players amongst their replacements for this game.
Bath Rugby Starting XV v Exeter Chiefs: 1 Scott Kirk, 2 Jasper Spandler, 3 Kieran Verden, 4 Harvey Cuckson, 5 Ewan Richards ©, 6 Ethan Staddon, 7 Thomson Cowan, 8 Arthur Green, 9 Tom Carr-Smith, 10 James Linegar, 11 Tyler Offiah, 12 Will Butt, 13 Louie Hennessey, 14 Austin Emens, 15 Jack Woods.
Bath Rugby Replacements: 16 Max Pearce, 17 Mikey Summerfield, 18 Alfie Griffin, 19, Will Jeanes, 20 Alex Ridgway, 21 Neil le Roux, 22 Charlie Griffin, 23 George Timmins.
Bath United Starting XV v Worcester Warriors: 1 Francois van Wyk, 2 Kepueli Tuipulotu, 3 Archie Griffin, 4 Ted Hill, 5 Charlie Ewels, 6 Miles Reid, 7 Guy Pepper, 8 Josh Bayliss, 9 Ben Spencer ©, 10 Max Ojomoh, 11 Will Muir, 12 Cameron Redpath, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 15 Henry Arundell.
Bath United Replacements (in alphabetical order): Henry Bartlett, Tom de Glanville, Tom Dunn, Dan Frost, Chris Harris, James Maloney, Isaac Mears, Ross Molony, Enoch Opoku-Gyamfi, Quinn Roux, Vilikesa Sela, Connor Treacey, Bernard van der Linde, Claudius Wheeler, Sam Winters.
